Internationalization of Curriculum
International Academic Initiatives (IAI) encourages and supports faculty to incorporate internationalization components into their individual courses. Faculty can participate in varying levels of internationalization, incorporating just one element, or building on each element toward deeper international immersion.
Individual Courses
“Internationalized courses are the building blocks of an internationalized curriculum. Globalized general education requirements, international minors and certificates, and other institution-wide curricular initiatives that ultimately create a coherent student learning experience first require a selection of internationalized courses from which to draw. While the overall impetus for curriculum internationalization may come from institutional leadership, parallel efforts are needed by faculty to build a globally-focused curriculum from the ground up, starting in their own classrooms.”
ACE Research Insights, By Robin Matross Helms, Senior Research Specialist at ACE, and Malika Tukibayeva, Graduate Research Associate at ACE.
Many courses being taught by Montclair State faculty can be adapted to include an international component.
Embed International Elements in Existing Courses
- Incorporate international material and/or perspectives into existing courses wherever relevant using multi-media, examples, case studies, and guest visits and lectures
- Develop projects or modules for students based on international theme(s), as part of the course
- Collaborate with faculty at international institutions to develop and share international course content and develop joint class projects for students in both classes
- Integrate a short-term faculty-led international travel component, into a course
- Explore existing or develop new semester exchange programs with a partner institutions and offer it as an option for students to plan for as they enter the department or major
How Do You Know a Course is Really Internationalized?
Dr. Barbara Hill, director of ACE’s Internationalization Laboratory program, defines four levels of course internationalization:
- Level 1
- Course contains occasional international or intercultural elements. (i.e. elements from the list of materials noted above)
- Level 2
- One unit in the course is internationally or interculturally oriented. (e.g. a unit on international marketing in a Marketing 101 class)
- Level 3
- International or intercultural elements are integrated throughout the course. (e.g. students are required to consider international/intercultural viewpoints in all writing assignments)
- Level 4
- The entire course has an international or intercultural orientation. (e.g. courses on the history and cultures of specific countries)
Please explore the ACE Resources for Internationalization in Action: Internationalizing the Curriculum, Part 1 – Individual Courses.
What Are the Elements of an Internationalized Course?
Just as internationalized courses are the building blocks of an internationalized curriculum, courses themselves are comprised of components – content, materials, activities, and student learning outcomes – all of which play a role in overall internationalization. Examples of internationalization in each of these areas include:
Credit: American Council on Education: https://www.acenet.edu/Research-Insights/Pages/Internationalization/Intlz-in-Action-2013-December.aspx