Observations on an Internationalisation of Higher Education Seminar (original) (raw)
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Answers to Non-English Speaking Background (NESB) international students' issues with the Higher Education curriculum in western universities are inadequate and the solutions to many of their problems usually seem improvisations rather than improvements. Studying and proving the academic adjustment issues of many NESB international students at my university and making efforts to improving their plight, I have reached a juncture of trepidation. In my research and in my work as a Learning Skills Advisor I have begun to realise that the situation especially related to postgraduate NESB international students is beyond the "proving and improving" role of research and scholarship. In many cases, internationalisation of Higher Education seems to be an eyewash to secure the economic interests of western universities. An intercultural dimension to teaching and learning practices would be inept and superfluous if the curriculum designers do not reconsider the course, subject and assessment outcomes in relation to the prior language, knowledge and skills of those students whose very presence gives the international dimension to western universities. It seems that to bring true internationalisation involving all students, requires a complete sea change to the very philosophy of the internationalisation of Higher Education.
Responses to Internationalisation in Two Schools of Education
2019
Cross-cultural, multicultural, intercultural, and transcultural perspectives and practices in higher education contexts vary significantly, comparable to the blurring and often obscure definitions and interpretations applied to internationalisation terminology. In this article, academics from two Schools of Education in Canada and Australia aim to deepen the dialogue by sharing perspectives on internationalisation, drawing from their places of work and learning. The findings are discussed through the lens of a conceptual framework for internationalisation of higher education. From scholarly discourse, perspectives, practices, opportunities, and challenges pertaining to internationalisation in university contexts are examined. Recommendations for action for internationalisation within pre-service teacher education contexts follow.
Unravelling the Concept of Internationalisation in Tertiary Education
EDULEARN proceedings, 2017
Over the past two decades, internationalisation has slowly but steadily become the mot du jour in tertiary education, a concept brandished by all involved as the way forward towards achieving greater standards of excellence. No university strategic plan would currently be complete without a strong stance on internationalisation. However, in practice, the term is proving difficult to define, encompassing a wide range of strategies and activities and open to multiple and not always converging interpretations. This paper aims to examine these conceptual nuances by looking into the fundamental principles of internationalisation as well as some of the prevalent myths and misconceptions regarding its meaning at higher education level. It also analyses quality-related issues that stem from internationalisation models and processes, such as: indicators to measure success; theoretical and practical challenges in any international strategy; the significance of the term internationalisation versus globalization; and the potential difficulties in assessing the validity and value of some of the most widespread internationalisation strategies being implemented by institutions across the world
The Internationalization of Higher Education
2016
The terms ‘internationalization’ and ‘globalization’ are frequently used for a wide variety of different aspects and domains that concern our contemporary world, such as the economy, the environment, education and science, political relationships, and many more. Both ‘internationalization’ and ‘globalization’ refer to an ongoing process and although they are related and often used interchangeably, they do not have the exact same meaning. In the context of tertiary education, Altbach and Knight’s (2007, p.1) definition of globalization refers to forces that are at work in our twenty-first century, which strongly influence the domains of economics, politics and societies on a worldwide scale. According to them, these forces are urging higher education to undertake action in order to respond to this current trend of globalization, namely by internationalizing higher education. There are, however, many different definitions and viewpoints on what the internationalization of higher education should resemble and what a soi-disant international university or college does -or should- consist of. The present paper will, therefore, be limited to the standpoint of Rizvi (2007), Stier (2006) and Woodin et al. (2011), regarding this topic. Rizvi’s and Stier’s perception of the role of internationalized higher education will be addressed in the first instance and furthermore, this paper will try to clarify what the current state of affairs is of the internationalized curriculum in higher education, according to the abovementioned authors.
