A holistic approach to internationalisation connecting institutional policy and the curriculum with the everyday reali

1. A holistic approach to internationalisation � connecting institutional policy and the curriculum with the everyday reality of student life Associate Professor Betty Leask Dean Teaching and Learning Division of Business University of South Australia

2. Outline What is internationalisation? Why is this important? Background and context A case study Creating a culture of internationalisation Curriculum interventions Services Extra curricular activities What have we learned?

3. Research context Discursive constructions of internationalisation at an Australian University � implications for professional practice � Thesis A professional development framework for offshore teaching � Government funded research project Action Research within an Australian institution

4. What is internationalisation? A definition: �the process of integrating an international/intercultural dimension into everything we do� and � a major focus of internationalisation in higher education is preparing �faculty, staff and students to function in an international and intercultural context� Jane Knight and Hans de Wit 1995 both agent of, and response, to globalisation A process - not a number, an event or an activity Impacts on, and influenced, by teaching, research and service A process - not a number, an event or an activity Impacts on, and influenced, by teaching, research and service

5. In reality many activities associated with it someone else�s responsibility often focussed on exchange, international student recruitment or additional content also $$$$ seemingly contradictory images and constructions critical relational and cultural aspects are usually either completely overlooked or oversimplified poorly understood at discipline level �the process of integrating an international/intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service functions of the institution� (Knight 1994 internationalisation is a multi-faceted process rather than a one-off event or series of activities it is clearly associated with intercultural learning it impacts on teaching, research and service functions of higher education institutions Discourse doesn�t always reflect the complexity �the process of integrating an international/intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service functions of the institution� (Knight 1994 internationalisation is a multi-faceted process rather than a one-off event or series of activities it is clearly associated with intercultural learning it impacts on teaching, research and service functions of higher education institutions Discourse doesn�t always reflect the complexity

6. Rationales political, social, academic and economic rationales and discourses academic rationales often focused on poorly understood student outcomes while discourse in HE often focused on international student mobility (recruitment, exchange) Academic outcomes - development in students of �international perspectives� ; intercultural understanding; knowledge Not really clear what this means at discipline level or how it can be done and achievement measured Academic outcomes - development in students of �international perspectives� ; intercultural understanding; knowledge Not really clear what this means at discipline level or how it can be done and achievement measured

7. Why is it important? �The frog in the well marvelled at the expanse of water before it. But the frog could not comprehend the ocean outside the well.� �Small people are like frogs in a deep well, revelling in the lowly enjoyments of their mudpool � but incapable of understanding life in the wide ocean� Chuang Tzu

8. I chose Chuang-zsu�s story as a starting point for what I have to say today as for me it encapsulates what internationalisation in education is all about and highlights the importance of all of those things that I associate with internationalisation of the curriculum. For aren�t we all �frogs�, so immersed in our own immediate world that we have little time to devote to understanding the larger world of which we are but a small part and aren�t we therefore in danger of remaining trapped for another twenty-four centuries in our isolated wells and mudpools? Internationalisation offers staff and students the opportunity to learn the skills needed to escape their wells and learn to swim in the ocean beyond. I chose Chuang-zsu�s story as a starting point for what I have to say today as for me it encapsulates what internationalisation in education is all about and highlights the importance of all of those things that I associate with internationalisation of the curriculum. For aren�t we all �frogs�, so immersed in our own immediate world that we have little time to devote to understanding the larger world of which we are but a small part and aren�t we therefore in danger of remaining trapped for another twenty-four centuries in our isolated wells and mudpools? Internationalisation offers staff and students the opportunity to learn the skills needed to escape their wells and learn to swim in the ocean beyond.

9. �Study creates a little platform but its not until you jump and take advantage of opportunities (that) you begin to understand more about other cultures� Internationalisation is the platform from which all of the frogs in the organisational well can jump into the ocean and swim to new shores.

10. A case study - 11 years ago A �new� university with a focus on both teaching and research City location but a �regional� university 35,000 students - 20% international students; unevenly spread; majority onshore Strong links with industry Integrated internationalisation policy Large number of equity students Budgetary problems Multicultural student population Seven Graduate Qualities introduced in 1996

11. Today An established university with an increasing focus on research 30,000 students - 30% international students; unevenly spread; majority offshore Budgetary problems largely resolved Seven Graduate Qualities established Internationalisation better understood but still diversely viewed

12. The rhetoric in 1999 Internationalisation embedded in mission statement, goals and policies Emphasis on social justice � education for �the common global good� Some focus on graduate outcomes/attributes/qualities � on developing international perspectives in students � knowledge, skills and attitudes Desire to be international in all we do

