Cover not available
Article published In:
Language and Intercultural Communication Pedagogies in Australian Higher Education
Edited by Paul J. Moore and Adriana Díaz
[Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 42:2] 2019
► pp. 171–191

Theoretical and practical considerations in the design of an intercultural communication course

| University of Queensland

The aim of this article is to highlight theoretical and practical considerations in design of an intercultural communication course. The first part of the article considers intercultural competence, and uses Bourdieu’s notions of education to frame the design of an intercultural communication course. This is followed by discussion of general principles of intercultural course design; the concepts of backward design and constructive alignment as they relate to an intercultural communication course; and finally, the importance of including active and collaborative learning/teaching activities within course design. The remainder of the article draws on a case study of an existing Australian undergraduate course in intercultural communication to highlight how this course may be redesigned in line with the pedagogical principles discussed in the first part of the article.

Keywords: active learning, backward design, Bourdieu, constructive alignment, intercultural communication course, intercultural competence
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Part one: Considerations in intercultural communication course design
    • 2.1Intercultural competence
    • 2.2Bourdieusian perspectives on education
    • 2.3General principles of intercultural course design
    • 2.4Backward design and constructive alignment
    • 2.5Active learning activities
  • 3.Part two: Case study of an intercultural communication course
  • 4.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 15 July 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.00023.hsi
References
Bigatel, P., Ragan, L., Kennan, S., May, J., & Redmond, B.
(2012) The identification of competencies for online teaching success. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 16(1), pp. 59–77. Retrieved from [URL]
Biggs, J. B., & Tang, C.
(2011) Teaching for quality learning at university 4th ed. Berkshire, England: McGraw Hill Education.Google Scholar
Bourdieu, P.
(1977) Outline of a theory of practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(1988) Homo academicus. California: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
(1996) The state nobility: Elite schools in the field of power. Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
(2000) Pascalian meditations. Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J. C.
(1977) Reproduction in education, society and culture. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Carey, P.
(2013) Student as co-producer in a marketised higher education system: A case study of students’ experience of participation in curriculum design. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 50(3), 250–260. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F.
(1987) Seven principles for good practice. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 391, 3–7.Google Scholar
Cornell University
(2018) Teaching and learning in large lectures. Centre for Teaching Innovation. Retrieved from [URL]
Deardorff, D. K.
(2004) The identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of international education at institutions of higher education in the United States. (Doctoral dissertation, North Carolina State University, USA). Retrieved from [URL]
(2006) Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241–266. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2015) How to assess intercultural competence. In Z. Hua (Ed.). Research methods in intercultural communication: A practical guide (pp. 120–134). Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Edinburgh Napier University
(2017) Assessment and feedback design guidelines. Retrieved from [URL]
Fantini, A. E.
(1997) A survey of intercultural communication courses. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 21(1), 125–148. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gregersen-Hermans, J., & Pusch, M. D.
(2012) How to design and assess an intercultural learning experience. In K. Berardo & D. K. Deardorff (Eds.). Building cultural competence: Innovative activities and models (pp. 41–62). Sterling, Virginia: Stylus Publishing.Google Scholar
Halualani, R. T.
(2011) In/visible dimensions: framing the intercultural communication course through a critical intercultural communication framework. Intercultural Education, 22(1), 43–54. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hoidn, S.
(2017) Student-centred learning environments in higher education classrooms. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Holliday, A.
(2018) Designing a course in intercultural education. Intercultural Communication Education, 1(1), 4–11. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hua, Z.
(2019) Exploring intercultural communication: Language in action 2nd ed. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Hussey, H. D., Fleck, B., & Richmond, A. S.
(2014) Promoting active learning through a flipped course design. In J. Keengwe, G. Onchwari & J. Oigara (Eds.), Promoting active learning through the flipped classroom model (pp. 23–46). Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Jackson, J.
(2015) Becoming interculturally competent: Theory to practice in international education. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 481, 91–107. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2018) Interculturality in international education. New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kinash, S., Naidu, V., Knight, D., Judd, M., Nair, C., Booth, S., … Tulloch, M.
(2015) Student feedback: A learning and teaching performance indicator. Quality Assurance in Education, 23(4), 410–428. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Knight, J.
(2004) Internationalization remodeled: Definition, approaches, and rationales. Journal of Studies in International Education, 8(1), 5–31. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kritt, D. W.
(2018) Teaching as if children matter. In D. W. Kritt (Ed.), Constructivist education in an age of accountability (pp. 3–19). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Manolis, C., Burns, D., Assudani, R., & Chinta, R.
(2013) Assessing experiential learning styles: A methodological reconstruction and validation of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. Learning and Individual Differences, 231, 44–52. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Matsushita, K.
(2018) An invitation to deep active learning. In K. Matsushita (Ed.), Deep active learning: Toward greater depth in university education (pp. 15–33). Singapore: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
McKnight, K., O’Malley, K., Ruzic, R., Horsley, M., Franey, J., & Bassett, K.
(2016) Teaching in a digital age: How educators use technology to improve student learning. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 48(3), 194–211. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Medina, L. C.
(2018) Blended learning: Deficits and prospects in higher education. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 34(1), 42–56. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Michael, J.
(2006) Where’s the evidence that active learning works? Advances in Physiology Education, 30(4), 159–167. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Moran, C., & Young, C. A.
(2014) Active learning in the flipped English language arts classroom. In J. Keengwe, G. Onchwari, & J. Oigara (Eds.), Promoting active learning through the flipped classroom model (163–184). Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Morong, G., & DesBiens, D.
(2016) Culturally responsive online design: Learning at intercultural intersections. Intercultural Education, 27(5), 474–492. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Naidoo, L., Wilkinson, J., Langat, K., Adoniou, M., Cunene, R., & Bolger, D.
(2015) Supporting school-university pathways for refugee students’ access and participation in tertiary education. Report funded by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. University of Western Sydney, Kingswood, NSW, Australia. Retrieved from [URL]
O’Neill, G.
(2015) Curriculum design in higher education: Theory’ to practice. Dublin: UCD Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from [URL]
O’Neill, G., Donnelly, R., & Fitzmaurice, F.
(2014) Supporting programme teams to develop sequencing in higher education curricula. International Journal for Academic Development, 19(4), 268–280. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Partridge, H., Ponting, D., & McCay, M.
(2011) Good practice report: Blended learning. Australian Learning & Teaching Council Ltd. Retrieved from [URL]
Ricketts, P., & Humphries, J.
(2015) Taking an ethical approach to internationalization. University Affairs. Retrieved from [URL]
Schoepp, K.
(2017) The state of course learning outcomes at leading universities. Studies in Higher Education, 1–13 [Published online]. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Stanny, C. J.
(2016) Reevaluating Bloom’s Taxonomy: What measurable verbs can and cannot say about student learning. Educational Science, 6(4), 37–49. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
University of Queensland
(2017) Graduate attributes. Retrieved from [URL]
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J.
(2005) Understanding by design 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.Google Scholar
(2011) The understanding by design guide to creating high quality units. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.Google Scholar
Cited by

Cited by 1 other publications

Holguín Vaca, Denise Paola
2023. De los debates globales a las prácticas locales: pedagogías emergentes para el fomento de la interculturalidad en el aula de español para adultos migrantes. Language and Intercultural Communication 23:1 ► pp. 69 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 25 april 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.