Increasing diversity in international education: Programming for non-traditional students through an alternative curriculum model

This paper looks at an alternative curriculum model for study abroad designed specifically to address some of the needs of non-traditional students enrolled in an online education program. In order to meet the needs of non-traditional students and provide quality international programming for them, it is necessary first to understand their restraints to studying abroad, and then to design alternative educational models that can address these challenges. The paper describes the challenges of balancing the need to create quality international learning opportunities for education students, with the limitations faced by non-traditional online adult learners who have families and full-time jobs. It is based on an action research case study of two study abroad programs implemented for online students at a northeastern four-year research-one institution of higher education.