Internationalising the curriculum at UQ Dr Anna Ciccarelli, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International)...

Internationalising the curriculum at UQ

Dr Anna Ciccarelli, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International)

A/Prof Betty Leask, ALTC National Teaching Fellow, University of South Australia

Dr Rhonda Breit, School of Journalism & Communication

Dr Victoria Kain, School of Nursing & Midwifery Dr Wendy Green, TEDI

Global Strategy & Internationalisation

The University of QueenslandDr Anna Ciccarelli

Deputy Vice Chancellor Internationala.ciccarelli@uq.edu.au

Dr Wendy GreenTeaching & Educational Development Institute

w.green@uq.edu.au

UQ’s Global Strategy

Distinctiveness of Internationalisation

at UQ

PARTNER COLLABORATION INDEXREGION AND COUNTRY STRATEGIES

UQ’s Strategy & Priorities Matching Capabilities & Priorities Achievements to date

Country’s Own Priorities Economy / Development Education / Research

UQ GLOBAL STRATEGY 2011-2015

STRATEGIC PLAN 2011-2015LEARNING DISCOVERY ENGAGEMENT

INTERNATIONALISATION PLAN 2011-2015

REGION / COUNTRY PRIORITY FRAMEWORKAdvanced Science & Technology Economies National & State PrioritiesDeveloping Countries National Development Priorities

Highly Engaged Partners

Specialised Partnerships

New & Developing Relationships

Evidence based Approach to GS & IZNInstitutional• Global Partners• Quality of the Student Experience• Student Mobility• % international students• % staff with International Quals• English Language Policy &

Provision

School based• Student Exchange & Outbound

mobility

Program evaluation and renewal

IoC – trialling of QIC in program review

• UQ Partner Collaboration Index• ISB/SB benchmarking• Go8, QLD 5, U21• AUIDF Benchmarking• UQ data• UQ data• Comparative academic

performance of ESB/NESB• School Based Performance

Framework indicator

• Nursing, Journalism, Social Work• Grad attributes – ELP &

intercultural

Educating Global Citizens & Leaders

UQ is committed to enriching education through international engagement.

• UQ currently has exchange partnerships with a range of education institutions in 35 countries

• Offers a flexible collaboration models accompanied by a range of options for research students

• UQ has a set goal for a quarter of our undergraduate student population to have a mobility experience

• UQ is committed to comprehensive Internationalisation &• Internationalisation for ALL students

Nurturing leaders in the world

Prof. Peter Doherty

1996 Nobel Laureate for Medicine and 1997

Australian of the Year

Her Excellency Dr

Quentin Bryce

AC, Governor General of Australia

Dr Lee Boon Yang

Singapore’s former Minister for Information,

Communications and the Arts

Dr Andrew Liveris

President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Dow Chemical Company

The University’s great minds making great contributions

Internationalisation @UQ:Opportunity and choice

Option 1. Co-curricularThe UQ Advantage Award

Core

Curr

iculu

m

Option 3. Specialised Curriculum B. International Studies Compulsory Language and mobility

Option 2. Enriched Curriculum Concurrent diplomas – languages, global issues

Developing a systematic, do-able approach - considerations

1. UQ has a devolved organisational structure

2. Available IoC typologies don’t necessarily address our priorities

3. We need to be able to leverage UQ’s existing strengths (esp.co-curricular)

4. We need to acknowledge difference • Disciplinary - ways of learning for global citizenship will

differ from discipline to discipline• Personal - IoC will appeal to some students and staff

more than others

a complex, non-linear and necessarily contextual processes.

The challenge

• Considering all of these factors,

• How can we ensure that all students engage with IoC, in ways that address differences between students, staff and disciplines within core curriculum, while enabling and documenting students’ engagement with the rich array of elective enrichment options in the formal and informal curriculum?

ProposalIoC at UQ: Opportunity and choice

Option 1. Co-curricularThe UQ Advantage

Core

Curr

iculu

m

Option 3. Specialised Curriculum B. International Studies

Option 2. Enriched Curriculum Concurrent diplomas

Where are we up to?• For each of the ‘Options’ • Student uptake for all options is increasing, with high student

satisfaction• How to ensure access & equity – esp. co-curricular?

