Internationalising the curriculum and all learning Betty Leask 12 December 2014 University World News Global Edition Issue 347 Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in internationalisation of the university curriculum, in theory and in practice. But curriculum internationalisation is too often centred on inputs such as optional international modules, rather than being focused on outcomes and all students learning. Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in internationalisation of the curriculum, in theory and in practice. Essentially, this is because internationalisation of the curriculum has the potential to connect broader institutional agendas focused on internationalisation with student learning. All students will live in a globalised world, as professionals and citizens, and this is a common rationale for internationalisation. Hence, university policy statements contain many well-intentioned, often bold, and certainly visionary statements focused on graduates with international and global perspectives, ready and able to make a positive difference in our increasingly interconnected yet divided world. Many of these policy statements either explicitly or implicitly link the vision of internationally, interculturally and globally competent graduates to all students. However, exactly how these statements are connected with student learning in the disciplines through internationalisation of the curriculum is not clear. For example, in some universities the focus of internationalisation of the curriculum is primarily on outbound student mobility, which for pragmatic reasons involves a small percentage of students. In some universities the focus is on teaching in English but rarely all programmes, and the connection between teaching in English and the achievement of international and intercultural learning outcomes is not clear. In other cases the focus of internationalisation of the curriculum may be primarily on content through the inclusion of specialised optional international modules, and in others on increasing student diversity in the classroom and on campus, without considering how this will internationalise student learning. Individually and collectively these approaches are insufficient. In summary, internationalisation of the curriculum in policy and practice is too often focused on inputs rather than outcomes. Internationalisation of the curriculum must become more directly connected to all students’ learning. Defining internationalisation of the curriculum As there is often confusion about what the term ‘internationalisation of the curriculum’ actually means and how it is connected with student learning, I will first define the term and then describe two key characteristics of internationalisation of the curriculum focused on student learning. In 2009, in an article in the Journal of Studies in International Education, I defined an internationalised curriculum as one that will “engage students with internationally informed research and cultural and linguistic diversity and purposefully develop their international and intercultural perspectives as global professionals and citizens”. This definition emphasises the active involvement (engagement) of students in the learning process and through this the systematic (purposeful) development of international and intercultural learning outcomes. The definition highlights the need to move beyond approaches to internationalisation of the curriculum based on content alone or isolated, optional experiences and activities for a few students that do not provide evidence of learning outcomes. It is useful to distinguish between the product, an internationalised curriculum, as defined above, and the process of internationalisation of the curriculum. The following definition of the process of internationalisation of the curriculum from the same article focuses attention on teaching, learning and assessment, as well as content: “Internationalisation of the curriculum is the incorporation of an international and intercultural dimension into the content of the curriculum as well as the teaching, learning and assessment arrangements and support services of a programme of study.” This distinction between product (an internationalised curriculum) and process (internationalisation of the curriculum) helps to distinguish between the end and the means, an enduring source of confusion as evidenced by, for example, statements that claim mobility programmes as evidence of internationalisation of the curriculum. Mobility programmes are a possible means by which a small number of students might achieve desired international and intercultural learning outcomes. In summary, the process of internationalisation of the curriculum must consider learning outcomes as well as learning inputs. Focus on student learning An internationalised curriculum focused on student learning is defined by two key characteristics. First, it will occur within the context of the different cultures and practices of knowing, doing, and being in the disciplines. Second, faculty who do not have the experience, skills or knowledge required to internationalise the curriculum will be supported by expert facilitators in the process of defining intended internationalised learning outcomes and assisting all students to achieve them. Disciplines have distinct cultures and values and will often have different rationales for internationalising the curriculum. Faculty will need to be clear about why they think internationalisation of the curriculum is important for their programme. Programme teams, as distinct disciplinary communities, will need to engage in discussions and debates on the international and intercultural learning outcomes that their graduates will require to be effective professionals and citizens in a globalised world. If students are to achieve the intended learning outcomes, faculty will need to develop a clear and systematic plan to support their students’ learning. Learning activities in different modules/subjects/courses at all year levels of the programme will need to be designed to incrementally develop students’ international perspectives and intercultural skills. Students will need formal and informal feedback on their international and intercultural learning and advice on how to improve their performance at different levels of the programme. Faculty who do not have the experience, skills or knowledge required to internationalise the curriculum will need to be supported by expert facilitators in the process of defining intended internationalised learning outcomes and assisting all students to achieve them. Facilitation and support is important because faculty who are not prepared are likely to adopt a narrow focus. This will have serious consequences for the international strategy of the university and student learning. Facilitators may come from outside the discipline or the university. They will include experts in teaching, learning and internationalisation, who can provide guidance and advice as well as practical support. There will be an emphasis on building capacity for the future to address critical issues and key questions associated with internationalisation of the curriculum across disciplines and across the institution over time. In this way internationalisation of the curriculum becomes an ongoing process focused on student learning, in which faculty are deeply engaged. Approaches to and interpretations of internationalisation of the curriculum will inevitably vary across disciplines. What is important is that, regardless of the discipline, the focus of the process of internationalising the curriculum is on student learning. This puts faculty and the disciplines at the centre of internationalisation of the curriculum. * Betty Leask is executive director of learning and teaching at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. She is editor in chief of the Journal of Studies in International Education. E-mail: [email protected]. This article was first published in the current edition of International Higher Education. University World News universityworldnews/article.php?story=20141211101031828
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 08:00:00 +0000
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