How are we to understand the ‘intercultural dimension’?

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 4.1-4.21
Author(s):  
Jonathan Crichton ◽  
Angela Scarino
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Educational Quality ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
The University

The internationalisation of education has become a major focus of international, national and institutional attention, reflected in a substantial and expanding literature on how internationalisation is manifested, how it might be promoted, its implications for areas such as government policy, strategic planning and management, educational quality, student mobility, teaching and learning, and the place of language and culture in teaching and learning. There is also general agreement in the literature on the need for internationalisation to include an ‘intercultural dimension’.In this paper, we examine how we are to understand the ‘intercultural dimension’ in higher education. Our approach is based on an analysis of current constructions of this dimension, to argue that these constructions are neither individually nor in combination capable of meeting the challenge of internationalisation. Drawing on recent studies undertaken at the University of South Australia, we propose culture as ‘intercultural’ as an alternative construction.

How are we to understand the ‘intercultural dimension’?

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 4.1-4.21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Crichton ◽  
Angela Scarino
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Educational Quality ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
The University

The internationalisation of education has become a major focus of international, national and institutional attention, reflected in a substantial and expanding literature on how internationalisation is manifested, how it might be promoted, its implications for areas such as government policy, strategic planning and management, educational quality, student mobility, teaching and learning, and the place of language and culture in teaching and learning. There is also general agreement in the literature on the need for internationalisation to include an ‘intercultural dimension’. In this paper, we examine how we are to understand the ‘intercultural dimension’ in higher education. Our approach is based on an analysis of current constructions of this dimension, to argue that these constructions are neither individually nor in combination capable of meeting the challenge of internationalisation. Drawing on recent studies undertaken at the University of South Australia, we propose culture as ‘intercultural’ as an alternative construction.

A view from the other side: interpretations of widening participation by a post-1992 university

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-208
Author(s):  
Nic Lightfoot
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
The Other ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Academic Practice ◽  
University Culture ◽  
The University

The role of the academic in interpreting the complex and confused concept of widening participation is central to the practice of widening participation within higher education. These interpretations are bound up within the context of what it means to be an academic, and external constraints on that role. Government policy has insufficiently challenged perceptions of that role to bring about a transformation to academic practice. This research, through the use of semi-structured interviews, illuminates the perspectives of academics, in a range of roles, to the widening participation agenda and outlines the alternative priorities of those academics. Ultimately, the impetus for transformation is not one which will occur internally to the university and it is argued that stakeholders, in the absence of realistic government pressure, must play a part in bringing about a university culture which places teaching and learning and not subject disciplines at the centre of its practice.

Graduates giving back – a mentoring program for MBA students

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Darwin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Master Of Business Administration ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mba Students ◽  
A Value ◽  
The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges and obstacles encountered in the implementation of a mentoring program for Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the University of South Australia (UniSA) Business School. The paper starts with an exploration into the need for a mentoring program, the trial and subsequent four years of implementation. The paper also explores the network model of mentoring and the reasons why this, rather than a more traditional model, was chosen for the program’s implementation. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory case study uses data from over 600 students and their alumni mentors over a five-year period to evaluate and improve the program as well as cultivating a critical community of adult learners. Findings – Feedback from students indicates that the mentoring program is regarded by most as a value-added feature of their early learning as it offers support, if and when it is required, from those who have been there before. Research limitations/implications – Results are limited to one institution. However, as research into mentoring for higher education students is thin on the ground, this study contributes to our understanding of the positive impacts of mentoring on student success. Practical implications – This paper emphasizes the importance of business leaders giving back to their alma mater through mentoring current MBA students. It shows how mentoring can support learning and management development. Originality/value – This is an original study which explores ways to increase the learning of higher education students for positive social outcomes.

scholarly journals Treasuring languages: an introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Alessia Plutino ◽  
Kate Borthwick ◽  
Erika Corradini
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
The University ◽  
And Linguistics ◽  
Value Of Learning ◽  
Language Teaching And Learning

This volume collects selected papers from the 9th annual conference in the Innovative Language Teaching and Learning at University series (InnoConf), which was hosted by the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at the University of Southampton on the 28th of June 2019. The theme of the conference was ‘Treasuring languages: innovative and creative approaches in Higher Education (HE)’. The conference aimed to address the consistent decline in recent years in applications to study languages at UK universities by igniting discussions and seeking innovative and creative approaches to raising awareness about the value of learning languages.

scholarly journals New Trends in the Teaching of the Intercultural Competence as Part of the Process of Teaching Foreign Languages in the Context of Higher Education in Spain.

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Yolanda García Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Open Window ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Different Cultures

Today we live in the era of globalization. We define our world by the coexistence of various different cultures. The present article seeks to clarify the concept of intercultural competence when teaching foreign languages and the new trends in the context of Higher Education in Spain. We will start with a short introduction on the various studies and research on the relationships between language and culture However, the main aim in this article will be to point out the new roles played by teacher and learners in the process, the creation of new materials to support the intercultural dimension and the new types of activities that could be done inside and outside the classroom, such as the use of tele-collaboration, social networks and others. In other words, the elements that make up and give meaning to a new methodology for language teaching and learning and that help language teaching to be an open window towards other cultures and to develop a new and open-minded attitude towards diversity. Therefore, we will try to study some of the main current methodological approaches, stereotypes and contents linked to that intercultural competence.

scholarly journals Theoretical bases for academics’ potential development: foreign and domestic experience

2021 ◽  
pp. 5-19
Author(s):  
Yurii Skyba ◽  
Hanna Lebedynets
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Intangible Resources ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
Potential Development ◽  
Organizational Information ◽  
The University

