header The Center for Global Education at LMU Home course description 1 course description 2 course description 3 FIPSE
transparent

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How do I get started?
  2. Can I do these courses on my own or do I need to be enrolled in a class?
  3. How do I use the courses?
  4. Which course should I do?
  5. What is a Global Scholar?
  6. I have been asked to sign a student's Global Scholar Certificate. Should I? What do I need to check for before doing so?
  7. How do I find a study abroad program?
  8. How do I find others who are interested in Study Abroad?
  9. How do I see which of my students are taking the courses and how do I monitor their progress?
  10. How do I get added to a group?
  11. How do I change my password?
  12. The text size of the content is too small. How do I enlarge it?
  13. What is Info Log?
  14. What are the different formats of an Info Log?

 

1. How do I get started?   Back to Top

Your first step is to register on the Register tab above by entering your email, name, password you will use to log in, age group, institution, and status. You will then be directed to the courses. After registering, you can log back into the courses using the Login tab above.

2. Can I do these courses on my own or do I need to be enrolled in a class?    Back to Top

You can independently use the Global Scholar Online Courses or complete them through you home institution, study abroad provider, or another group.

3. How do I use the courses?    Back to Top

You can also use these courses independently or they can be used as part of a formal class or orientation program through your institution or study abroad provider. There are three different courses: Before You Leave, While You're Abroad, and Once You Return. You will choose the course depending on where you are in your study abroad process. While the courses are designed for you to work through each module, you are free to explore the modules which are of most relevance to you. Please see the User Guide for more information.

4. Which course should I do?    Back to Top

There are three separate courses, designed for students at all stages of the study abroad process. Please read the course descriptions to determine which course you should begin with.

5. What is a Global Scholar?    Back to Top

A Global Scholar is a college or university student who studies abroad for academic credit, completes all three Global Scholar Online Courses, including the Info Log assignments and the home campus and K-12 or Community College outreach presentations required in the third course, and obtains the appropriate approvals for their Global Scholar Certificate.

6. I have been asked to sign a student's Global Scholar Certificate. Should I? What do I need to check for before doing so?    Back to Top

College or university students who have studied abroad for academic credit and completed all three of the Global Scholar Online Courses earn a Global Scholar Certificate. To be considered official, the Certificate must be signed by the designated people whoese signatures confirm completion of the different components of the courses. Please see our Approving Signatures Explanation Sheet for details.

7. How do I find a study abroad program?    Back to Top

One of the main reasons students give for not studying abroad is that they start the planning process too late and miss the opportunity. The earlier you start researching programs, the better chance you will have to study abroad, to include your overseas coursework in your home campus degree program, and to graduate on-time. Finding a quality study abroad program that matches your needs and interests is a key part of the pre-departure process for studying abroad. We encourage students to take the Before Your Leave course which walks them through the steps of this important process as well as training them in other areas like money management overseas, dealing with culture shock, language preparation, and health and safety. Specifically the tasks Find the Right Program and Ask the Right Questions in the Logistical Issues I module of the course provide a guide to useful resources for finding a program (websites, reference books, and the home campus Study Abroad Office/Resource Center), as well as a list of issues to consider and questions to ask when looking for an appropriate study abroad program like cost, class dynamics, transfer credit, and who's in charge of safety.

8. How do I find others who are interested in Study Abroad?    Back to Top

You are not alone in your journey! There are many other students who are also planning to study abroad, are abroad now, or are returning from an experience abroad, as well as administrators and others who can also share their own experiences. The best place to begin is to visit the Study Abroad Office on your home campus. Other suggestions for finding others who are interested in Study Abroad are listed in Course 1 in the fifth action Explore Options for Interactions of the first task Create Info Log and Plan for Interaction of the first module Intro to Course 1: Before You Leave.

Also AllAbroad.us has mentors of various different backgrounds with advice for any student and specific advice for African-Americans, Latin/Hispanic-Americans, Asian/Pacific Islander-Americans, and Native Americans.

9. How do I see which of my students are taking the courses and how do I monitor their progress?    Back to Top

You can create a group for your students to monitor their progress. As the Group Administrator, you can see who is in the group and what steps of the courses each student has completed.

10. How do I get added to a group?    Back to Top

If your group leader gives you your login and password, they have already added you to their group. You can confirm this by logging in and clicking the Profile link or tab. The groups you are in will be listed there under My Groups. Remember to change your password after you log in!

If you created your own registration and password, you can only be added to a group by invitation from your group leader. After your group leader invites you to the group, after logging in, you will be prompted to accept or decline the group invitation. By clicking Accept, you will be added to the group. You can confirm this by clicking the Profile link or tab. The groups you are in will be listed there under My Groups.

11. How do I change my password?   Back to Top

After you log in, click the Profile link or tab, click Change Password, and follow the instructions.

12. The text size of the content is too small. How do I enlarge it?   Back to Top

If you are using Internet Explorer or Firefox as your web browser, you can control the text size by going to View, Text Size, and then increasing or decreasing it accordingly. In Internet Explorer 7 (or above) and Firefox, you can also increase or decrease the text size in your browser by holding down the Control key while pressing the + or - key respectively.

13. What is an Info Log?    Back to Top

An info log is a tool to record your thoughts, feelings, opinions and research as you experience study abroad throughout the entire process.

14. What are the different formats of an Info Log?   Back to Top

Traditional Written Format

  • Write in a journal or on paper that you bind together.
  • Write on your computer using a program like Microsoft Word and print out your work as you complete the exercises, keeping all the pages together in a folder. We strongly recommend that you back up all your work on CD or a Flash drive!

Independent Online Tools

Community Forums

  • Facebook, MySpace, or equivalent: You can create an account with one such provider and post your thoughts and lessons you've learned using the site. Facebook now allows you to interact with students from other universities. Using their search tool, type in keywords such as study abroad or the name of your host country, and choose All Networks from the drop-down menu.

School Campus or Travel Provider

  • Your classes or content may be hosted on-campus.
  • Your classes or content may be hosted by your travel provider./li>
  • Your online courses may be framed using Blackboard or Web CT and moderated by an administrator./li>

Hybrid: Part Personal – Part Structured

  • You may be required to post or be comfortable with posting certain things for public viewing, while choosing to record other things in your personal journal.