20th Annual EAIE Conference Developing intercultural competence at home Antwerp 12 September 2008

Who are we? Chair: Mike Rosier University of Hertfordshire UK Speakers  Betty Leask University of South Australia AUST  Simon Ridings Curtin University of Technology AUST  Gavin Sanderson University of south Australia AUST  Viv Caruana University of Salford UK 20th Annual EAIE Conference2

Outline of session  Why are we interested in developing intercultural competence at home?  To what extent does having cultural diversity in the student population help to develop intercultural competence at home?  To what extent is a taxonomy a useful tool to develop intercultural competence home? 20th Annual EAIE Conference3

 To what extent does having cultural diversity in the staff population help to develop intercultural competence at home?  To what extent does having an international textbook help to develop intercultural competence at home? 20th Annual EAIE Conference4

A working definition of intercultural competence Crichton and Scarino note a definition from Paige et.al. (2003) of intercultural competence as:  The process of acquiring the culture-specific and culture general knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for effective communication and interaction with individuals from other cultures.  A dynamic, developmental, and on-going process which engages the learner cognitively, behaviourally, and affectively. 20th Annual EAIE Conference5

 Why are we interested in developing intercultural competence at home? 20th Annual EAIE Conference6

It’s important  We need to prepare all graduates for participation in an increasingly globalised society and  create an ‘open, tolerant and cosmopolitan’ university experience’ (Kalantzis and Cope 2000 p. 31)  aid the development of ‘the cultural bridges and understanding necessary for world peace’ (Larkins 2008, HES The Australian April 23 p 25) 20th Annual EAIE Conference7

And it won’t happen automatically  Cultural and racial cliques in classrooms result in exclusion and isolation of minority groups (UK university) (Hills and Thom 2005)  Perceived prejudice and racism from university professors, classmates and community members towards some groups of students detract from the benefits of diversity (US university) (Hanassah 2006) 20th Annual EAIE Conference8

 To what extent is a taxonomy a useful tool to develop intercultural competence home?  Simon Ridings 20th Annual EAIE Conference9

Why a taxonomy of IC?  Aim was to develop an Intercultural Competency taxonomy from first principles.  Developed as part of a nationally funded project (ALTC) to embed the development of intercultural competence in Business education  Could also apply to other disciplines. 20th Annual EAIE Conference10

About the taxonomy  Domains (knowledge, skills and attitudes) were established with reference to multiple authors from a range of disciplines.  Each domain is described in three levels (awareness, understanding and autonomy) to form a developmental matrix.  This enables teachers to identify what IC skills knowledge and attitudes they will develop and measure.  Provides simple direction for the plotting of the demonstrable development of IC in the curriculum. 20th Annual EAIE Conference11

Knowledge Identifies cultural foundations of own and others’ norms, values, experiences and interactions Analyses how diversity influences interaction (and how culture manifests itself in interaction) Reflects and self-evaluates one’s own and others’ capabilities and limitations in interactions in varying cultural contexts Attitudes Acknowledges the practical significance of own and others’ cultural identity (beliefs, values, norms and biases) and their impact on behaviour and interactions Values intercultural interactions and experiences with those from other cultures to further one’s own understanding and interactions Adapts to differences between oneself and others in interactions in varying cultural contexts Skills Implements appropriate processes and behaviours for interactions with different cultural settings and audiences Selects or creates complex skill sets in interactions under conditions of uncertainty, risk and change in professional business situations Applies basic skills or directions to routine tasks and interactions to accommodate (a) specified cultural difference/s Awareness Understanding Autonomy Ridings, Simpson, Leask. 2008

To develop IC at home  All 3 domains must be clearly reflected in learning objectives of courses and programs  Development in all 3 domains must be enabled through structured teaching and learning experiences  Assessment tasks will be designed to measure levels of achievement in all domains  All students will be provided with the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their IC 20th Annual EAIE Conference13

Broader implications  Need to make space for experiential learning and reflection in the curriculum  Need to modify assessment tasks to include journals, learning logs, self assessment, recorded self- reflection, observed interaction 20th Annual EAIE Conference14

 To what extent is a taxonomy a useful tool to develop intercultural competence home? 20th Annual EAIE Conference15

Resources and support Support resources including sample activities will be provided:  An inventory of T&L activities related to developing IC  Workshops  A website accessible via Australian Learning and Teaching Council website late th Annual EAIE Conference16

Sample activities and the taxonomy 20th Annual EAIE Conference17

 To what extent does having cultural diversity in the staff population help to develop intercultural competence at home? Gavin Sanderson 20th Annual EAIE Conference18

20th Annual EAIE Conference19 To what extent does having an international textbook help to develop intercultural competence at home? Viv Caruana

20th Annual EAIE Conference20 Internationalisation – what does it mean for me and my students?  Policy perspective, institutional level – exploring the big picture….  Activity: You have been given three different colour cards, on each one is an institutional statement select the one which best fits with your notion of what internationalisation means for you and your students, hold the card up for all to see! (5 mins)

20th Annual EAIE Conference21 Internationalisation – what does it mean for me and my students?  Activity: Form into groups of four to discuss why you made your particular choice and try to reach consensus on the most compelling reason, share this with plenary. (10 mins)

20th Annual EAIE Conference22 From policy to teaching practice  What materials and teaching and learning activities?  UniSA’s Internationalisation Information Toolkit  Use and analysis of recently published international texts, require students to analyse construction of knowledge and cross-cultural practice…and so on.

20th Annual EAIE Conference23 Intercultural competence and global perspectives  Global perspectives – provide ethical underpinning and values-based ethos for a focus on cross-cultural capability.  Cross-cultural capability embracing: -intercultural awareness (awareness of self in relation to ‘other’) -skills that enable students to communicate effectively across cultures -international and multiple perspectives on the discipline that have traditionally characterised the ‘content’ approach to internationalising the curriculum. (Killick, 2006; Lunn, 2006; Shiel 2006).

20th Annual EAIE Conference24 Global citizens as critical thinkers  The cultural landscape is a place of ‘struggle’ between meanings and cross-cultural capability cannot therefore, be developed through a surface understanding of ‘culture bites’  Deconstruct what we mean by critical thinking, challenge surface deep and over- simplified understandings of culturally-specific approaches to learning.  Recognise the extent to which what is taught in modern universities may not encourage skills of analysis and critical thinking (Killick and Poveda, 1998; Nield and Thom 2006).

20th Annual EAIE Conference25 Reading for global citizenship 1  Activity You have been provided with a list of possible questions which you might feel students should think about when reading text. First read through them all and then tick the 8 which are most important for you Get together in groups of 4 and summarise your collective outcomes (no. of ticks against each box) Feedback to plenary (10 mins)

20th Annual EAIE Conference26 Reading for global citizenship 2  Activity You have been provided with a handout addressing aim, focus etc. of reading and the view of language, knowledge etc. that you might seek to encourage in your students through engagement with text. For each head tick only ONE of the three options Summarise in your groups of 4 (total the ticks) and feedback to plenary (10 mins)

20th Annual EAIE Conference27 Reading for global citizenship 3 Traditional reading? Critical reading? OR Critical literacy? for cross-cultural capability

20th Annual EAIE Conference28 The challenge across the disciplines  Competing notions of the nature of knowledge (epistemologies)  Competing conceptions of social reality (ontologies) CONTEXT, CONTEXT AND CONTEXT

Concluding comments 20th Annual EAIE Conference29