Integrate mentoring program in the curriculum
Domestic and international students do not easily mix and consequently, they do not acquire the international competences necessary to be successful in their 21st century personal and professional lives (Arkoudis et al., 2013). Throughout the curriculum and across campus, there is a lack of connection between domestic and international students. This results in separate groups of domestic students and international students. A lack of connection between the groups becomes especially apparent when students are required to work together.
It is a key aim of the international classroom to enhance students’ international competences. As stated in the Internationaliseringsagenda Hoger Onderwijs 2018, students gain intercultural competences and learn to work in diverse teams on (international) issues.
Because of this key aim and the fact that it isn’t currently met, the project ‘First Things First’ intends to redevelop the first-year mentoring program. The project team will integrate the mentoring program in the curriculum to create the safe and inclusive learning environment that is required for students to fully benefit from the international classroom.
Create inclusive environment and train staff
The project team connected the mentoring program to the curriculum especially in courses where students need to work on projects in small groups. Group work amongst students is regarded a particularly appropriate pedagogical approach, since “it is here that students can work together and learn from each other” (Commons et al., 2012, p. 9).
‘First Things First’ prioritized the creation of a safe and inclusive environment as the very first step to internationalization and to an international classroom. Research suggests that students can only begin to share multiple perspectives and develop cross-cultural capability if a safe and inclusive learning environment is created (Caruana, 2010; Commons et al., 2012).
Also, the project team redeveloped the mentoring program and trained staff. Redevelopment meant that the team included international and intercultural competences such as culture shock, adaptation, intercultural awareness, intercultural communication and working in intercultural groups. Staff was trained, because the role of mentors, teaching staff and student advisors is central to creating a safe and inclusive learning environment.
Five recommendations based on monitoring and evaluations
The project was monitored and evaluated by continuous progress monitoring and by mid- and end-project evaluations. The progress made on students’ academic and social integration was used during mid-project evaluations. At the end of the project results and implementation were evaluated.
Outcomes of these evaluations and monitoring resulted in five main recommendations:
- Intercultural competence requires effort by all, including domestic students.
- Instructors should invest and contribute to ensure a safe and inclusive environment in the international classroom, not only by lecturing in English.
- Workgroups and teams comprising students from different cultures and backgrounds should be encouraged and changed periodically for students to mix and to fully benefit.
- Take a second look at the curriculum to update it to encompass the international classroom.
- Intercultural competences should be integrated in the curriculum
Corona was challenging to the project
Although the project broadly progressed as intended, corona was a limiting factor. It hampered evaluation of the project, because staff was busy converting offline to online education. Therefore, teaching staff had no time for the evaluations.
Also, corona added the challenge to address inclusive education ‘online’. Especially international students were hit by the lockdown. They were living in empty apartments because their Dutch students left to live with their parents. Or international students moved back to their home country, where they lived in different time zones and environments than their fellow students. The project team wanted to integrate this extra dimension into their project and spent time on how the online international classroom could also be made inclusive.
Dissemination of results
To ensure that the project’s benefits are extended to all international programs at Radboud University, the project team took various actions. First, they established a sounding board to collaborate from the start with teaching staff and student advisors from different programs and faculties. Second, the project team made an experience book to distribute across campus and make it available to other interested parties. Third, ‘First Things First’ will also be presented at the University’s annual International Staff Training Week and be shared with colleagues from different faculties and with the Comenius community.
Five most relevant research publications for this project
- Arkoudis, S., Watty, K., Baik, C., Yu, X., Borland, H., Chang, S., Lang, I., Lang J., & Pearce, A. (2013) Finding common ground: enhancing interaction between domestic and international students in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(3),222-235. DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2012.719156
- Caruana, V. (2010). Internationalising the curriculum: Exploding myths and making connections to encourage engagement. Leeds Metropolitan University.
- Commons, K., Mabin, V., & Gao, X. (2012). Internationalisation at home: Building cross-cultural understanding among local and international students through enhanced teaching and learning practices in the Victoria Business School, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. ISANA Proceedings.
- Vereniging Hogescholen en VSNU (2018). Internationaliseringagenda Hoger Onderwijs.
Products and publications as a result of the project
Comenius Teaching Fellow 2019
