Designing Instruction to develop Cultural Intelligence (CQ): Reporting on Blended Learning Outcomes at a Japanese University

Abstract

As part of a broader project concerned with an application of instructional design (ID) to cultivate cultural intelligence (CQ), this study reports on the intercultural learning outcomes of a group of Japanese undergraduates. Utilizing the project’s previously constructed framework in a blended learning environment, the course involved students in a face-toface environment that included a culturally diverse online exchange, topical lectures, classroom activities and various forms of media. Course engagement and learning feedback were tracked through a series of synchronous online surveys. Preand post-course individual and group measures of CQ were obtained online through the Cultural Intelligence Center. Results show significant advances in CQ for the majority of participants when measured against worldwide norms. Findings are discussed with reference to designing instruction for intercultural learning and with a consideration towards the implications for the larger project and the development of learning in this area.