Responsible Internationalization: Challenges For Higher Education

Author(s):

Sue Robson

Conference:

ECER 2010

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 08 B, Teaching, Learning and Assesment in Higher Education

Paper Session

Time:

2010-08-26

17:15-18:45

Room:

M.B. SALI 15, Päärakennus / Main Building

Chair:

Taina Saarinen

Contribution

This paper considers some of the key challenges for research intensive universities as their communities become increasingly international. Specifically it considers the impact on academic identities as faculty consider their teaching and supervisory practices and the extent to which they enhance student learning in culturally diverse educational environments. As higher education become increasingly diverse, how inclusive and engaging is the learning environment? Much has been written about the challenges faced by international students as they confront western academic and cultural expectations. Universities have been criticised for focusing on recruitment and adopting assimilation models in which the necessary adjustments are made primarily by the incoming students, often with very little reciprocal adjustment. A growing body of work considers the academic development challenges that accompany internationalization. Innovative staff development can support colleagues to create more inclusive learning experiences and assessment practices, to respond to students’ knowledge traditions, learning style preferences and motivations. Forward thinking institutions are responding by attempting to make the curriculum (both formal and informal) more relevant and engaging for students from a range of cultures. Responsible internationalization requires faculty to develop theorized pedagogical understanding to underpin the development of appropriate teaching practices and learning experiences. Internationalization in many institutions also involves the conscious internationalization of faculty. This paper discusses how conversations with both home and international faculty revealed the tensions and challenges for their working lives.

Method

this is a qualitative study using data from focus groups and interviews with faculty and students

Expected Outcomes

Responsible internationalization requires higher education institutions to think beyond recruitment strategies and revenue generation. The challeges include the development of a cultural change where teaching excellence is afforded parity of esteem with research; where the diversity of knowledge traditions, learning style preferences and motivations of its communities are valued and celebrated.

References

Bartell, M. (2003). ‘Internationalization of universities: A university culture-based framework’ Higher Education, 45 (1), pp. 43-70 Bennett, J. M., & Bennett, M. J. (2004). Developing intercultural sensitivity: An integrative approach to global and domestic diversity. In D. Landis, J. M. Bennett, & M. J. Bennett (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural training (3rd ed., pp. 147-165). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Bell, Maureen (2004) Internationalising the higher education curriculum – Do academics agree? University of Wollongong, Australia. HERDSA conference, 2004. http://www.herdsa.org.au/conference2004/Contributions/RPapers/P036-jt.pdf accessed 22 10 09 Fanghanel, J. (2007) Investigating university lecturers’ pedagogical constructs in the working context. HEA, January 2007. Knight, J. (2004). Internationalization remodeled: Definitions, approaches and rationales. Journal of Studies in International Education, 8(1), 5-31. Middlehurst , R & Woodfield , S., 2007 Research project report 05/06: Responding to the internationalisation agenda: implications for institutional strategy. HEA, 22 January 2007 Odgers, T and Giroux, I., (2006) Internationalizing Faculty: A Phased Approach to Transforming Curriculum Design and Instruction Paper presented at the York University Annual International Conference on Internationalizing Canada's Universities, March 2nd-3rd, 2006, Toronto, Ontario Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. R. (2000) Does intergroup contact reduce prejudice? Recent meta- Reynolds, L.J. (2008) Multinational Conversation about Roles of SOTL Scholars. The newsletter of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, (ISSOTL) Vol 3, (1), 4. Sporn, B. (1996). ‘Managing university culture: an analysis of the relationship between institutional culture and management approaches’ Higher Education, 32(1) pp.41-61. Turner, Y. & and Robson, S. (2008) Internationalizing the University London: Continuum Visser-Wijnveen, G. J., Van Driel, J.H., Van der Rijst, R.M., Verloop, N., Visser, A. (2009) The relationship between academics' conceptions of knowledge, research and teaching - a metaphor study Teaching in Higher Education http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713447786: 01 December 2009

Author Information

Sue Robson

Newcastle University, UK

School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences

Newcastle upon Tyne

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