IoC case studies and readings

This web page contains a range of journal articles and papers that provide examples of how IoC can be incorporated into the formal and informal curricula. There are also papers here that present strategies for developing intercultural competence in our students such as the EXCELL training program, which is an internationally-recognised method for making explicit the values underpinning every day interactions; EXCELL is an extremely useful approach to prompt discussions amongst international and domestic students alike.

The following points link to the sections below:

FedUni IoC case studies

Journal article: Re-engineering the course design and delivery of Australian tertiary education programmes: perspectives from Chinese students (Song-Turner & Willis, 2011) (pdf, 135kb)

This paper, written by two FedUni academic staff from the Federation Business School (in 2011), highlights the need for a more 'culturally inclusive learning environment' to accommodate the needs of Chinese students enrolled in an Australian degree.

Australian university IoC case studies

The formal curriculum

Symposium paper: Educating global citizens: translating the 'idea' into university organisational practice (Lilley, 2014) pdf, 875kb)

This paper was presented at the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) national symposium in Melbourne in August 2014. Dr. Kathleen Lilley proposes an organisational framework for promoting global citizenship within courses and provides an example of how this could achieved within a Business school context.

Journal article: Fostering cultural inclusiveness and learning in culturally mixed business classes (Mak, Daly & Barker, 2014) (pdf, 213kb)

This paper presents 'two case studies of the implementation of the Internationalisation at Home Project in business schools at the University of Canberra and at Griffith University. Faculty leaders describe how they engaged and supported colleagues in adapting components of EXCELL to foster cultural inclusiveness and facilitate students' intercultural competence development.'

Journal article: Teaching intercultural competencies_Knottetal 2013 (pdf, 4.7mb)

This paper outlines a pilot evaluation involving teaching and learning activities focused on developing intercultural competencies in an undergraduate psychology unit.

Journal article: Comparing internationalisation of the curriculum in action across disciplines: theoretical and practical perspectives (Leask & Bridge, 2013) (pdf, 193kb)

'This paper presents a conceptual framework for internationalisation of the curriculum that explains the foundations of alternative constructions of an internationalised curriculum and presents three case studies of internationalisation of the curriculum in three disciplines and universities in Australia.'

Case study: Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action Case Study: Nursing (2011, retrieved from www.ioc.net.au( (pdf, 103kb)

This case study provides an example of how any school could engage in IoC by applying the Questionnaire on Internationalisation (QIC) and initiating discussions about the way forward as a team.

Journal article: Moving beyond 'wishing and hoping': internationalisation and student experiences of inclusion and engagement (Leask & Carroll, 2011) (pdf, 118kb)

This paper explores what happens when students are forced into cross-cultural encounters without additional interventions. The authors then discuss what can be learnt from examples of successful inclusion and engagement in multi-cultural classrooms.

Video: From implicit to explicit: Enhancing graduate inter-cultural capability and embedding IoC at Griffith University, Australia (2011). (YouTube, 24:23min)

This 24 minute video shows a conversation between Professor Michelle Barker of Griffith University, Brisbane Australia and Dr Viv Caruana of Leeds Met University, UK. They 'discuss recent work in embedding internationalisation of the curriculum across the full range of disciplines and programmes of study at Griffith. Professor Barker shares insights from a recent ALTC-funded project focused on intercultural or cross-cultural capability as a key factor in producing the graduates of today who will become the professionals of tomorrow. Key messages include the usefulness of a framework of graduate attributes to facilitate embedding IoC and the importance of 'cultural validation' in enhancing the sense of belonging at uni for students from diverse backgrounds.'

Project report: Embedding the Development of Intercultural Competence in Business Education (Freeman et al., 2009) (pdf, 1.3mb)

This report outlines the results of an ALTC funded collaborative project where the focus was on embedding intercultural competence into business courses in higher education.

Paper: Internationalising the Australian higher education (Bell, 2008) (pdf, 286kb)

This paper discusses a case study of an innovative higher education course that involved students from universities in Australia, Ireland and America using a 'global learning' approach incorporating technology.

The informal curriculum

Journal article: Building friendship through a cross-cultural mentoring program (Woods et al., 2013) (pdf, 659kb)

This paper examines the efficacy of a short-term mentoring program in building cross-cultural friendships between students at an Australian university.

Journal article: Facilitating intercultural interactions to enhance international students' psychosocial adjustment (Mak, 2011) (pdf, 37kb)

This paper builds on the EXCELL training model developed in 1998 by Mak, Westwood, Barker and Ishiyama, and outlines how it can be used to build international students' confidence in various socio-competencies. The method is also a useful discussion prompt for all students as it explores the values underpinning our everyday social interactions.

International IoC case studies and examples

Video: Going Global 2012: "Becoming global without leaving home: An institutional approach" (YouTube, 3:14min)

This three minute video outlines strategies for promoting 'Internationalisation at Home' (IaH). Many universities focus their 'internationalisation efforts on mobility programs. But there are great examples of institutions promoting on-site internationalisation. 'Internationalisation at Home' is a theoretical framework centring institutional internationalisation on actions targeting the 90% of students who will be unable to study abroad, and doing so from a systems perspective involving all university departments and offices.'

Journal article: Student perceptions of international education and study abroad: a pilot study at York University, Canada (Trilokekar & Rasmi, 2011) (pdf, 228kb)

Similarly to FedUni, York University has very low levels of student mobility in terms of engagement with the study abroad program. This paper outlines students' attitudes towards and perceptions of studying abroad, which can inform university staff about how to attract more students into such a program.

Journal article: Internationalising group project work for Civil Engineering students (Smith, Taylor, de Klerk & Camara, 2010) (pdf, 588kb)

This paper highlights the activities that took place during International Project Week at Edinburgh Napier University in 2009. 'The week-long event saw over 300 students and staff from 8 institutions across 7 countries (Scotland, The Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain and Latvia) come together for a week of internationalisation, site visits, project work, networking, tourism and socialising.'

Journal article: Helping students value cultural diversity through research-based teaching (Deakins, 2009) (pdf, 200kb)

'Although international students studying in New Zealand desire and expect contact with their domestic peers, the level of cross-national interactions remains generally low. This paper describes an initiative to promote more and better intercultural understanding within a target group of students having similar needs and interests in a higher education setting.'