The OECD has defined an internationalised curriculum as:
A curriculum with an international orientation in content and/or form, aimed at preparing students for performing (professionally/socially) in an international and multicultural context and designed for domestic and/or foreign students (Internationalising the Curriculum in Higher Education, OECD, 1996).
The OECD and its Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) have developed the following typology of an internationalised curriculum:
Type | Description |
1 | Curricula with international content |
2 | Curricula in which the content is broadened by internationally comparative approaches |
3 | Curricula which prepares students for defined international professions |
4 | Curricula in foreign languages or linguistics which explicitly address cross-cultural communication issues and provides training in intercultural skills |
5 | Interdisciplinary courses such as area or regional studies that cover more than one country |
6 | Curricula leading to internationally recognised professional qualifications |
7 | Curricula leading to joint or combined degrees (i.e. with international studies or language studies) |
8 | Curricula of which compulsory part are offered at or by offshore institutions by local lecturers (including exchange and study abroad programs) |
9 | Curricula in which the content is specifically designed for international students |
Internationalisation vodcast by Lisa schmidt
Internationalisation can be implemented in various ways across the curriculum
The following strategies are recommended as a starting point.
- Introduce international themes into the curriculum for critical discussion and reflection.
For example, themes related to the H1N1 pandemic may be useful in not only raising awareness about the effects of this new strain of influenza worldwide but it would also generate critical reflective discussion on how different countries are responding to the outbreak, on the role of the media in educating the public and identifying the responsibility of global citizenship in collaborating in containing it.
- Encourage domestic and international students to present a critical perspective on global issues
You may want to incorporate themes such as the H1N1 pandemic, the global recession, and climate change to provide opportunities for both domestic and international students to work together on projects.
- Integrate international perspectives in class discussions.
Engage students in collaborative reflections and presentations on relevant themes within the topic structure and ask them to identify issues and challenges that affect them in a domestic and/or international context.
- Design inclusive teaching and learning opportunities.
Encourage domestic and international students to work together by introducing a rotating mixed group schedule so that all students have chance of working with new peers on an ongoing basis.
- Foster respect for cultural diversity
Establish a set of norms for fair and open discussion on cultural diversity by ensuring that all students commit to working in a respectful manner.
- Expand the curriculum to include local and global perspectives.
Include sub-themes related to local and global socio-economic concerns, for example, to ensure abroad range of considerations on the impact of socio-economic conditions upon access to basic human rights such as food, water and shelter.
- Provide opportunities for domestic and international students to engage in collaborative partnerships.
Introduce projects on international development issues and assign roles and responsibilities for investigation and reporting to a diverse group of learners.
Teaching staff can access the Inclusive Teaching, Offshore Teaching and the Cultural Diversity in Practice websites to review our commitment to internationalisation. Flinders University upholds commitment to internationalisation through these multiple programs and projects and encourages all staff and students to provide an inclusive teaching and learning environment.