13. and realities Dominance of economic rationale in the discourse � the rest will follow � Conflation of economic rationale with academic, political and social and cultural rationales through equation of presence of international students on campus with �internationalisation� Belief that by their very presence international students will �impact on teaching, curriculum development and Australian students � through exposure to different ideas and cultures� (Hamilton 1998)

14. and more realities Rapid growth in numbers of international students Teaching staff have difficulty getting international and domestic students to interact in class Cultural segregation in class and on campus Dissatisfaction amongst students with levels of interaction between international and domestic students Stress and tension in times of change � this is hard High risk of failure Complex and multi-faceted

15. Some timely questions Are we getting any closer to the ocean beyond? Or do we just think we are? How can we connect institutional policy, the curriculum and the everyday reality of student life?

16. How do we turn rhetoric into reality? rabbit has three openings to home (Chinese proverb) To succeed we need to have several alternatives we need to have multiple strategies there are many pathways to success

17. Creating a culture of internationalisation a campus environment and culture which motivates and rewards interaction across cultures for all students and skills and attitudes in all students that facilitate cross-cultural communication both inside and outside class Through the curriculum Through extra curricular activities Through services Through staff development

18. The Curriculum A graduate who demonstrates international perspectives as a professional and a citizen will: display an ability to think globally and consider issues from a variety of perspectives demonstrate an awareness of their own culture and its perspectives and other cultures and their perspectives appreciate the relation between their field of study locally and professional traditions elsewhere recognise intercultural issues relevant to their professional practice appreciate the importance of multicultural diversity to professional practice and citizenship Graduate Quality #7 (international perspectives) Through the Graduate Qualities UniSA makes a public statement of intent in relation to internationalisation outcomes for students in all undergraduate programs. Graduate Quality #7 relates specifically to internationalisation. The specific skills that will be required in different professions may be quite different for this Graduate Quality and therefore the nature, importance and application of the graduate quality will be subtly different in different programs of study[1]. Nine indicators are provided to academic staff as a guide to the general sorts of characteristics that graduates who have achieved the quality might exhibit. These generic indicators are an integral part of the construction of Graduate Quality #7 by the University. [1] As noted in Research Report 1 the international perspectives required of a nurse or a pharmacist might focus more on socio-cultural understanding than those of an engineer, where the emphasis might be more on the understanding of the global and environmental responsibilities of the professional engineer and the need for sustainable development. Similarly while practicing nurses, pharmacists and engineers should all be able to recognise intercultural issues relevant to their professional practice and have a broad understanding of social, cultural and global issues affecting their profession, the strategies they will need to use to deal with them will be different in some ways even though they may be similar in others. Graduate Quality #7 (international perspectives) Through the Graduate Qualities UniSA makes a public statement of intent in relation to internationalisation outcomes for students in all undergraduate programs. Graduate Quality #7 relates specifically to internationalisation. The specific skills that will be required in different professions may be quite different for this Graduate Quality and therefore the nature, importance and application of the graduate quality will be subtly different in different programs of study[1]. Nine indicators are provided to academic staff as a guide to the general sorts of characteristics that graduates who have achieved the quality might exhibit. These generic indicators are an integral part of the construction of Graduate Quality #7 by the University. [1] As noted in Research Report 1 the international perspectives required of a nurse or a pharmacist might focus more on socio-cultural understanding than those of an engineer, where the emphasis might be more on the understanding of the global and environmental responsibilities of the professional engineer and the need for sustainable development. Similarly while practicing nurses, pharmacists and engineers should all be able to recognise intercultural issues relevant to their professional practice and have a broad understanding of social, cultural and global issues affecting their profession, the strategies they will need to use to deal with them will be different in some ways even though they may be similar in others.

19. appreciate the complex and interacting factors that contribute to notions of culture and cultural relationships value diversity of language and culture appreciate and demonstrate the capacity to apply international standards and practices within the discipline or professional area demonstrate awareness of the implications of local decisions and actions for international communities and of international decisions and actions for local communities

20. Internationalisation of the curriculum is therefore Related to all students� professional and personal lives Concerned with the development of values and cultural awareness as well as the acquisition of particular skills and particular types of knowledge More than awareness, appreciation, valuing and understanding � about thoughts and action too The knowledge and understandings associated with Graduate Quality #7 are three-dimensional � closely linked to culture and cultural perspectives on one dimension; to action and doing (displaying and demonstrating) as well as to thinking and awareness (appreciation and recognition) on another; and to professional and personal knowledge and action on another. The knowledge and understandings associated with Graduate Quality #7 are three-dimensional � closely linked to culture and cultural perspectives on one dimension; to action and doing (displaying and demonstrating) as well as to thinking and awareness (appreciation and recognition) on another; and to professional and personal knowledge and action on another.

