International Students’ Reflections on Life Trajectories Using a Lifeline-Chart:

Collaborative Learning to Build a Learning Community

Abstract

I held classes with international students to help them form their identity through interactive activities on their own and others’ “life trajectories”, and to offer opportunities to think about how they should spend time while studying abroad and what career paths they should take in the future. Multiple layers of the following interactive activities were incorporated into the classes: (1) drawing a life trajectory of another person on the lifeline chart, (2) drawing one’s own life trajectory on the lifeline chart, (3) conducting an interview about someone’s life story and preparing and presenting a summary article. The results revealed a process through which the students became aware that they had gone through various routes to reach the “here and now”.