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Internationalizing Higher Education through Blended Language Learning and Curricular Partnerships

Initiatives toward internationalization in higher education have evolved since the days of study abroad and faculty exchange in the 1980’s and 1990’s to institutional exchange of course materials and complete curricula (Waterval, Frambach, Driessen, and Scherpbier, 2015). Curricular exchange has the potential to leverage strong partnerships between universities when well implemented. Online delivery platforms that employ a blended learning approach offer an innovative and engaging solution for sharing curriculum. This presentation will focus on language education, and how curricular partnerships based on online content sharing serve as a vehicle for internationalization. An outline and discussion of the criteria essential to successful partnerships will provide a segue to the importance of integrating language instruction with academic skills instruction, or foundational programs, for student success. Blended language learning: the integration of technology and face-to-face classroom instruction is presented as a starting point in a broad internationalization strategy.

Author(s):

Cath D'Amico    
Trent University
Canada