draft -Position paper on Internationalisation of higher education.pdf
With demographics and internationalisation changing our classrooms, the issue of how to cater for and benefit from the resultant individual and cultural differences in learning is crucial in the development of effective pedagogies. The Internationalisation of higher education is already well under way. University classes are increasingly international in terms of staffing as well as students. GATS and other trade agreements covering the development and management of cross border educational imports and exports also serves to raise the prominence of internationalisation. Australian and other governments now actively seek to become net exporters of university education and importers of students and the associated revenue streams. The OECD (1994) describes an international curriculum as encompassing domestic as well as foreign students, having an 'international orientation' visible in its subject content, seeking to prepare graduates to effectively and professionally perform in an international and multicultural context. There are many definitions of internationalization. One is that internationalization in tertiary education is 'the process of integrating an international, intercultural, global dimension into the purpose, functions and delivery of higher education' (Knight, 2003). She suggests two broad definitional 'streams' that recur in academic discourses of internationalization in higher education. That is, internationalization carried out 'overseas' and internationalization 'at home': the former concerning changes to program content, the movements of people such as student exchanges. Nevertheless, new digital communication technologies have enabled the creation of new 'learning spaces' plugging students into the web whilst blurring such geographical and practical distinctions between home and away. Gen Y students especially simply take for granted that such technology-enabled forms of networking and learning and study are going to be available to them. Research shows that internationalisation of the curriculum is more effective if academic staff are designated to coordinate the process. The greatest barriers to effective internationalisation of the curriculum are 1) lack of staff knowledge, 2) an unwillingness to develop the knowledge or invest the time required, and 3) lack of explicit institutional support and recognition of its value. At ASB we already have institutional support in the form of the UNSW graduate attributes and the ASB graduate attributes we are currently piloting. Thus barriers 1) and 2) are the main impediments to internationalisation in the faculty and these barriers have less intellectual legitimacy in the age of globalization (amply illustrated in the lack of 'isolation' of Australia from the economic impact of the current global recession). Some Suggested L&T Options • Include a global perspective in all courses and programs by integrating international materials in the program e.g. o International Case studies
European Educational Research Journal, 2009
What are the pedagogical impacts of internationalisation on the development of higher education in Europe? How can we proceed in this process and take a pedagogical stance on the issue? This theoretical article is partly based on a series of empirical studies, conducted by the author, investigating students' and teachers' experiences and understanding of an internationalised educational context in Sweden. Here, some further implications of these studies are examined and discussed in relation to recent publications and research concerned with internationalisation in higher education in various ways. Underpinned by the findings of earlier studies, this article argues that even though the internationalisation of higher education has been extensively researched in recent decades, more qualitative studies are needed. In particular, there is a lack of studies from the perspective of teachers and students concerned with their experience of internationalisation, and with how they interpret various aspects of this process in relation to their respective educational contexts. The empirical results of the series of studies conducted earlier in this area by the author show that teachers' and students' experience of internationalised contexts varied, and that they were experienced as ambiguous and difficult to grasp. Both teachers and students experienced such contexts as difficult to evaluate in terms of learning outcomes. This article argues in favour of a shift in research perspective, from an overall external perspective to a relational, experienced and context-based perspective, to understand how internationalisation in higher education is developed in practice. Adopting this perspective not only sheds light on issues of meaning making in learning and understanding knowledge content, but also raises significant questions of a general order, concerned with the nature of knowledge development in international educational contexts.
Why Internationalise Education
As much as this might sound like a cliché, a number of predicted global developments together create a period of unprecedented change. Never before has the knowledge explosion been this massive and have individuals had the opportunity to reach millions with consummate ease. Think of video clips going viral on the internet as an example of this. Such events have had enormous societal effects. The Arab spring is but one such example. The combined effects of the change of location of major business activity, enhanced mobility of professionals, global re-distribution of middle classes, urbanisation, development of globally interconnected network of new urban centres, and job polarisation, produce a globalised work environment in which international awareness and inter-cultural effectiveness are no longer an optional extra, but a sine qua non for the attributes of new graduates. Indeed, if these economic developments do not force the hand of Higher Education Institutes in this respect, the need for the same attributes to address global challenges like climate warming, availability and distribution of food and water, and that of conflict motivated migration most certainly will. Equally relevant is the question whether this important task should be left to higher education institutes. Just like we are starting to realise that creativity is being stymied by our education system, are we destroying a young child’s innate ability to get along with peers of many different cultures? May be there are aspects of intercultural communication and international awareness that are best dealt with early in education and not left until our students arrive at university, apparently inter-culturally ineffective and insufficiently internationally aware.