A Virtual Study Abroad Experience
A ten module online course exploring the striking parallels and important differences between two movements which forever changed nations. Hear from speakers directly involved in each of the civil rights movements, plus interviews with scholars and experts on historic and contemporary civil rights issues.
Course Overview
Who is this program for?
This program was created so that students can explore Civil Rights and Social Justice through an international lens. The course is designed to be a very easy and accessible course for universities to either add to their syllabus, or incorporate as an existing course. It aims to develop cultural competency, critical thinking and comparative knowledge through a study of these two important Civil Rights Movements
How does it work?
10 module, 15-hour course with classes on the history, narratives and impacts stemming from these two important Civil Rights Movemebts. Each module focuses on narratives which can also be identified in both Irish and American experiences past and present.
Students can complete the course and assignments at their own pace. A liaison person from your college will work with ISAI to monitor assignments and accept reports on student participation. No grading or evaluation is required by your liaison person.
Online classes include outdoor site visits, guest speakers and professors, and interviews with Northern Irish and American people involved in both movements. Modules also include a resource list and post-class video assignments.
Each program has a pre- and post program survey, to provide data for you on the success of the learning outcomes of this program. It is the ideal way to provide a cultural competency program without the travel component.
Syllabus Overview
Two Nation Defining Movements:
Exploring the origins of the Civil Rights movements from movement instigators such as Frederick Douglass and Daniel O’Connell, to the activists and peacekeepers such as John Hume and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Framing the Narratives
Understanding the cultural backdrop of each country, key civil rights events and moments, and their impact on each nation. We speak with those who were there, plus scholars and experts who have studied the backdrop and impact of these important movements.
Comparative Narratives:
Each module carefully identifies points of connection in the Irish and US movements, and we encourage students to consider perspectives and responses to these narratives. Assignments are structured as short video responses to each class.
Guest Lectures and site visits:
Throughout the course, we have included expert speakers from different parts of the Irish and American Civil Rights Movements such as:
Brid Rogers; Former SDLP Deputy-Leader in Northern Ireland
Tim Attwood; Founder, Hume Foundation
Dr. Kipton Jensen; director of the Leadership Studies Program in the Andrew Young Center,
Don Mullan; Author of Eyewitness: Bloody Sunday,
Professor Corrie Claiborne; associate professor of English and American Literature at Morehouse College,
Dr. Vicki Crawford; Director, Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection,
Professor Christine Kinealy; Quinnipiac University.
Our site visits include Morehouse College, the Derry City, Edmund Pettus Bridge and many other places of interest.
FAQs
The course has 10 modules, which include a 30-40 minute online class, a reading list, and a prescribed assignment per each class. Students will receive a certificate from ISAI providing they complete each class and assignment.
Students will
Investigate the world beyond their immediate environment, framing significant problems and conducting well-crafted and age-appropriate research.
Recognize perspectives, others’ and their own, articulating and explaining such perspectives thoughtfully and respectfully.
Observe and evaluate the opinions and experiences of diverse audiences, with an awareness of geographic, linguistic, ideological, and cultural similarities and differences.
Engage in a personal way with the narratives and themes of each module and contribute creatively to an ongoing dialogue over the duration of the program.
Reflect critically on their role as a member of the global community and pursue ways to create positive change.
The primary lecturer is Dr. Niamh Hamill, Ph.D. in Cultural History, director of the Institute of Study Abroad Ireland and Professor of Global Studies, Drew University NJ.
Dr. Kipton Jensen; director of the Leadership Studies Program in the Andrew Young Center,
Don Mullan; Author of Eyewitness: Bloody Sunday,
Professor Corrie Claiborne; associate professor of English and American Literature at Morehouse College,
Dr. Vicki Crawford; Director, Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection,
Professor Christine Kinealy; Quinnipiac University.
Please get in touch for more information on funding: Info@isaireland.com
ISAI will need a liaison person who is willing to make students aware of the program, help them to enrol, and be available as a contact with the faculty at ISAI to receive student progress reports. Student assignments will be evaluated by ISAI, but your faculty / liaison person will have access to all assignments and evaluations
Please click the ‘expression of interest button’, complete the form and send back to us. We will contact you immediately to discuss any aspects of the program with you, and help you with the next steps.
The Institute of Study Abroad Ireland
http://www.isaireland.com
Community Colleges for International Development
https://www.ccidinc.org/
Consulate of Ireland in Austin TX
https://www.dfa.ie/irish-consulate/austin/
Dr. Melissa Whatley is responsible for evaluating the outcomes of this program. The tool we will use is the Global Perspective Inventory (GPI) is a survey instrument developed at Iowa State University (https://www.gpi.hs.iastate.edu/) that measures three dimensions of global learning: cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. For the ISA evaluation, students complete the 32-item GPI at the beginning and at the end of their program to measure progress over the course of their virtual experience. For more information, please see our Evaluation Report here.