Internationalizing the curriculum in higher education

T o ~ Educan'onandA4auagonog VoL 2, No. 2, 1996, 186.195

Internationalizing the Curriculum in Higher Education Report on a OECD/CERI Study Marijk van der Wen& Introduction In 1993 the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) launched the project 'Higher Education in a New International Setting'. In the framework of this project three areas ofstudy were adopted by the OECD Member States: internationalizing the curriculum, financing and effects of internationalization, and international aspects of quality assurance. The choice for the theme 'internationalizing the curriculum' was mainly related to the notion of a need for international education for non-mobile students, a group representing at least 90 per cent of higher education enrolment in OECD countries.

The study on internationalizing the curriculum has been carried out in six countries: Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan and the NetherIands. The work in the Netherlands has been carried out by the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nufflc). The present paper is limited to the findings in the Netherlands. A comprehensive report on the analysis of findings in all participating countries will be published by the OECD in 1997.

Objectives and Research Questions The aim of the study was to develop a better understanding of the specific features, implementation and effects of particularly successful forms of internationalized curricula by: 9 Stocktaking: providing a general overview of the provision of internationalized curricula in the country; 9 In-depth case studies: searching for answers to the following set of research questions: 9 What are the characteristics of internationalized curricula.;' 9 How are these curricula developed and which factors contribute to the effective implementation of internationalized curricula?

9 What are the outcomes and effects of internationalized curricula?

Definitions and Typology In the study, 'internationalized curricula' were defined as: 'Curricula with an international orientation in content, aimed at preparing students for performing (professionally~socially) in an international and multicultural context, and designed for domestic students and/or foreign students'. The curricula in question were exam-

Ms Man)'k van do" Wendeis Resea~ Coordinatorat doeNaberlands Or~anisationfbr lnternati,nal Co~eration in HigherEdvca6on (NUYFIC), I r l l, 1~.OJ~ox29777, 2502 LT The Hague, theNetherlands. T& 31 70 426 0235. lax: 31 70 426 0259.

Emait. u~uk~m.~c~nl. She is also co-ordinatorof dx Academic CooFrati~ Asmdation (ACA) Working Group on l~em~, Andysi~ E~aluation and Q.ualiffAma'ance of lntwnationalAcademic Cooperation- Mobiliff and Exdmngr A full ~ of tbe rcsea~ reportcan be orderedat Nuffic Tel: +31-70-4260210 orfax~ +3 t-70-4260229.

186

INTERNATIONALIZING THE CURRICULUM IN HE REPORT ined both in terms of their formal aspects (learning objectives, course content and materials), and in terms of their operational aspects (teaching methods, learning activities, grouping of students, use of media, evaluation, time and place).

The following typology was developed in order to allow for a more specific identification of the types ofcurticula to be studied: 1. curricula with an international subject (e.g. international relations, European law) 2. curricula in which the traditional/original subject area is broadened by an internationally comparative approach (e.g. international comparative education) 3. curricula which prepare students for defined international professions (international business managemenfl accounta/l~) 4. curricula in foreign languages or linguistics which explicidy address cross-communication issues and provide training in intercultural skills 5. interdisciplinary programmes such as regional and area studies, covering more than one country (e.g. European, Scandinavian or Asian Studies) 6. curricula leading to internationally recognized professional qualifications 7. curricula leading to joint or double degrees 8. curricula of which compulsory parts are of. feted at institution(s) abroad, taught by local lecturers 9. curricula in which the content is especially designed for foreign students.

Propositions The centralpropositions for the study are related to the following hypothesis concerning the process of internationalization, and concepts derived from theory on educational change and on curriculum design and development:

187

P1 Internationalization of the curriculum is a process of educational change aimed at improving the quality of education.

P2 Internationalizing the curriculum together with student and staff mobility constitute the three central and interrelated elements in the implementation phase of the process of internationalization.

P3 Effects and outcomes of internationalizing the curriculum can be distinguished according to short-term effects on students, staff and educational content and long-term effects on profiles of graduates, labour market positions and the quality of education.

P4 Internationalized curricula can be developed both in a single national context or in collaboration with foreign partner in~tutions (joint curriculum development), and can be aimed either at professional training or social and intercultural integration.

P5 Content of curricula can be defined on the basis of either an analysis of (the international aspects of) the subject area itself, of (the international aspects of) the future job, or of the learner or target group.