21. Extra�curricular interventions Campus activities and spaces Mentoring schemes � Business Mates Awards e.g. Global Edge Award Challenging the deficit model associated with international students International and Australian students working side by side - as buddies, in paid and unpaid roles e.g. on-arrival reception staff Peer mentoring � domestic/international Facilitated cross-cultural activities Integration of diverse range of film, art, food and other cultural symbols and events onto campus Promotion and celebration of activities Development of stronger links with local community cultural, social and political organisations Budget model International and Australian students working side by side - as buddies, in paid and unpaid roles e.g. on-arrival reception staff Peer mentoring � domestic/international Facilitated cross-cultural activities Integration of diverse range of film, art, food and other cultural symbols and events onto campus Promotion and celebration of activities Development of stronger links with local community cultural, social and political organisations Budget model

22. Student services If internationalisation is preparing �faculty, staff and students to function in an international and intercultural context� (Knight and de Wit 1995) then student services must relate to all students interaction between domestic and international students is critical to achieving internationalisation goals

23. Staff Development Academic staff need to become efficient intercultural learners define what international and intercultural goals are appropriate for their course expand their toolkit � managing group work, designing tasks Administrative staff need to be able to interact appropriately across cultures Focus on services to Australian students and staff as well as International students Compulsory workshops in cross-cultural communication for key people Social language skill workshops for international students Cross-cultural communication skills development workshops for general as well as academic staff Broad range of professional development for academic staff including cross-cultural issues in teaching and learning, internationalisation of the curriculum, learning and assessment task design at a detailed, course-specific level Focus on services to Australian students and staff as well as International students Compulsory workshops in cross-cultural communication for key people Social language skill workshops for international students Cross-cultural communication skills development workshops for general as well as academic staff Broad range of professional development for academic staff including cross-cultural issues in teaching and learning, internationalisation of the curriculum, learning and assessment task design at a detailed, course-specific level

24. The intercultural = the main road On an international campus In an international classroom the focus will be on the intercultural �the development of critical engagement, self-reflection and sensitivity towards any aspect of interaction and communication between �self� and �others�

25. The journey may not be quick Need a representative group of enthusiasts committed over time Need to listen to and involve the total education community � international students, domestic students, staff, local community groups, other providers (competition vs collaboration), local council and community Sense of �Other� is persistent over time Need to be committed in the short and the long term

26. The journey may not be easy �Old habits die hard� and re-focusing on domestic as well as Australian students will not be easy Some staff and students will resist blatantly and covertly; knowingly and unknowingly Difficult to focus on �everything we do� at once Need to be flexible and reflexive, willing to learn � takes effort Risk of failure and embarrassment No �one-size fits all�, simple �fix-it� solution Money is important � but it�s only part of the solution

27. Bitten by a snake this year, he�ll be scared of well ropes in the next ten� - Chinese proverb Important not to be discouraged by failure Need to beware of false conclusions re causes of problems

28. Some of our challenges Putting policy into practice at a personal level What does internationalisation mean for me? What might �being intercultural� mean for the way I do my work? Professional Development for internationalisation Changing teaching practice Being comfortable moving into uncomfortable spaces Student Services for internationalisation Moving from a deficit model

29. Other lessons learned over time The rabbit has three openings to home - Chinese proverb �No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive�- Mahatma Gandhi �The secret of success is constancy of purpose�- Benjamin Disraeli �����

30. Conclusion Policy is the easy bit Internationalisation of the curriculum is fundamentally concerned with relationships � between culture, knowledge and the disciplines, between policy, the curriculum and the everyday reality of student life between students and staff Staff development is critical The pathways are many; the transitions challenging; the way out of the well is not easy or quick. Creating a culture of internationalisation requires Australian and international students, academic and administrative staff making transitions to new ways of thinking and doing � climbing out of the well. Creating a culture of internationalisation requires Australian and international students, academic and administrative staff making transitions to new ways of thinking and doing � climbing out of the well.

31. We need to recognise the size and difficulty of the task facing us, resource it appropriately and give it the attention it deserves, if we are to escape from the confines of our wells and the depths of the mudpools referred to by Chuang Tzu twenty-four centuries ago. We need to recognise the size and difficulty of the task facing us, resource it appropriately and give it the attention it deserves, if we are to escape from the confines of our wells and the depths of the mudpools referred to by Chuang Tzu twenty-four centuries ago.