1. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. From Internationalisation to De-Westernisation Rhonda Breit Levi Obijiofor Richard Fitzgerald The School of Journalism and Communication. University of Queensland Internationalisation of the curriculum

2. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. Internationalization and De Westernisation. We began with the questionnaire. What does ‘internationlisation’ mean for our disciplines? Much of our curriculum content draws upon international examples. Much of our theoretical base is drawn from international thought. Much of our research is published in international journals. Our student cohort at undergraduate is largely domestic, while at post grad is largely international. What about the non English contexts, non western practice, non western examples?

3. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. Internationalisation to De-Westernisation “The choice for non western journalist academics is often to either remain relevant to the local conditions of their trade or abandon this to engage with the dominant western theories and research which may have little connection to their situation”. (Wasserman and De Beer (2009) They also point out (not without irony we think) that the International Communication Association’s Journalism Division now has over half their members originating from outside the USA. (it does not however say how many of these members from outside the USA are from other English speaking countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada etc, or other westernised nations such as Europe.)

4. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. Approaching De westernisation. The pervasiveness of westernised thought (mainly in the English language) dominates modes of dissemination which tends to produce a homogenous perspective from which other non western experiences are excluded. However, there is an increasing uncertainty about what was taken for granted and the relevance of the dominant model of journalism and professional communication that has been established and is perpetuated. We decided that as a school we would approach this exercise through the lens of de westernisation and to explore our curriculum through this frame.

5. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. 1. Student cohort. 2. We have a 2 courses which are fully focused on international and intercultural content. 3. We have a number of areas in the curriculum which draw upon non western practice, theories and assessment. These are at different stages of the ‘wheel’. 4. While having regular whole of school planning days and activities we found out we did not have a full awareness of the range and scope of where this is and how it is incorporated in the curriculum. Where we are.

6. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. Approaching De westernisation. Where are we, and what do we do already? Review and Reflect Imagine Revise and Plan ActEvaluate As a school our activities negotiate

7. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. What we have done. 1 - Graduate attributes: Reflections on the language of our School-based graduate attributes Our School-based graduate attributes aim to produce graduates who will reflect the following: a). Be global b). Be ethical c). Be accountable d). Be responsive to change e). Evaluate & adapt practice to respond to a changing context. What do these concepts mean? E.g. What does it mean to be “global”? Does it mean understanding other people and cultures?

8. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. Possible changes to graduate attributes Our aim is to promote a transformative educational experience for communicators of the future, who are able to work across diverse inter-cultural contexts. Graduates of our program will be reflective practitioners who are: 1.Mindful of the habits and assumptions; 2.Capable of dealing with complex problems across different professional and cultural settings; 3.Capable of positioning their approaches within the global and local contexts 4.Capable of ethical reasoning that is mindful of diversity and changing socio- cultural settings; 5.Accountable for their actions; 6.Responsive to change; 7.Capable of evaluating & adapting practice to respond to a changing context; 8.Engage in lifelong learning.

9. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. So, what does de-Westernisation mean for Journalism and Communication at UQ. It means reflecting and understanding our student cohorts. From where, to where and what they need. It means challenging the normative model by which we judge and assess. It means understanding local environments in global perspectives. It means not treating other journalism as ‘alternative’ and locating these within a boutique course about how they do things in other countries. It means understanding localised practices and where technology has enabled interconnections with wider potential audiences but also other less technologically driven environments. It means taking seriously what others may have been taking seriously themselves for some time. It means being reflexive with the differences in approach and practice. It means embedding this in all areas of the curriculum.

10. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. 3. What next? - Reflect and Revise How we can bring coherence and emphasis to the things we do across the curriculum a). Through Teaching and Learning Committee meetings b). Through cluster meetings (different clusters meet to map and compare teaching and assessment practices). Clusters include journalism practice, PR practice, research, social change, and PG research. c). Brainstorming during School retreats at the start of every semester to see how our programs and courses align.

11. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. What we have done. 2. Full Courses. Content and Assessment 1). International Journalism & Mass Communication The course aims to give students a broader perspective of international news reporting in different cultures. Students engage in a project that encourages them to get away from a purely Australian view of foreign news reporting in order to appreciate the nature of foreign news reporting in other cultures. Specifically, students compare and contrast the way foreign news is reported in three newspapers published in overseas countries (western and non-western countries) and in three Australian newspapers.

12. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. Full Courses – Content and Assessment 2). Identity, Culture and Communication This course provides students with an opportunity to experience intercultural communication in different Australian communities. The course requires students to write a report on a cultural event that they attended during the semester. Students must attend and participate in one cultural event which is organised by members of a culture other than their own. Students are required to write a report in which they reflect on the event as non-members of the culture.

13. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. What we have done. 3. Examples of in-course content and assessment. 3). Participatory Development Communication Course modules use many examples/illustrations from Research Centre projects in Vietnam, Indonesia. Guest speakers, including international RHD students, present on cases of projects overseas. Student cohort is international (about 75%) and students are given the opportunity to present case studies from their own countries. 4). Communication for Social Change Practicum Opportunities to do practicum with overseas organisations (e.g. students work with FAO in Vietnam, UNESCO in India, etc.) Opportunities to do practicum on international issues for Australian development organisations (e.g. Amnesty International, OXFAM, MDA).

14. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. 2.In-course content and assessment, continued 5). Communication Strategy & Practice, and Communication Campaigns These two courses have been the locale of an extended program of service learning. Undergraduate and postgraduate students in the PR and PC streams complete a service-learning based course as part of their degree. The first purpose of service-learning was to offer students the opportunity to engage in a local context with global issues: such as climate change and refugees. Another purpose of service-learning was to promote civic engagement. A number of the projects contributed to internationalisation of the curriculum.

15. Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Action. Other areas of practice: We focus not only on internationalisation/de-westernisation but also on Indigenous issues Indigenous Voice Project The project conducted in 2009 aimed primarily to address The University of Queensland’s Education Principles on Indigenous Australian Matters (EPIAM) by: encouraging the incorporation of Indigenous perspectives in our curriculum. improving the understanding of students and staff of Indigenous issues and recognising the importance and contribution of Indigenous Knowledge as an emerging discipline. embedding into the curriculum Indigenous Knowledge so that it is considered and incorporated alongside traditional discipline content.