•Core curriculum - challenging!• Structure of the program – mapping/creating the pathways• Processes of teaching – the how – T&L that is culturally

sensitive, inclusive & critical •But consultations (IoTL Report) & review of literature suggest that incremental, systematic, supported introduction will be effective, through

Clear institutional focus

Existing Program Review Processes

Resources -QIC & case studies (Leask 2011) Staff development, funding, recognition/reward

Internationalising the curriculum

31 October 2011

Betty Leask, UniSA Australian National Teaching Fellow

ALTC National Teaching Fellowship

‘How can we internationalise the curriculum in this discipline area in this particular institutional context and ensure that, as a result, we improve the learning outcomes of all students?’

• 13 Australian universities• 5 universities in England, US, The Netherlands

and South Africa• Disciplines – Nursing; Journalism; Social

Sciences; Public Relations; Management; Accounting; Applied Science; Medicine

Outputs

• ‘Discipline-specific’ literature search• A conceptual framework• Case studies of IoC in action• Process of IoC described + support

resources • ‘Blockers and Enablers’ survey• www.ioc.net.au

Internationalisation of the curriculum

• An internationalised curriculum (product) will purposefully develop the international and intercultural perspectives (skills, knowledge and attitudes) of all students

• IoC is the incorporation of an international and intercultural dimension into the preparation, delivery and outcomes of a program of study (process)(Leask 2009)

Intercultural competence

• ‘the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations based on one’s intercultural knowledge, skills and attitudes’ (Deardorff 2006, p. 247).

• mindset, skillset, and heartset (Bennett, 2008)

• knowledge, behaviours, attitudes and values (Byram 1997)

• Means confronting and challenging biases, beliefs and stereotypes

A conceptual framework for internationalisation of the

curriculum

Global context: What kind of world do we live in? What kind of world do we want?

National and regional context: What culture of HE internationalisation, past, present, future?

National and regional context: What culture of HE internationalisation, past, present, future?

Institutional context: What mission, ethos, policies and priorities?

Institutional context: What mission, ethos, policies and priorities?

Informal curriculum: What services, opportunities for experience and

extension beyond the formal curriculum?

Informal curriculum: What services, opportunities for experience and

extension beyond the formal curriculum?

Formal curriculum: What learning experiences, outcomes & assessment?

Formal curriculum: What learning experiences, outcomes & assessment?

Residual, dominant, emergingand imagined paradigms

Knowledge in and across the

disciplines

Knowledge in and across the

disciplinesProfessional practice and citizenship (local, national and global)

Systematic development in all students of identified international and intercultural knowledge, skills and attitudes

Internationalisation of the curriculum is:• Context sensitive

– Multiple contextual layers

• Future oriented– Critical perspectives on the past and present

• Founded on excellent teaching and research– With clear ‘rationale’ and learning outcomes– ‘Aligned’ and student focussed

IoC in the disciplines

• is related to the way in which disciplines and professions are culturally constructed, bound and constricted

• requires that academic staff think outside of these traditional restrictive, boundaries

• has ‘macro-level’ as well as ‘micro-level’ implications for programs

• looks different in different disciplines

Medicine 2011

• How do we ensure that our graduates are equipped to provide effective health care to patients from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds?

• How do we know that they are appropriately equipped – K,S&A?

• To what extent does our program focus on dominant Western paradigms of medicine?

• Is this focus appropriate today?• What about in the future?

The process of IoC

Reflect and

Review

Imagine

Revise and Plan

Implement

Evaluate

Reflect and Review

• Questionnaire for Internationalisation of the Curriculum (QIC)

• 16 questions related to: – Context– Teaching and learning arrangements– Assessment

• A continuum

1__________2__________3__________4Localised Internationalised

How internationalised is your curriculum already?

1__________2_________3_________4

Localised curriculum

Internationalised curriculum

Study abroad

Language study

Case studies from different cultures

International learning outcomes

Multi-cultural group work

Some key learnings

The importance of teamwork

Conclusion

Internationalisation of the curriculum:• is related to the way in which disciplines

and professions are culturally constructed, bound and constricted

• requires that you think outside of these traditional restrictive, boundaries

• has ‘macro-level’ as well as ‘micro-level’ implications for programs

• is ‘owned’ by discipline experts

References

• Leask, B. (2009) Using formal and informal curricula to improve interactions between home and international students. Journal of Studies in International Education, Vol. 13, No. 2, 205-221

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Internationalising the curriculum in Journalism, Communications & PR

From Internationalisation to De-Westernisation

Rhonda BreitLevi Obijiofor

Richard Fitzgerald

The School of Journalism and Communication. The University of Queensland

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Internationalization and De Westernisation.