Ensuring and improving the quality of teaching and learning, in particular the academics’ potential development, is reflected in strategic European and domestic documents, namely in the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, the Paris Communiqué, the Strategy for Higher Education in Ukraine for 2021-2031 and others. The expediency for academics’ potential development is confirmed by the results of a national survey on the needs for the development of Ukrainian universities in the process of reforming higher education in the context of European integration. The article highlights the problems of academics’ potential development. Based on foreign and domestic experience, the theoretical bases for academics’ potential development, in particular the conceptual and terminological apparatus and structural components of teaching metacompetence are substantiated. The concept «potential of an academic» is defined as a set of intellectual, intangible resources, conditions and opportunities created for the production and accumulation of new knowledge, ideas, technologies, competencies and other productive properties at the university, which combines two levels of connections functioning in unity. The first level of connections are resources that are the result of past and present, and the second – opportunities, i.e. those abilities and connections that are future-oriented, constantly changing, evolving, forming new abilities, characteristics, including elements of the future development. The following components are distinguished in the structure of teaching metacompetence: prognostic; design; objective; innovative; pedagogical partnership; organizational; information and digital; reflexive; linguistic and communicative; inclusive; motivational; health-preserving; emotional-ethical and evaluative-analytical. The development of the above components of teaching metacompetence will help ensure the quality of higher education and increase the competitiveness of the university in the educational services market.

scholarly journals Bullying: Perspectives on Research and Interventions

2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond T. Chodzinski ◽  
Debra Pepler ◽  
Ken Rigby
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
South Australia ◽  
International Literature ◽  
Interview Process ◽  
On Line ◽  
Learning Journal ◽  
The University ◽  
Do So ◽  
Bullying In Schools

While reviewing various articles submitted for this issue I thought that there are experts on bullying who are probably not familiar with the Teaching and Learning journal but might be willing to contribute their viewpoint if they were invited to do so. With that premise in mind I contacted Dr. Debra Pepler of the La Marsh Institute, York University and Dr. Ken Rigby of the University of South Australia. Both are highly respected contributors to the international literature about bullying in schools and communities. Both readily agreed to be part of an on-line interview process.

Professional community and student engagement in higher education: rethinking the contributions of professional staff

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaw Owusu-Agyeman ◽  
Enna Moroeroe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Culture ◽  
The University

PurposeScholarly studies on student engagement are mostly focused on the perceptions of students and academic staff of higher education institutions (HEIs) with a few studies concentrating on the perspectives of professional staff. To address this knowledge gap, this paper aims to examine how professional staff who are members of a professional community perceive their contributions to enhancing student engagement in a university.Design/methodology/approachData for the current study were gathered using semi-structured face-to-face interviews among 41 professional staff who were purposively sampled from a public university in South Africa. The data gathered were analysed using thematic analysis that involved a process of identifying, analysing, organising, describing and reporting the themes that emerged from the data set.FindingsAn analysis of the narrative data revealed that when professional staff provide students with prompt feedback, support the development of their social and cultural capital and provide professional services in the area of teaching and learning, they foster student engagement in the university. However, the results showed that poor communication flow and delays in addressing students’ concerns could lead to student disengagement. The study further argues that through continuous interaction and shared norms and values among members of a professional community, a service culture can be developed to address possible professional knowledge and skills gaps that constrain quality service delivery.Originality/valueThe current paper contributes to the scholarly discourse on student engagement and professional community by showing that a service culture of engagement is developed among professional staff when they share ideas, collaborate and build competencies to enhance student engagement. Furthermore, the collaboration between professional staff and academics is important to addressing the academic issues that confront students in the university.

Developing teaching and learning methods to innovate the Italian context of Higher Education. The case of University of Padua

2016 ◽  
pp. 53-70
Author(s):  
Monica Fedeli ◽  
Anna Serbati ◽  
Edward W. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Academic Center ◽  
The University

This article looks at theories and practices related to faculty development and innovation in teaching and learning methods in Higher Education, in order to respond to the European 2020 Strategy, in which the High level group on the modernisation of higher education has been established, whose aim focuses on improving the quality of teaching and learning in Europe's higher education institutions (2013). The paper is framed within the context of the project PRODID (Preparazione alla professionalitŕ docente e innovazione didattica), funded by the University of Padova, Italy with the major goal of creating a permanent and effective academic center for research on learning and teaching and faculty development. The theoretical framework of PRODID is informed by constructivism and social constructivism, and the student centered approach, encouraging student-teacher partnerships as a dimension for faculty development and teaching and learning innovations. The University of Helsinki and Michigan State University are mentioned as relevant examples of organizational settings integrated in higher education institutions that offer a great variety of practices consistent with the chosen theoretical framework. They also offer the Italian program of University of Padova models for critical reflection in how their teaching strategies can be created and developed on the basis of this international experience. The final discussion aims to highlight the strategies adopted during the first year of the project, characterized by the Italian culture and revealing new insights and ideas to create an Italian model of teaching and learning center.

Back to the Future

2019 ◽  
pp. 237-252
Author(s):  
Gabriele I.E. Strohschen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Instructional Methods ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
The World ◽  
The University

This chapter corroborates competence-based and social-situational educational practices with the principles of Blended Shore Education (BSE) and Metagogy. These two theorems emerged from several action research projects that engaged Chicago community members, university students, and educators from around the world. The principles, tenets, and descriptions of applied instructional methods in the context of civic and social engagement projects demonstrate how teaching and learning praxes and curricula and program design can be achieved by and with the learners, by the university, and by the community stakeholders to result in relevant and meaningful education models in higher education.

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