1. Investigation of Freshman Students’ Global Competence Aptitude Assessment in
Relation to Preparedness for an Interconnected World
Rochana Kaushik – Department of Marketing and Business Analytics
Dr. Shonda Gibson - Executive Director of Global Learning and QEP
Dr. Tabetha Adkins - Associate Professor of Literature and Languages and QEP Committee Chair
Results and Discussion
A simple means analysis shows that incoming
freshman students have not fully mastered
competence
 Overall readiness, both internal and external,
underdeveloped <80 & 70.
 Particularly low levels in external readiness
(Historical Perspective and Global Awareness).
The results of the current study:
 Aids in better understanding students’ current
levels of global competence, specifically
TAMUC students.
 Aids in creation and development of programs
designed to improve global competence – for
example, our QEP.
 Provides a baseline measure to compare with
outgoing Senior assessments to begin in the
Fall of 2017.
Current Study
The purpose is to investigate Global Competence
among freshman students in relation to preparedness
for an interrelated world
Participants: Students (N= 930) incoming first-time,
full-time freshmen at A&M-Commerce
Method: Students in their freshman success seminar
completed the (GCAA) as a Pretest in university
computer lab. Posttest data will be collected at
graduation year (slated to begin fall of 2017).
Instrument: Global Competence Aptitude Assessment
(GCAA) 113 questions, average time 30 minutes
Introduction and Background
Due to the increasingly interconnected global society
the need for individuals with the ability to
demonstrate global competence is undeniable.
Past research has shown that students are not
necessarily formally educated and trained to
comprehend the full impact of global
interconnectedness, nor to make informed decisions
with full knowledge and awareness of the global
implications.
Education institutions have been charged and
challenged to produce globally competent graduates.
Global competence has been defined as:
Having an open mind while actively seeking to
understand cultural norms and expectations of
others, and leveraging this gained knowledge
to interact, communicate and work effectively in
diverse environments (Hunter, 2004, p. 81).
Global Competence means “Global”
 Breadth of understanding across the world
 Not specialization in niche countries or region
 Possess the foundational skills to learn,
assimilate, and thrive in any culture; to “figure
it out” and “fit in”.
The Global Competence Model™
 GCAA is based on over ten years of rigorous
research.
 Provides a visual representation of the knowledge,
skills and attitudes that research shows are
necessary for developing Global Competence.
 The instrument assesses and reports on individual
ability to fit and function within a global environment.