So what do we mean by internationalising the learning experience?
In a number of previous blogs I have been talking about internationalisation, and also some ideas for embedding international perspectives into the curriculum. Let’s have a look at some of the more curriculum related ideas that can be used to embed internationalisations while designing the learning activities and curriculum. Internationalisation of the learning experiences can take many variations, and most likely implemented gradually as the facilitators become more receptive to the ideas and concepts. At a basic level, it requires students to gain at least some exposure to international ideas, concepts and ways of doing things. These can be through: 1. incorporating ideas, via videos, websites etc. during the delivery of lectures and tutorials so that students are given an opportunity to at least see different perspectives. So when you are looking for examples to demonstrate a concept, aim to identify and use at least one example from a different country. 2. use of international examples in classes. This allows students to experience, albeit at a very basic level, different perspectives from around the world. Students should be required to interrogate these perspectives using their own value positions, and provide balanced justifications for any decisions they may be required to make. These may or may not utilise videos etc. 3. Curriculum should be designed in a way to enable a strength based diversity of ideas and positions. If you are lucky enough to have international students in your classes, engaging them in meaningful ways to provide different ideas and positions. What do I mean by strengths based? All students, international or not, have something unique and significant to offer. If you design your learning activities so that all students get to express their views, not always overtly, then you are creating a more inclusive class. Many international students, due to their cultural backgrounds and experience with different education environments may not willingly offer their own opinions, but appropriately designed learning activities can address this effectively. For example in one of the classes that ‘yours truly’ did a while ago where I had students working in small groups, many students from Confucian heritage backgrounds were willing to accept a domestic students idea over their own, even if in some cases they believed that those ideas were actually inferior to theirs. 4. Offer students the opportunity to work with students physically located in a different country. You might to be surprised to know that academics in other countries are just as interested in developing international perspectives as you are. It would require a bit of work on your part, but seek out potential institutions with similar courses and just contact them. In my case I was able to develop relationships with three different overseas institutions that led to interesting and rewarding activities involving our students. The opportunity to work with group members located overseas creates amazing challenges and learning opportunities for the students. 5. get your students to work on real-life problems that are located in a different country. Seek out significant problems faced by organisations and/or communities around the globe, but focus on a particular country. Get your students to research, identify and develop solutions for these problems. It is also possible to get the students to contact these organisations directly and discuss problems and solutions with them. 6. get the students to work in groups located in a different country, while solving problems located in a third country. So the combination of 4 and 5 above.
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December 2019
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Photo used under Creative Commons from Philippe Put