Pre-Departure Orientation - Health and Safety

I.

Background information
Session 2 is designed to convey information about potential risks during the trip and to inform
the students of the plans to avoid/mitigate risks. To make efficient use of the in-class time and
to make sure the information are well delivered, students are required to watch a
flipped-classroom presentation and to submit an entrance ticket before coming to the session.
During the class, students will use the information they have learned from the
flipped-classroom presentation to analyze special cases, and develop their own risk matrix, so
as to better internalize the risk management skills.

II.

Learning Expectations
a. Students will be aware of potential health and safety risks and ways to avoid them.
b. Students will be familiar with the emergency plan and confident to react efficiently if
emergency happens..

III.

Assessment of Learning
a. Entrance ticket: Helps faculty understand individual concerns related to health/safety
(differentiate advising).
b. Exit ticket: Helps faculty understand gaps in understanding related to health and
safety, etc.

IV.

Materials
a. The flipped classroom presentation slides
b. Case study printouts
c. Risk matrix printouts
d. Entrance Ticket Google Form
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e. Student laptops/smartphones

V.

Agenda At-a-Glance (60 min)

a. Agenda Overview (2 min)
b. Flipped Classroom & Entrance Tickets Debrief (small>whole group) (15 min)
c. Case studies (small>whole group) (20 min)
d. Exit Ticket: Personal Risk Matrix Activity (20 mins)
e. Next session preview (3 min)

Remind students to bring laptops/smartphones in the previous class.

Detailed Lesson
1. Agenda Overview (2 min)
a. Remind the students of the purpose of this session.
b. Go over agenda briefly
2. Flipped Classroom Debrief (small>whole group) (15 min)
a. Share key findings from the entrance ticket Google Form.
b. Students will discuss their understanding of the flipped classroom presentation and
their answers to the entrance tickets first in small groups of 3 or 4, and then share
important items as a class.
c. Professors address questions/concerns/comments and elaborate on the emergency
plan.
3. Case studies (small>whole group) (20mins)
a. Students number off by 4 and break into groups. Act out or discuss the scenarios for
15 minutes and then come back as a class to reflect on lessons learned
b. Cases include: tourism scams, pocket picking, food poisoning, water poisoning, alcohol
and drug related crimes, medical care, natural disaster.
4. Exit Ticket: Personal Risk Matrix Activity (20 mins)
a. Students will be divided into teams of 2 or 3. Each student receives a blank risk matrix
b. They will use the information theyve learned from the flipped-classroom presentation
as well as their personal experience and experience of their partner(s) to develop their
own personal risk matrix.
c. The matrix is a simplified version of the risk management matrix used in IEMG 8610A
Education Abroad Management based on the assessment of risks in Beijing/Tokyo by
the team. This activity aims to help students internalize the risk management skills.
d. Students are required to submit a photocopy of their matrix so that the professors can
understand gaps in understanding related to health and safety, etc.
5. Next session preview (3 min)
a. Assign YouTube videos to view (see website, Pre-Departure session, Reflective
Writing, Entrance Ticket) and have participants write an essay no more than 1 page in
length answering the question, What are some anticipated issues you believe will
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arise while conducting research in Japan and China?.

Forum Standard 4: Students are adequately prepared for the challenges of the education abroad context...that
equipd them to achieve academic success and broader program goals.
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Forum Standard 9: The organization promotes respect for the cultures and values of the communities in which in
operates.
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Case Studies
I.

Tourism Scams:
You and your friends are exploring the streets of Beijing after a long day of research, taking in
the sights. A woman with a 5 year old child approaches you, excited and curious after hearing
you speak English. She seems excited to practice her English with you and invites you into her
home to experience a traditional tea ceremony, no charge. What do you do?

II.

Pick-Pocketing:
After getting back to the hotel after a long day of walking, you lay down and reach for your
phone so you can look over all the photos youve taken so far. But its not where you left it!
You check your pockets, your bags, your suitcases, ask all your friends and its nowhere to be
found. Your phone has been stolen. What do you do?

III.

Food Poisoning:
You decided to try some delicious smelling street food in Beijing earlier in the day, but made
sure you only ate at a stall with a long line of Chinese people. However, a few hours later you
feel your stomach cramping and start to feel light-headed. You feel like you have food
poisoning. Theres still a few hours before the group is scheduled to finish up for the day.
What do you do?

IV.

Medical Care:
While walking between appointments with the group, your friend trips on an uneven step and
lands directly on their knee. Theres no blood, but he cant bend his knee and the swelling has
already started after a few minutes. What do you do if you were in China? What would you do
if you were in Japan?

V.

Natural Disaster:
While resting in your hotel in Tokyo typing up your notes from the day, you start to feel
something shaking. Looking around, you see your books topple off your desk and watch the
table lamps slide back and forth along the bedside table and desk. Japan is experiencing an
earthquake. What do you do?

Student Activity: My Personal Risk Matrix Template:

Name:_________
Potential Issues

Crime and Violence

patterns, trends, risks for
foreigners

Emergency
Communication access to
communication tools, plan
in place to send/receive
notifications
Medical/Physical Health
Response access to
quality healthcare, facilities

Transportation Safety public transportation

options, road safety,
threats
Food and Water Safety

Emotional Challenges

Financial Safety
Credit cards, cash, scams

What are the potential

threats to me?

What I can do to
prevent/militate
risks?

What help do I need from

my classmates/ professors?