A Departmental Approach Nasos Roussias Department of Politics Presentation prepared for Internationalisation of Learning and Teaching Good Practice in the Faculty of Social Sciences University of Sheffield October 4 2013 ID: 661324
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "Internationalising the Curriculum" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
Internationalising the Curriculum: A Departmental Approach
Nasos RoussiasDepartment of Politics
Presentation prepared for “Internationalisation of Learning and Teaching: Good Practice in the Faculty of Social Sciences”, University of Sheffield, October 4 2013Slide2
Subject TopicPolitics as a subject by definition integrates numerous internationalization aspects
Most modules examine different countries or regionsLevel 1: Comparing
Modern
Polities, Politics
of
Globalisation, Security Studies
Level 2: Politics
and Government of the
EU/ Global
Political
Economy, Contemporary
International
Affairs/ Contemporary
International Relations
Theory/ New
Politics of Latin
America/ Comparative Politics, Contemporary
Security
Challenges/ Contemporary
US Foreign
Policy
Level 3: Foreign Policy/ Political
Economy of
Africa/ Civilisation
, Empire and
Hegemony/ European
Union and
Globalisation/ Peacekeeping
, State-Building and International
Intervention/ Terrorism
, Violence and the
State/ Cuba
in the Post-Bipolar
World/ Party
Politics: Competition, Strategies &
Campaigns/ War
, Peace and
Justice
Research Design and Methods courses, applicable to any contextSlide3
ComparisonAt the heart of Politics is the use of direct or indirect comparisonsOnly by juxtaposing how different institutions function, individuals behave, states interact, etc. can we understand the world of Politics
This forces us to become accustomed to and incorporate information/views from multiple and diverse societiesSlide4
Comparison IIExperiences from different environments key even for local politicsWorld understood through relation to others
Policies constructed by looking at examples elsewhereMethodological approaches used rely on comparing information from varying environmentsSlide5
ViewpointsComparisons not enoughAware that viewpoints may be biased
Exploring at the world through a “western” lens may be problematicIncorporation of alternative worldviewsAim at objectivity and a better understanding of phenomenaSlide6
DiversitySignificant number of foreign studentsUG: between 10-15% foreign students per yearExchange Students: ~30 per year
MA: around 60% of students foreignStaff from all over the worldDiversity creates opportunities and challenges in the classroomSlide7
International StudentsBring different perspectives & insights in classValuable for learning for all students
Tutors appreciate their input and try to exploit it, use diverse experiences and views in classBut they may also expect different things from teaching...
More “lecturing”
The “correct” answer
The professor is
always “right
”Slide8
Teaching StrategiesLecture presentations placed online to help student understanding (in advance of class)
Seminar participation more difficultSome foreign students are shy or conscious of language limitations and find it difficult to participateGroup work used as a potential solution
Mix them up with native speakers (learn from others, do not only talk to compatriots)Slide9
Teaching Strategies IIMock UN sessionsUse country expertise to everyone’s benefit
Role playingStudents called on to “advise” different PMs
Case studies
Analyse particular scenarios or countries
Institutional design
Draft a constitution for imaginary/real casesSlide10
ChallengesLanguage barrierSeminar participationEssay writing (more acute with MA students)
Cultural barrierDifference in expectationsVarying understanding of concepts, lack of “universal” terms & understandingsSlide11
ConclusionInternationalization closely linked with Politics as a subjectYet, not as easy to fully implement as it may seem
Creates ample opportunities for teachingBeneficial for all studentsYet, challenges remain, especially in unbalanced classroomsNo silver bullet