ABSTRACT
Cross-cultural field experiences add another dimension to student learning outcomes. These activities give students “hands-on” exposure to some of the important aspects of cultural diversity that can and do relate to course content. The one-semester “experience” is designed to create a life-altering experience; students and faculty have the mobility of a floating university and the opportunity to observe and participate with extremely diversified cultures. The faculty developed assignments for their three shipboard courses that included class readings as well as on-site field experiences. The syllabi, regardless of the discipline, reflected the integration of human diversity, especially from a cross-cultural orientation. Several assignments were framed around the receptions that the students attended. For an assignment on educational environment, the students visited two schools in two different cultures and compared the two school styles and atmospheres in their papers. The student papers were of high quality from a cross-cultural perspective.