We began with the questionnaire.

What does ‘internationlisation’ mean for our disciplines?

• Much of our curriculum content draws upon international examples.

• Much of our theoretical base is drawn from international thought.

• Much of our research is published in international journals.

• Our student cohort at undergraduate is largely domestic, while at post grad is largely international.

What about the non English contexts, non western practice, non western examples?

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Internationalisation to De-Westernisation

“The choice for non western journalist academics is often to either remain relevant to the local conditions of their trade or abandon this to engage with the dominant western theories and research which may have little connection to their situation”. (Wasserman and De Beer (2009)

They also point out (not without irony we think) that the International Communication Association’s Journalism Division now has over half their members originating from outside the USA.

(it does not however say how many of these members from outside the USA are from other English speaking countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada etc, or other westernised nations such as Europe.)

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Approaching De westernisation.

The pervasiveness of westernised thought (mainly in the English language) dominates modes of dissemination which tends to produce a homogenous perspective from which other non western experiences are excluded.

However, there is an increasing uncertainty about what was taken for granted and the relevance of the dominant model of journalism and professional communication that has been established and is perpetuated.

We decided that as a school we would approach this exercise through the lens of de westernisation and to explore our curriculum through this frame.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

1. Student cohort. 2. We have a 2 courses which are fully focused on international and intercultural content.

3. We have a number of areas in the curriculum which draw upon non western practice, theories and assessment. These are at different stages of the ‘wheel’.

4. While having regular whole of school planning days and activities we found out we did not have a full awareness of the range and scope of where this is and how it is incorporated in the curriculum.

Where we are.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Approaching De westernisation. Where are we, and what do we do already?

Review and Reflect

Imagine

Revise and PlanAct

Evaluate

As a school

our activities

negotiate

negotiate

negotiatenegotiate

negotiate

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

What we have done. 1 - Graduate attributes:

Reflections on the language of our School-based graduate attributes

Our School-based graduate attributes aim to produce graduates who will reflect the following:

a). Be global

b). Be ethical

c). Be accountable

d). Be responsive to change

e). Evaluate & adapt practice to respond to a changing context.

What do these concepts mean? E.g. What does it mean to be “global”?

Does it mean understanding other people and cultures?

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Possible changes to graduate attributes

Our aim is to promote a transformative educational experience for communicators of the future, who are able to work across diverse inter-cultural contexts. Graduates of our program will be reflective practitioners who are:

1. Mindful of the habits and assumptions;

2. Capable of dealing with complex problems across different professional and cultural settings;

3. Capable of positioning their approaches within the global and local contexts

4. Capable of ethical reasoning that is mindful of diversity and changing socio-cultural settings;

5. Accountable for their actions;

6. Responsive to change;

7. Capable of evaluating & adapting practice to respond to a changing context;

8. Engage in lifelong learning.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

So, what does de-Westernisation mean for Journalism and Communication at UQ.

• It means reflecting and understanding our student cohorts. From where, to where and what they need.

• It means challenging the normative model by which we judge and assess.

• It means understanding local environments in global perspectives.

• It means not treating other journalism as ‘alternative’ and locating these within a boutique course about how they do things in other countries.

• It means understanding localised practices and where technology has enabled interconnections with wider potential audiences but also other less technologically driven environments.

• It means taking seriously what others may have been taking seriously themselves for some time.

• It means being reflexive with the differences in approach and practice.

• It means embedding this in all areas of the curriculum.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

3. What next? - Reflect and Revise

How we can bring coherence and emphasis to the things we do across the curriculum

a). Through Teaching and Learning Committee meetings

b). Through cluster meetings (different clusters meet to map and compare teaching and assessment practices). Clusters include journalism practice, PR practice, research, social change, and PG research.

c). Brainstorming during School retreats at the start of every semester to see how our programs and courses align.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

What we have done. 2.

Full Courses. Content and Assessment

1). International Journalism & Mass Communication

The course aims to give students a broader perspective of international news reporting in different cultures.

Students engage in a project that encourages them to get away from a purely Australian view of foreign news reporting in order to appreciate the nature of foreign news reporting in other cultures.

