Investigating the Impact of Engagement in Prior International Learning Experiences on Engineering Students' Learning Outcomes

International learning experiences have been increasingly adopted by engineering colleges and universities to prepare future engineers with global competencies. However, the effectiveness of such learning experiences remains to be further studied and validated. This study reported quantitative analyses of survey responses from 454 engineering students who participated in thirteen international summer programs at a leading Chinese research university. Specifically, the study examines the impact of students' prior international experiences on their current learning outcomes through international summer programs. Using a prior validated instrument-Engineering Students' Learning Outcomes survey (ESLO), we explored different impacts that were associated with various forms of prior international learning experiences. Prior engagement in international summer programs, international tourism, and courses with a global focus were proved to contribute to engineering students' development in skills or attitudes. Such an exploration of impact of various international learning experiences can help multiple stakeholders in designing and choosing suitable international experiences for engineering students.