Towards Best Practice in Teaching Internationally: Does it transcend cultural differences?

Abstract

Australian universities are increasingly expected to be more entrepreneurial and self-funding. This had led to increased activity in recruiting international students, establishing an offshore presence and forming partnerships with offshore universities. Academics who are required to teach subjects to international students are responding in different ways. For example, some offer their subjects without any change at all; others include international content; and some make use of examples and cases from the relevant local overseas context. This paper is concerned with identifying what is perceived to be best practice in teaching internationally. Best practice is developed from the analysis of presentations at a Forum on Internationalisation, held at the University of New England, from discussions with academics who are teaching internationally in various disciplines, and from examining the emerging body of knowledge on teaching and learning strategies for internationalisation.