Curriculum Internationalization in Iran’s Higher Education: A Distant Education Perspective

Subject Areas : Education

کورش Fathi ¹ (دانشیار مطالعات برنامه ریزی درسی در آموزش عالی دانشگاه شهید بهشتی)
عیسی Ebrahimzadeh ² (دانشیار گروه علوم تربیتی دانشگاه پیام نور)
مهران Farajolahi ³ (استادیار گروه علوم تربیتی)
مهرنوش Khoshnodifar ⁴ (دانشجوی دکتری برنامه ریزی آموزش از راه دور)

Received: 2015-12-01 Accepted : 2015-12-01 Published : 2011-06-22

Keywords: Distant Education, Internationalization of Higher Education Curriculum, Iran’s Higher Education,

Abstract :

The aim of the current study is to investigate the dimensions of the process of curriculum internalization within a distant learning perspective in Iran’s higher education. In addition to analyzing the reasons for its necessity, it is attempted to assess the causes, conditions, resources, facilities, limitations, opportunities, and its appropriate approaches. Adopting a descriptive-survey design, we sampled, through a clustering approach, 543 Iranian and foreign university students and teachers in five Tehran-based universities. Participants responded to a Likert-scale questionnaire comprising of eight questions and 96 sub-questions. t-test, Friedman ranking, and the analysis of variance were the statistical procedures that were made use of in data analysis. Results reveal that to keep pace with globalization and to make Iranian culture and civilization known to the world, the internationalization of higher education curricula is a must. To this end, utmost efforts should be made to realize the full potential of distant education due to its flexibility and it capability to cross national boundaries.

References:

Aspan, J. (1993). Curricular and administrative conciderations. In Cavusgil,

S. T. (Ed.) Internationalizing business education: Meeting the challenge (pp.15-

30). Michigan: Michigan state university press.

 AUCC. (2006). Internationalization survey update: Internationalization of the

curriculum,Ottawa.available online: www.aucc.ca/_pdf/english/publications/

curriculum

 AUCC. (2009). Internationalization of the curriculum:A practical guide to

support Canadian universities’efforts, ISBN: 9780888762763, available at :

www. aucc. ca /pdf /English /publications /curriculum

 Bain, O., Luu ,D.T, Green,M.F.(2006) Students on the Move: The Future of

International Students in the United States .Available online:

www.acenet.edu/programs/international

 Benick, G., Newby, D. & Samuel, M. (1996). Forging the links between

institutional players. In G.Benick & A.Salooje (Eds), Creative post-secondary

learning environments (pp.19-33). Toronto, ON: Ryerson Polytechnic

University.

 Bond, S. L. et al. (2003). Untapped resources: Internationalization of the

curriculum and classroom experience: a selected literature review. Ottawa,

Canadian Bureau for International Education.

 Bond, Sh. (2006). Transforming culture of learning:Evoking the international

dimention in canadian university curriculum.York University,Canada.

 Bostrom, Ch. A. (2009). Diffusion of internationalization in Turkish higher

education, Journal of studies in international education,Vol 10. No 5.

Caruana, V. (2004). International mission impossible? ICT and alternative

approaches to internationalizing the curriculum, Networked learning

conference .

 Collis, B. &Van der Wende, M. (2002). Models of Technology and change in

higher education: An international coparative survey on the current and future

use of ICT in higher education, Center for Higher Education Policy

Studies(CHEPS).

 Early, P.C., Ang, S. & Tan, J. (2006). CQ: Developing culture intelligence at

work, Palo Alto, CA: standford university press.

 Fegan, J. & Field, M. H. (2009). Education across borders: Politics, Policy

and Legislative Action, NewYork, Springer Science+Business Media.

 Ghaheri, Razieh. (2005). A Study of Effects of Higher Education

International Communication in Curricula from the Viewpoints of Faculty

Members of State Universities in Tehran and Curriculum Development Experts,

M. A. Thesis, Curriculum Development, Shahid Beheshti University.

(http//:www fep. sbu. ac. ir/ Portals/ 7/ Payannameh IMG /p16/ 508. doc) 

 Jones, E. &, Brown, S. (2007). Internatonalising higher education,

Routledge, Great Britain

 Knight, J. (1995). Internationalization at Canadian universities: The

changing landscape. Ottawa, ON: Association of Universities and Colleges of

Canada, available at: www. aucc. Ca / /English /publications /curriculum

 Knight, J. (2003). Internationalization of higher education (practices &

priorities): 2003 IAU survey report, available at: www.unesco.org/iau

 McKellin, K. (1998). Maintaining the momentum: The internationalization of

British Columbia's post secondary institutions. Victoria, BC: The British

Columbia Centre for International Education.

 Mestenhauser, J. A. & Ellingboe, B. J. (1998). Reforming the higher

education curriculum: Internationalizing the campus, Arizona, American

council on education & Oryx Press.

 Mihhailova, G. (2006). E-Learning as internationalization strategy in higher

education: Lecturer’s and student’s perspective, Baltic journal of management,

vol. 1 No.3.

 Monash University. (2005). Internationalisation of the curriculum

procedures, Retrieved from: http: // www. policy. monash. edu. Au /policybank/

academic/ education/ management.

 Moore, M. & Tait, A. (2002). Open and Distance Learning: Trends, Policy

and Strategy Considerations. [Electronic version]. UNESCO, Division of

Higher education. Retrieved August 31, 2007 from: http:// unesdoc. unesco. Org

/images /0012 /001284 /128463 e.pdf.

 Morey, A. I. (2000). Changing higher education curricula for a global and

multicultural world. Higher Education in Europe 25(1): 25-39.

 Norooz Zadeh, Reza. (2006). The Study Of Top Documents And Inducing

Policies To Write Fifth Program In Higher Education, Research And

Technology, Tehran, Ministry Of Science, Research And Higher Education,

Research And Planning of Higher Education Institution.

 Schuerholz-Lehr, S. (2007). Teaching for global literacy in higher education:

How prepared are the educators? Journal of Studies in International Education,

11(2), 180-204.

 Shailer, K. (2006). Internationalizing the curriculum:An inventory of key

issues,model programs and resources,Canada, Academic colleague, OCAD

 Statistics of Higher education in Iran (2006-2007) Ministry Of Science,

Research And Higher Education, Research And Planning of Higher Education

Institution.

 Thune, T. &Welle- Strand, A. ( 2005). ICT for and in internationalization

process: A business school case study, Journal of higher education,50:593-611

 Whalley, T., Langley, L. & Villareal, L. (1997). Best practice guidelines for

internationalizing the curriculum, Dougls college for the province of British 

Columbia, Ministry of education, skills and training and the Centre for

Curriculum, Transfer and Technology.

 Williams, Sh. ( 2008). Internationalization of the curriculum:A remedy for

international students’academic adjustment difficulties, Memorial University of

Newfoundland.

 Zare’e, Ozra; Fathi Vajargah, Kourosh; Yamani, Mohammad. (2009). A

Study of International Barriers of Curricula in Higher Education Institutions

And Universities from viewpoints of Faculty Members (Shahid Beheshti

University), Research and Planning in Higher Education Journal, Vol. 54, pp.

63-82.