Specifically, students compare and contrast the way foreign news is reported in three newspapers published in overseas countries (western and non-western countries) and in three Australian newspapers.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Full Courses – Content and Assessment

2). Identity, Culture and Communication

This course provides students with an opportunity to experience intercultural communication in different Australian communities.

The course requires students to write a report on a cultural event that they attended during the semester.

Students must attend and participate in one cultural event which is organised by members of a culture other than their own.

Students are required to write a report in which they reflect on the event as non-members of the culture.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

What we have done. 3.

Examples of in-course content and assessment.

3). Participatory Development Communication

Course modules use many examples/illustrations from Research Centre projects in Vietnam, Indonesia.

Guest speakers, including international RHD students, present on cases of projects overseas.

Student cohort is international (about 75%) and students are given the opportunity to present case studies from their own countries.

4). Communication for Social Change Practicum

Opportunities to do practicum with overseas organisations (e.g. students work with FAO in Vietnam, UNESCO in India, etc.)

Opportunities to do practicum on international issues for Australian development organisations (e.g. Amnesty International, OXFAM, MDA).

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

2.In-course content and assessment, continued

5). Communication Strategy & Practice, and Communication Campaigns

These two courses have been the locale of an extended program of service learning. Undergraduate and postgraduate students in the PR and PC streams complete a service-learning based course as part of their degree.

The first purpose of service-learning was to offer students the opportunity to engage in a local context with global issues: such as climate change and refugees.

Another purpose of service-learning was to promote civic engagement. A number of the projects contributed to internationalisation of the curriculum.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Other areas of practice: We focus not only on internationalisation/de-westernisation but also on Indigenous issues

Indigenous Voice Project

The project conducted in 2009 aimed primarily to address The University of Queensland’s Education Principles on Indigenous Australian Matters (EPIAM) by:

• encouraging the incorporation of Indigenous perspectives in our curriculum.

• improving the understanding of students and staff of Indigenous issues and recognising the importance and contribution of Indigenous Knowledge as an emerging discipline.

• embedding into the curriculum Indigenous Knowledge so that it is considered and incorporated alongside traditional discipline content.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Internationalising the curriculumin Nursing and Midwifery

Dr Victoria KainSchool of Nursing & Midwifery

Dr Victoria Kain

Program Director: Bachelor of Nursing & Honours

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

An internationalised curriculum in nursing

Key drivers in healthcare:

Healthcare consumers are entitled to culturally competent care.

Nursing curricula need to include cultural content and student nurses and faculty members need to be culturally competent.

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

IOC in action: Where is our School in the cycle?

Review and Reflect

Imagine

Revise and PlanAct

Evaluate

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Our School’s Involvement

Overriding question:

‘How can we internationalise the curriculum in this discipline area, in this particular institutional context, and ensure that, as a result, we improve the learning outcomes of all students?’

Strategy:

Step 1: Identifying the Team

Step 2: Completing the Questionnaire (Questionnaire on the Internationalisation of the Curriculum (QIC)

Step 3: Discussing the responses

Step 4: Developing the action plan

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Completing the Questionnaire

The Internationalisation of the Curriculum (QIC) is a 20 item scale with options for participant explanatory responses.

• Electronically distributed using Qualtrics software

• 60% response rate

• On a scale of 1 – 4: Respondents rated internationalisation of our curriculum at 2.9.

→ We then conducted a Focus Group interview …

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Discussing the Responses

The team came together after having completed the questionnaire, to share their responses and discuss the rationales for their answers and any similarities and differences between them.

Key themes:

We indentified that the School shows its commitment to internationalisation of the curriculum in a number of ways:

• A PBL curriculum with internationally themed practice problems;• A growing cohort of Overseas Educated Professional Nurses in our

PBL groups;• The accredited Cambodian clinical placement;• Nursing and Midwifery Student Exchange and Study Abroad

scheme: engagement with our exchange partners with incoming and outgoing students;

But … do we need a more overt approach to the curriculum?

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Developing an Action Plan

Specific objectives:

To explore in our team what internationalisation of the curriculum means, using the taxonomy of intercultural competence by:• Raising Awareness• Developing Understanding and Facilitating awareness

Key questions:– Specifically, what does it mean in relation to our

discipline? – What are some of the ways in which we could

internationalise the curriculum in a particular course/unit?

Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action.

Questions