UTL40250 Teaching Across Cultures

Academic Year 2023/2024

As higher education institutions become more globally-focussed and the number of students from internationally-diverse cultures increases, there is an impending need for those who teach to become more interculturally aware in their disciplinary teaching practice and design and assessment of their curricula. This module will be delivered as an online module.

This module aims to foster awareness and responsiveness around aspects of teaching across cultures, engaging those who teach diverse international and intercultural cohorts in critically reflecting on their personal and professional intercultural competence. In particular, it aims to support:
- the development of appropriate teaching and learning strategies;
- the design and assessment of culturally-inclusive, internationalised curricula;
- the scaffolding of opportunities for students to advance their own international and intercultural
perspectives and competences.

Participants will be introduced to theoretical models, principles and concepts of intercultural competence. They will explore a range of research-informed and practically-focused strategies for effective teaching and learning across cultures. In critically engaging with case studies, webinars and a range of online activities, participants will consolidate their understanding of: internationalised curriculum design, culturally-aware assessment strategies, disciplinary perspectives, and internationalisation in higher education more broadly.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

Having successfully completed this module, students should be able to:
1. Critically reflect on their intercultural awareness and identity
2. Debate and appraise the key themes, theoretical models and research associated with teaching across cultures
3. Explore their role in the development of their curriculum to support international and intercultural learning within
disciplinary and the institutional contexts
4. Evaluate a range of culturally-responsive teaching and student learning strategies in response to particular
challenges and opportunities
5. Develop culturally-responsive assessments

Indicative Module Content:

Indicative topics covered on the module are:

Awareness of own cultural identity and that of others
Culture and curricula
Intercultural competence
Culturally responsive teaching, learning and assessment
Intercultural teaching and learning strategies

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

18
Specified Learning Activities

80
Autonomous Student Learning

70
Total

168
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module combines reflective practice with active participation in webinars/workshops and online learning activities, peer review, and autonomous learning.

Reflective activities encourage participants to critically consider the nature of their intercultural awareness and identity. The development of self-reflection is reinforced through the giving and receiving of feedback via peer review.
The required readings promote discussion around internationalisation and intercultural teaching and learning, in addition to engaging participants in sharing their experiences with peers.
Collaborative activities are designed to support participants in exploring a range of culturally-responsive teaching, learning and assessment strategies for use in their intercultural teaching practice.
 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Additional Information:
This is an in-service module for teachers in higher education. A condition of enrollment is that students have a significant teaching commitment during the academic year in which they undertake this module (generally a minimum of 48 hours a year).


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: Online Discussion Forum Week 4 n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes

20
Portfolio: This portfolio includes critical reflection and evidence on a teaching, learning and/or assessment approach for teaching across cultures, informed by key literature. Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes

80

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The assessment strategy for this module includes assessment of/for/as learning. Feedback mechanisms include peer review activities, self-assessment and lecturer feedback.

Initial Reading List (additional material and required readings will be detailed on Brightspace)

Clarke, Marie, Yang, Linda Hui, and David Harmon (2018) The Internationalisation of Irish Higher Education, Report commissioned by the Higher Education Authority (HEA)
Deardorff, DK (2006) ‘Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence as a Student Outcome of Internationalization’, in Journal of Studies in International Education, 10 (3), pp. 241–66
Killick, David (2017) Internationalization and Diversity in Higher Education: implications for teaching, learning and assessment (London: Macmillan)
__________ (2015) Developing the Global Student (London: Routledge)
Leask, Betty (2015) Internationalizing the Curriculum (London: Routledge)
__________ (2013) ‘Internationalizing the Curriculum in the Disciplines – Imagining New Possibilities’, in Journal of Studies in International Education, 17(2), pp. 103–18
__________, and Jude Carroll (2013) Good Practice Principles in Practice: teaching across cultures (International Education Association of Australia)
Murray, Neil, and Troy McConachy (2018) ‘“Participation” in the internationalized higher education classroom: an academic staff perspective’, in Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 11:3, pp. 254–70
Name Role
Assoc Professor Terry Barrett Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Marie Clarke Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mr David Jennings Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Geraldine O'Neill Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Leigh Wolf Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Spring
      
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 22, 24, 26 Fri 10:00 - 12:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 31 Fri 10:00 - 12:50
Spring