Portable Intercultural Models (PIM) Help Student Navigate Foreign Cultures
Students get extra preparation for navigating foreign cultures through videos, lessons, and activities developed at the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR), an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) based at Purdue University.
The content of the Portable Intercultural Models (PIM) was positively reviewed by a senior specialist at Purdue’s Center for Intercultural Learning, Mentorship, Assessment and Research (CILMAR). She recommended the material for use in three separate PIMs for study-abroad related courses.
CISTAR won a grant to develop PIM to be inserted into courses preparing students for study abroad. The material also helps CISTAR summer program participants whose mentors come from different countries.
Pilot tests of the PIM show that it spurred thought-provoking conversations, while the accompanying exercise, activities, and discussions highlighted how culture awareness helps one work more effectively with others.