Stock Taking: The Provision o f Internationalized Curricula in the Nethedands A set of specific sub-questions was developed with regard to the provision of internationalized curricula in the Netherlands. Various analyses were made regarding the distribution of internationalized curricula by type and by subject area, the historical development of internationalized curricula, the language of instruction and target groups of the curricula. The results of these analyses will be presented below.

A total number of approximately 300 internationalized curricula (including single modules, short courses and full degree programmes) were identified for the academic year 1994-95. The

Table 1: Distribution of internationalized curricula according to typology Type of curn'culum Percentage of totalprovision

I

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

22.3

18

14

1.7

5.3

-

3

10.3

25.3

188

MAKIJK VAN DER WENDE Table 2: Distribution of internationalized curricula by discipline area

Discipline area

Percotta~ of total provision of into-aaiondiz~ curricula i

Law Language and culture Social sciences Economics and business Agriculture Natural sciences Engineering Medicine and health sciences

distribution o f these curricula over the different types of internationalized curricula (as set out in the typology presented above) is presented in Table 1.

From the Table it would appear that more than 50 per cent of the curricula on offer fall into the first three categories, which also were quite well represented in the other countries participating in the study The low number of 'curricula leading to a joint or double degree' (type 7) does not adequately reflect the actual situation, but is rather due to the fact that a joint or double degree is a feature of many curricula that have been counted among one of the other categories. The high number on type 9 curricula can be explained by the fact that the Dutch special InstiL tutes for International Education traditionally offer an important number of courses especially developed for students from the developing countries.

Table 2 demonstrates that internationalized curricula are mostly offered in economics and business studies, followed by language and culture, behavioural and social sciences and technical sciences. As for the level of the curricula, it can be noted that many of these curricula (approximately one third) are Masters courses, both offered by universities and bo,gescbolen (in the latter case, in cooperation with British universities).

With regard to the historical development, it seems that the majority ofprogrammes currently offered by universities and bo,gescbolen were de-

8.6 12.4 13.1 37.6 8,6 0.3 13.1 6.3

veloped aRer the launch of the internationalization programmes (since 1987) by the European Commission and the Dutch Government. In particular, the inflow of foreign exchange students formed an incentive for the institutions to start internationalizing the curriculum, although the programmes are increasingly aiming at domestic students as well.

Figure 1 shows the combined data on discipline areas and the historical development of internationalized curricula. Two issues become clear from this picture: the development of internationalized curricula is of a quite recent date (in particular since 1990); and the traditionally most strongly internationalized disciplines (humanities) have been outnumbered by other disciplines (i.e. economics and business/management studies).

9 Internationalized curricula in the Netherlands are more oRen taught in English (55.7 per cent) than in Dutch (29.9 per cent). Eleven point one per cent is taught in a combination of these two languages and another 3.2 per cent in other language combinatiom.

The large proportion of curricula taught in English seems to be related to the fact that foreign students participate in almost 60 per cent ofthe curricula. In 28.7 per cent the curricula are exclusively targeted at foreign students, in 30.6 per cent they study together with local students and 40.6 per cent of the curricula are followed

by Dutch students only.

INTERNATIONALIZING THE CURRICULUM IN HE REPORT

189

I f f I I I I f L994

agri

sor

cur

econ

law

reed

nat

tech

Figure 1: Historical development by discipline area Switching from Dutch to English as the medium 9 Module Internationalization for Teacher Training (Hogeschool) of instruction is considered by most Dutch higher education institutions as an important 9 European Educational Programme on Problems of Society, Science and Technology in means of enhancing the accessibility of courses Europe (ESST) (University). for foreign students and, in particular, for those who stay for only a short period (that is exchange The three questions defined for case study invesstudents). tigation (see above) are addressed below.

In-Depth Investigation: Results o f Case Studies Five curricula have been selected as examples of particularly successful internationalized curricula to be used as case studies for in-depth investigation. The case studies concern the following curricula: 9 International Law Course (University) 9 Programme in European History and Culture (PEECH) (University) 9 International Programme in Consumer Affairs (Hogeschool)

Characteristics o f Internationalized Curricula The case studies showed that the institutions have a particular interest in developing international study programmes related to the imbalance between incoming and outgoing flows ofexchange students which is largely caused by language barriers. Programmes taught in English with an international dimension in their content attract and accommodate foreign student~ This creates possibilities for non-mobile domestic students to obtain an international study experience by studying together with foreign students. At a more conceptual level, it can be said that inter-

