Educational practice in the international classroom

Suggestions for instructing culturally heterogeneous student groups

Focus

This subproject is an exploratory project aimed at assessing and testing potential solutions to specific didactic challenges while at the same time generating discussion and debate about the educational challenges presented by increasing internationalisation at the University of Copenhagen.

The subproject takes as its starting point the following problem formulation: How can we effectively address some of the central opportunities and challenges of ‘the international classroom’ from an educational perspective?

Aim

The overall aim of the subproject is to pave the way for future educational collaboration in order to address the challenges faced by university instructors who have to communicate their subject area in ‘the international classroom’ at the University of Copenhagen.

Dissemination and results

Fall 2014
Poster presentation at SRHE (Society for Research into Higher Education) annual conference in Wales. A presentation of the project’s observations and conclusions so far.

Spring 2015
Establishment of Special Interest Group (SIG) in Danish Network for Educational Development in Higher Education (DUN) focusing on pedagogical practice in the international classroom.

Fall 2015
Workshop during ‘Uddannelsesdagen 2015’ at UCPH, focusing on diversity in the student group including a discussion of how this diversity can be an asset to the teaching and learning environment.

Fall 2015
Publication of Reflections and Teaching Experiences from the International Classroom with narratives from the international learning environment at UCPH. 

Working group

Laura Perez Skardhamar, senior adviser, PhD (PCS, SAMF)
Joyce Soren Kling, postdoc in English (CIP, HUM)

Case participants in the academic environments

Sofia Kälvemark Sporrong, Associate Professor (Department of Pharmacy, HEALTH)
Vibeke Langer, Associate Professor (Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, SCIENCE)
Jesper Lützen, Professor (Department of Mathematical Sciences, SCIENCE)