MA International Education (Higher Education)

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Internationalising the Curriculum

Course unit fact file
Unit code EDUC70732
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? Yes

Overview

This optional course unit builds on EDUC60491 (Theories of Teaching and Learning) to develop students’ practical knowledge of curriculum develop in the context of internationalisation (i.e. the process of developing international or intercultural elements into the curriculum). In doing so, students will engage with developing purposeful, equitable, and ethical internationalisation of curriculum materials. Such approaches will be introduced through critically examining several facets of curriculum internationalisation: decolonisation of the curriculum, tensions between the relevance of national and international learning, intercultural skill development, and the role of internationalisation in established 21st Century skills frameworks. This course unit will be applicable across the scope of education, from primary to higher education. In addition to theoretical considerations of curriculum development, there will be an explicit practical skills development through hands-on curriculum development and lesson planning. 

Aims

This course unit will introduce the following content areas / approaches to teaching and learning:

·         Internationalisation of the curriculum

·         Decolonization of the curriculum

·         Equity in curriculum diversification

·         The role of the curriculum and learning materials in intercultural learning practices

 

It will also support reflection on and practical skills development of the following key skills in the context of international education:

·         Curriculum design

·         Lesson planning

·         Activity design

·         Teamwork and team teaching

Curriculum material selection 

Teaching and learning methods

11 weeks of teaching (2 hours each week)

Knowledge and understanding

  • Identify a range of approaches for developing an internationally-focused curriculum
  • Describe how approaches to teaching and learning are informed through internationalisation of curriculum materials
  • Discuss how internationalisation impacts curriculum design, lesson planning, and material selection 

Intellectual skills

  • Critically analyse the theoretical and practical challenges of curriculum internationalisation
  • Critically evaluate approaches to teaching and learning within an internationalised curriculum design 

Practical skills

  •  Develop curriculum plans and designs in the context of internationalisation
  • Identify and synthesise ethical and equitable internationalized learning materials

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Make use of educational materials for curriculum design
  • Work constructively with a team to develop a collaborative curriculum design

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written assignment (inc essay) 100%

Feedback methods

Feedback via Blackboard

Recommended reading

Beets, P., & Le Grange, L. (2005). `Africanising' assessment practices: Does the notion of ubuntu hold any promise? South African Journal of Higher Education, 19(1), 1197-1207. doi:10520/EJC37215

Crowther, P., Joris, M., Otten, M., Nilsson, B., Teekens, H., & Wächter, B. (2000). Internationalisation at home: A position paper. Paper presented at the European Association for International Education, Amsterdam.

de Wit, H., & Leask, B. (2015). Internationalization, the curriculum and the disciplines. International Higher Education(83), 10-12. doi:10.6017/ihe.2015.83.9079

Haigh, M. J. (2002). Internationalisation of the Curriculum: Designing inclusive education for a small world. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 26(1), 49-66. doi:10.1080/03098260120110368

Harrison, N. (2015). Practice, problems and power in ‘internationalisation at home’: critical reflections on recent research evidence. Teaching in Higher Education, 20(4), 412-430. doi:10.1080/13562517.2015.1022147

Le Grange, L. (2016). Decolonising the university curriculum: Leading article. South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(2), 1-12. doi:10.20853/30-2-709

Leask, B. (2009). Using formal and informal curricula to improve interactions between home and international students. Journal of Studies in International Education, 13(2), 205-2011.

Matus, C., & Talburt, S. (2015). Producing global citizens for the future: space, discourse and curricular reform. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 45(2), 226-247. doi:10.1080/03057925.2013.842682

Patel, F., & Lynch, H. (2013). Glocalization as an alternative to internationalization in higher education: Embedding positive glocal learning perspectives. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 25(2), 223-230.

Tangney, S. (2018). The development of a reflective tool for internationalisation of the curriculum. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 55(6), 640-649. doi:10.1080/14703297.2017.1386118

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 22
Independent study hours
Independent study 38

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Jenna Mittelmeier Unit coordinator

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