190

MARIJK VAN DER WENDE

institution. Important factors for the successful development of this type of curricula are in the first instance related to the availability and willingness of academics to adopt and develop the idea, which must therefore represent an academic challenge to them. The work of these innovators should, however, be supported at a very early stage by the involvement of a broader group of staffin order to guarantee the necessary commitment for successful implementation after the phase of development. This faculty level activity should be endorsed and supported by the institution's strategy for internationalization, which should focus primarily on encouraging initiatives and activities at the faculty (or departmental) level, while Creating at the same time a policy framework for them. From the case studies it appeared that the role of policy becomes increasingly important during the process. During the phases of implementation and institutionalization in particular, a dear policy is a prerequisite for the decisions which have to be taken with regard to organizational and curricular issues and the financial implications they involve. The role of the different actors in the process of developing internationalized curricula is depicted in Figure 2.

Projects to internationalize the curriculum can vary in their level of comprehensiveness and complexi~. This depends on whether the programme concerns part of the curriculum (that is a module) or a complete degree programme, on whether the programme is mono- or inter-disciplinary, on whether it is developed by an institution on its own or in cooperation with foreign partner institutions (joint curriculum development), and on whether it is targeted at domestic or (also) at foreign students. Although it will not always be possible to foresee the scope and complexity of the project, initiators and policy makers should consider before starting whether the project corresponds with the change capacity of the faculty and with the available time and Factors Contributing to the Successful budgets. The variables influencing the complexDevelopment and Implementation of ity and the comprehensiveness of the processare Internationalized Curricula presented in Figure 3.

International curricula can, in principle, be develIt occurred that the five selected case studies oped in and by any type of higher education together represented a fine spread over the levels

nationalized curricula are being developed as a response of higher education to its changing environment. There is a growing awareness of the necessity to study present problems from an international perspective and to consider the globalization process which might affect the future professional context of graduates.

The international dimension of the cases examined consists of either the fact that the programme provides knowledge on more than one country, that it makes comparisons of specific situations and systems in different countries, or that it concentrates on studying cross-border problems and toPics ~om an international perspective. These different approaches correspond with the types of curricula which were most often found in the Netherlands. The different approaches are also related to the level of the learning objectives reflected in the programmes.

These range roughly from the acquisition of knowledge, to an analysis Of differences and similarities between national settings, to an integration of learning from different country contexts into a plan for soMng a (cross-border) problem, to an evaluation of a specific (national) situation, system or practice from an international perspective. As for their geographical scope, the five selected internationalized curricula focus predominantly on (countries of) the European Union.

The selected internationalized curricula are innovative in content and in the way they integrate international staff and students into the process of teaching and learning. Different teaching methods and learning styles create a rich environment. Various new classroom settings and different arrangements with regard to place and time have been introduced (the international classroom). The involvement of international staffand students, however, raises the issue ofthe delivery costs of this type of curricula.

INTERNATIONALIZING THE CURRICULUM IN HE REPORT

191

Development of InternationalizedCurricula Role of actors Innovator

internal and mandate a external ] acc71ty feedback strategies

Staff involvement - a and commitment bo~omup

9.. Policy context re and support top down

.vigure2: Role of actorsandpoliq7in the developmentprocess Comprehensiveness --) Range ofthe curriculum

1 one module

2 trimester - 1 year

3 full curriculum + degree

Orientation of curriculum

1

2

mono-disciplinary

multi-disciplinary

inter-disciplinary

Development setting

1 single (nat)

2 bilateral (intemat)

3 network (internat)

Target group

1 domestic students

2 foreign students

3

3 both

Complexity -->

Figure3: Levelsof comprebmsivenessand complexityof internationalizingthe curriculum of complexity and comprehensiveness, ranging indeed from a minimum to a maximum score, as is presented below.

The success of joint curriculum development draws heavily on the systemadcs of the development proceas, ensuring a good balance between

clear planning on the one hand and flexibility in terms of the points of view and contributions of all partners involved on the other. Strong coordination of the process by a leading academic who carefully tunes decisions made with external partners in consultation with his or her internal

192

MARIJK VAN DER WENDE Table 3: Scores for levels of comprehensiveness and complexity o f innovations in selected cases Cases International International module tea~er training

PEECH

Consumer

ESST

affairs

Range of curriculum

1

1

2

2

3

Orientation curriculum Development setting

1 I

1 2

3 1

2 3

3 3

Target group Total score

I 4

3 7

2 8

3 10

3 12

colleagues, together with the involvement of open-minded people with strong communication skills, are other essential factors which contribute to successful joint curriculum development. Obviously, those involved in these processes must be able to travel in order to meet their foreign partners.

