Internationalization of Curriculum (IoC)

Welcome to the Internationalization of the Curriculum website. The purpose of this site is to provide a range of practical resources that all faculty and staff can access to develop a more globalized approach to their teaching methods, service delivery, and support services of a program of study.

The resources available on this site have been compiled by members of the Alamo District Colleges Internationalization of the Curriculum Working Group. This group was established in 2021, with representation from faculty across the five colleges. Its members consist of advocates for internationalization from across all colleges, including professional and academic staff. Among the IoC Working Group's terms of reference, is the aim to develop standards for best practices in relation to Internationalization of the Curriculum and create a formal program and process of implementation. This website has been set up with the distinct purpose of providing resources for internationalization and encouraging staff to enhance their pedagogy and research activities to develop a more global perspective.

What is Internationalization of the Curriculum?

The curriculum's internationalization process provides an inclusive component to teaching and learning. One recent definition of IoC has been developed by Betty Leask, a renowned scholar in the field of internationalization:

"Internationalization of the curriculum is the incorporation of an international, intercultural, and global dimensions into the content of the curriculum as well as the learning outcomes, assessment tasks, teaching and support services of a program of study" (Leask, 2009, p. 209).

An important aspect of Leask's definition is that it implies IoC is a process that incorporates all aspects of the university's learning and teaching functions and its support areas. In other words, IoC does not pertain to an isolated aspect of a particular course, but a college-wide approach that embraces a global perspective and encourages intercultural exchanges both in and out of the classroom at Alamo Colleges District.

Benefits of Internationalizing your Curriculum

The rationale for internationalization of the curriculum is often associated with preparing graduates to live and work in a highly interdependent and multicultural world in which they will have to function in the future. IoC should be connected with preparing students to be globally competent graduates as well as generating new knowledge and understanding of local and global issues.

Responsible global citizens will recognize that the problems we need to solve - economic, religious, and political - are global in their scope. Organizations desire employees who can communicate effectively across different cultures.

For more on Alamo District Colleges Global Competencies click here.