Internationalizing the Curriculum in Higher Education: New Directions for Teaching and Learning, Number 118

Internationalization is a looming policy issue in higher education yet precisely what it can add to the student learning experience and what it means with regard to teaching and learning are far too infrequently discussed or written about.

This volume explores different meanings and rationales underlying the notion of internationalization in higher education. Although internationalization efforts in higher education have become increasingly driven by economic considerations, finance is not an appropriate foundation for all initiatives, particularly those at the level of curriculum, where academic, social/cultural, ethical, political and even environmental rationales feature more strongly. The chapter authors provide a rich conceptual basis from which to appreciate concrete efforts directed at internationalizing curricula, and they describe nine cases of internationalization initiatives at the curricular level.

The volume further suggests that consideration of internationalization in higher education must look both within specific programs and across programs. It cannot be separated from fundamental questions about the purposes of higher education and the roles of teachers, students, administrators, and the institution as a whole in fulfilling those purposes.

This is the 118th volume of the Jossey-Bass higher education quarterly report series New Directions for Teaching and Learning, which offers a comprehensive range of ideas and techniques for improving college teaching based on the experience of seasoned instructors and the latest findings of educational and psychological researchers.