Projects to internationalize the curriculum which involve the presence of foreign staff and/or foreign students in the institution introduce, besides organizational changes, social and hchavioural changes which require good preparation of the domestic staff involved in terms of social and technical (that is teaching and foreign language) skiUs. Finally, the success of internationalizing the curriculum also depends on the availability of administrative support at the faculty level and of budgets to cover the development costs which, especially in cases of joint curriculum development, are higher than costs for the development of regular curricula.

Successful implementation depends, in particular, on the degree to which the institution has been able to take into account the academic levels, levels of foreign language proficiency, and learning needs of new groups of (foreign) students, while defining the content and level of the curriculum. A careful selection of both students and staffis another important factor. With regard to the latter, attention should be paid, in particu-

lar, to the teaching skills required for working with heterogeneous and international groups and for teaching in English as a second language.

Successful implementation of jointly developed curricula wiU be enhanced by measures ensuring cohesion between the parts of the curriculum delivered by staff from different partner institutions. An agreed conceptual framework which brings the different contributions together in a coherent context and guidebooks indicating the format of teaching and learning activities are good examples of such measures. Furthermore, it is important that the staff members involved consult each other intensively during delivery of the curriculum.

Thorough evaluation is another essential factor contributing to the success of internationalized curricula. Particularly in the light of the difficulty to assess foreign students' levels and needs beforehand and of to tune the contribution of different partner institutions to each other, it is very important to evaluate the curriculum thoroughly after its first delivery and also later on.

Finally, successful internationalized curricula targeted at foreign students are supported by a special infrastructure of foreign student services and counselling and by the availability of facilities (such as libraries) which are accessible to foreign students.

Institutionalization of internationalized curricuh depends on the commitment of a broad group

INTERNATIONALIZING THE CURRICULUM IN HE REPORT ofstaff, on the integration ofthe new programme into the overall curriculum (that is its relation to the overall objectives of the educational/training profile), and on its formal status and financial situation. Like many educational innovations, internationalized curricula tend to remain a kind of 'island' or 'inner circle business' involving only a small group of people. The problem of institutional adoption is often reinforced by the use of temporary external budgets to support these programmes which allows them to exist separately from the core curriculum for a certain period of time. After this period, however, the institution (faculty) has to decide whether it wants to adopt the new programme within the framework of its overall curriculum (making regular staff time available and thus solving financial problems, but also meaning that it will replace another part of the curriculum), or whether the programme will remain outside the regular curriculum (which requires extra budgets or higher tuition fees).

Both scenarios require a type of decision which must be policy based.

Outcomes and Effects of Internationalized Curricula The data gathered on outcomes and effects of internationalized curricula are still quite incomplete. On the one hand, this is due to the exploratory status of this studg and on the other hand to methodological problems. The findings can thus not be considered as any form of empirical proof but rather as a preliminary picture. They only reflect the perceptions of the differentactors involved. The high level of agreement between the views ofstaffand students involved confirms, however, in a certain way the validity of the statements. Still, the statements only concern the selected cases and cannot be generalized for internationalized curricula in general. No views from 'non-users' or 'end-users' (for example employers) could be included. As personal characteristics of the enrolled students remain implicit, the perceived effects can thus not be attributed to the curricula.

The selected internationalized curricula which are taught in English are attractive to foreign

193

students. As these programmes are often developed within a European setting, the students come predominantly from European Union countries, although southern European and (especially) French-speaking countries are underrepresented. The study type programmes (for example European Studies) at the undergraduate level are particularly attractive to young American students.

In the view of the teaching staff, typical learning outcomes at the cognitive level are that students acquire international knowledge, a wider view of their subject area, and that they become more analytical and flexiblein their way ofthinking. In terms of attitudes and skills, students become more critical-towards current practices and approaches in their own country as a result of comparing them with those in other countries and receiving feedback from an international perspective. As for skills, students gain especially in the ability to cooperate and communicatewith people from other countries and cultures. This is indivisibly related to the international classroom setting in which students from different nationalities study together. Assignments carried out in small groups of mixed nationalities contribute parti.cularly to the development of these crosscultural skills due to the high level of interaction between students in this type of activity.

Although social and intercultural integration is, in general, not an explicit aim in this type of curricula, it is one of the outcomes most strongly reported upon.

Another point in terms of educational results is that the selected internationalized curricula are characterized as contributing to the improvement of the quality of education: This is especially related to the development of local staffwho gain in international expertise and in teaching skills through exploration of new materials and literature, more intensive preparation, cooperation with foreign staff, and by working with heterogeneous and international groups of students.

This enhancement of expertise and teaching performance was reported to affect the quality of the learning processes and outcomes in a positive way.

194

MARIJK VAN DER WENDE

Involved staff reported that the quality of jointly developed internationalized curricula is enhanced by the introduction and merging of expertise of foreigu partners. Also, internationalized curricula are found to be of better quality than regular courses in terms of thorough evaluations and high levels of student services~ Some reservations should be made with regard to the level of English ofboth staffand students, teaching skills, and the selection of students and staff.

In general, the impact of the achievements in internationalized curricula on the regular curriculum and the wider faculty is still low, owing to the weak integration ofthese programmes into the overall curriculum.

This study has examined very 'young' curricula, and it has therefore not been possible to obtain clear evidence with regard to the hbour market chances or international professional performance of graduates. The development of an analytical and flexible approach, foreign language proficiency, and especially the acquisition of cross-cultural communication skills and the ability to cooperate with people from other countries, are benefits which certainly hold some promise for the future employment of these students since employers generally emphasize the importance of these types of skills. It must be noted, however, that the relevance of the international content of these curricula has not been checked with future employers. The classical gap between higher education and business and industry seems to be also reflected in the development of this type of educational reform, which contains the risk that higher education is creating its own international reality as a context for developing new plans for learning. It is therefore strongly recommended that further research be conducted on the question of whether internationalized curricula contribute to the ability of graduates to work in an interdependent and global economy As stated before, too little information was available on the personal characteristics of the students enrolled (as compared to those of 'average' students), which may (partly) explain the perceived effects. Therefore, another important area for further research is related to the numbers,

profiles and backgrounds of students enrolled in internationalized curricula.

Concluding Remarks As stated in the first proposition of the present study, internationalizing the curriculum can be considered as a process of educational change.

The process of internationalizing the curriculum is characterized by the same features as educational innovations in general; in terms of the different phases of the process (adoption, implementation and institutionalization), the importance of careful planning, a combined bottom up and top down approach, the role of both the individual and the organization, commitment and motivation of staff and thorough and regular evaluation.

In successful initiatives outcomes of the process seem to affect the educational process, content and quah~. Due to the experimental stage, internationalization is often still considered as being an end in itself. It should be emphasized, however, that internationalizing the curriculum, especially through cooperation with foreign partner institutions and colleagues, can be a valuable and contemporary means for developing the quality of higher education. In terms of its processes, it creates opportunities that challenge academics to work together intensively with foreign experts in their field. Breaking down the autonomy of individual academics can be considered as a key factor in improving the quality of education. However, international cooperation of academics should not draw the attention away from (or disturb)the internal collaboration and cohesion within a faculty.

For further decision-making and policy development it is still extremely important that internationalizing the curriculum is considered more explicitly in terms of educational change and quality improvement, because this will open the way to link this type of development to overall policies and activities in the area of educational reform and quality improvement. It will thus create the possibility of integrating both policies and strategies (and budgets) and will raise the awareness of the specific planning and imple-

INTERNATIONALIZING THE CURRICULUM IN HE REPORT mentation strategies required. This planning needs to take into account implementation periods of at least three years, and differs significandy from planning and implementing changes at the administrative or systems level.

The second proposition of this study concerned the relationship of curriculum development, student and staff mobility as the three central elements in the process of internationalizing higher education institutiong The outcomes of this study underline that the success of internationalized curricula is indeed strongly related to the involvement of foreign staff and especially to the presence of foreign students.

The conclusion that student mobility alone would be a sufficient means to achieve these effects would not be justified, however. In .traditional educational settings and programmes their presence certainly does not automatically result

195

in international learning or intercultural integration.

Finally, internationalizing the curriculum present, an added value going beyond mere student mobility. It offers an international education experience to domestic students who do not go abroad themselves (a great majority), and it affects the curriculum and the staff in terms of development and quality. As staff and curriculum are less 'volatile' elements than students, we can say that more long-term and structural (sustainable) effects can be achieved in this way This means that internationalizing the curriculum can be considered as a valuable and constructive next step in the process of internationalizing higher education, which should not, however, replace previous ones but which should add to this process wider reach and scope.