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Developing pedagogical approaches and tools for in..
Developing pedagogical approaches and tools for innovative ‘internationalisation at home’ practice in higher education
Start date: Sep 1, 2016,
End date: Aug 31, 2018
PROJECT
FINISHED
The goals of higher education (HE) internationalisation should extend beyond the economically-driven motivation to recruit international students and staff to European universities, and the benefits of an internationalised university experience should not be limited to the minority of EU students and staff who are internationally mobile. For universities seeking to graduate interculturally competent global citizens, 'internationalisation at home' (IaH) can enable students who pursue HE in their home countries to learn foreign languages, have access to staff with international experience, benefit from learning with peers from other countries and cultures, and engage in international collaboration via online learning. Equally, HE staff who successfully incorporate a global or intercultural dimension into their practice should be recognised and rewarded. However, innovative IaH practice is rarely included in national professional standards frameworks, and a common European framework for evidencing excellence in IaH is lacking. A key challenge is therefore to address how students and staff can be supported to experience and appreciate the wider benefits of HE internationalisation. In response, the ATIAH (Approaches and Tools for Internationalisation At Home) project aims to (a) explore and develop ways of integrating a global dimension into curriculum design and content, and (b) explore and develop ways of evidencing innovative IaH practice. The Partnership consists of three leading European HE institutions: Newcastle University (UK), University of Bologna (ITA), and KU Leuven (BE). The project has the following objectives:1. To audit current IaH practice in the Partnership institutions and identify innovative practices to be shared2. To develop a curriculum framework for an 'internationalising you university experience' module 3. To developed a professional framework for evidencing innovative IaH practiceThe project methodology includes a baseline audit to establish the extent of existing IaH practices at the Partnership institutions and identify effective practices to be shared, as well as a series of focus groups and online surveys with HE staff and students in the Partnership countries. ATIAH will result in a set of materials which can be disseminated across the European HE sector: 1. An audit tool for HE institutions seeking to review and develop their policies and practices for IaH2. A multilingual web-available curriculum framework for an ‘internationalising your university experience’ module3. A multilingual web-available framework for evidencing 'best practice' in IaH The primary target groups for these materials are staff development units at HE institutions and/or academic service units responsible for professional development, HE staff at all levels (i.e. academic, research, administrative), HE students (both internationally-mobile and non-mobile learners), and those holding a leadership position in HE institutions (e.g. department heads, programme directors, heads of school etc.). ATIHA will engage students and staff at the Partnership institutions and beyond with the IaH agenda, thereby fostering collective engagement with a more values-based and socially responsible approach to HE internationalisation. The materials produced by the Partnership will assist and support HE institutions in reviewing and developing their IaH practice, thereby ultimately resulting in internal quality improvement.