Developing pedagogical approaches and tools for innovative ‘internationalisation at home’ practice in higher education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Developing pedagogical approaches and tools for innovative ‘internationalisation at home’ practice in higher education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Quality and Relevance of Higher Education in Partner Countries

Project Summary

Dialogue around Internationalisation at Home (IaH) has gathered momentum as the values, purposes and means of higher education (HE) internationalisation are re-examined. The rationale behind the Approaches and Tools for Internationalisation at Home (ATIAH) Project is that the benefits of an internationalised HE experience should not be limited to the mobile minority. If we are to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive European HE, as set out in the Europe 2020 Growth Strategy and its Flagship Initiatives, internationalising the experiences and mind-sets of the non-mobile majority is an important priority. The prime aim of the ATIAH Project was to improve the relevance and quality of European HE by developing tools for HE institutions to review IaH practices, to address one of the Key Priority Areas of the European Commission’s Communication “European HE in the World”: ‘Promoting internationalisation at home and digital learning’ (COM/2013/499).
The Project brought together a partnership consisting of three leading European HE institutions: Newcastle University (P1, UK), University of Bologna (P2, Italy), and KU Leuven (P3, Belgium). The partnership addressed how HE students and staff could be supported to experience and appreciate the wider benefits of HE internationalisation. P1 brought expertise in teaching and learning in HE; internationalisation of HE; and cross-cultural communication. P1 also brought experience of leading a range of projects and networks on Internationalisation of HE. P2 colleagues from the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures contributed expertise in languages and intercultural learning and intercultural competence development. P3 colleagues provided expertise in intercultural communication and interactions. Both P2 and P3 also brought expertise in the development of resources for HE students and staff from their participation in the IEREST Project (Intercultural Education Resources for Erasmus Students and their Teachers).
The activities undertaken during the Project began with data collection activities including: (a) a baseline audit of existing IaH practices at the Partnership institutions and identification of effective practices to be shared (25 stakeholders); (b) 6 focus group sessions with students and staff (49 participants); and (c) an online survey for students and staff at partner institutions and other European HE institutions (n=342 surveys). The findings contributed to our understanding of how IaH can enable students who pursue HE in their home countries to learn foreign languages, and gain valuable intercultural knowledge through having access to staff with international experience, learning with peers from other countries and cultures, and engaging in international collaboration via online learning. Findings also illustrated the need for HE staff who successfully incorporate a global or intercultural dimension into their practice to be recognised and rewarded for their contribution to HE internationalisation. These data, together with a literature review, informed the development of materials to assist HE institutions to review and develop IaH practices, leading to wider engagement with IaH and internal quality improvement.
The Project achieved the following objectives: (1) To audit current IaH practices in the Partnership institutions, leading to the development of a Self- audit Tool for other HE institutions seeking to review and develop their policies and practices for IaH; (2) To develop a multilingual web-available Curriculum Framework for ‘internationalising your university experience’; (3) To develop a multilingual web-available professional Evidence Framework for evidencing innovative IaH practices. The primary target groups for these materials were 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 (internationally-mobile and non-mobile), and leaders in HE institutions (pro-vice chancellors, department heads, programme directors, heads of school etc.). All resources were disseminated in multiplier events (E1-E6) across England, Italy and Belgium and in the Project final conference in Italy. The multiplier events (E1-E6) and further dissemination activities provided opportunities for primary target group members at the Partnership institutions and beyond to engage with the resources. The feedback received led to further refinement of the resources which can be downloaded in English, Dutch and Italian from the Project website https://research.ncl.ac.uk/atiah/outputs/. The resources provide the basis for a common framework for IaH as a values-based and socially responsible approach to HE internationalisation across European HE institutions, so that all students and staff (mobile and non-mobile) can be supported to experience and appreciate the wider benefits of HE internationalisation.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 181930 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE & Country: UK

Project Partners

• ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
• KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN