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This study used a quasi-experimental design to compare the effects of an intercultural development program on students' Cultural Intelligence (CQ) compared with students in a summer research program who did not receive the intervention. Social Learning Theory guided a 9-week student-centered cultural learning course focused on attention, retention, and reproduction of each CQ domain. After the course, students had opportunities to practice their CQ abilities while studying abroad. Pre-assessment CQ determined an individualized learning plan. Reflective journaling and cultural mentoring were used to maximize student CQ growth. Using multi-level modeling, we observed a statistically significant increase in three CQ domains compared to the comparison control group: cognitive (p<.01), metacognitive (p<.01), and behavioral CQ (p<.01). Motivation CQ scores did not significantly improve (p=0.08). Our results suggest that a university intercultural development program that intentionally combines a cultural learning course with a study abroad experience may improve students’ CQ.

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Participation in intensive, immersive, service-learning study abroad programs with intentional intercultural activities embedded in the course curriculum has been shown to enhance cultural competence as measured via the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) (Krishnan, Masters, Holgate, Wang & Calahan, 2017; Krishnan, Lin & Benson, 2020). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative impact of embedding intercultural learning activities on students’ intercultural competence when included in an on-campus course compared to a study abroad program. The intervention group consisted of 34 students enrolled in the on-campus course which incorporated intentional intercultural activities. Forty-one students who did not take the course comprised the control group. Comparison of the pre- and post-IDI® scores showed a significant increase in intercultural competence in the intervention group and no change in score in the control group participants. Qualitative data supported these findings. The increase in group mean score is slightly lower than group mean score increases in study-abroad students. Results indicate that incorporating intentional intercultural learning activities in an on-campus course can be an effective mechanism for students to enhance intercultural competence without travelling abroad.

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