Pedagogical Issues in Transnational Education: the case of postgraduate pharmacy and education programs

Benjamin Tak-Yuen ChanUniversity of Hong Kong

Curriculum internationalization

An important issue in teaching and learning reform for universities worldwide

Two major reasons for pursuing curriculum internationalization: To become a world class institution attracting

more overseas students to study on-campus To accommodate a diversified international

student body studying on-campus and in transnational provisions overseas

Curriculum internationalization

Common outcomes of preparing graduates to be “internationally-knowledgeable and interculturally-competent” (Ellingboe 2007)

Two approaches: Soft (e.g. international student and staff exc

hange) Hard (i.e. undertaking curriculum change)

Curriculum change for internationalization

A process of planning for organizational change involving: Dedicated leadership Resource commitment Involvement and support of academic staff

Challenges of implementation: Putting policy into practice Developing staff capacity Focusing on the desired learning outcomes

Strategies for curriculum internationalization

Specification of graduate attributes (Leask 1999)

Continuum from ‘institutional ethos’ through ‘academic mobility and content internationalization’ to ‘graduates attributes’ and ‘infusion approach’ (Caruana and Hanstock 2003)

Operationalization of planning through a 3-level typology (Edwards 2003)

UniSA’s Generic Graduate Qualities for Internationalization

Three level typology of curriculum internationalization

Example of curriculum internationalization

An Australian undergraduate business curriculum with on-shore and off-shore international students (Crosling et al. 2008)

Receptivity to internationalization varies across six

core business disciplines Occurs at KSA levels From standardized curriculum to flexible teaching

and learning methods corresponding to Level 1 and Level 2 of the 3-level typology

Potential for Level 3 involving overseas branch campuses

Generalizability of business education internationalization

Experience may not be transferable to other disciplines, because:

Commerce and trade are inherently amenable to globalization forces, hence it is just a matter of the business academic disciplines aligning with their fields of practice

Business graduate employment market is mobile with largely homogenous work practices worldwide, hence it can support Level 3 internationalization

Many universities have attempted to internationalize their business curriculum even without transnational provision

Problems of curriculum internationalization

Apprehension of difficulties based on critical appraisal of the 3-level typology

Dilemma of internationalizing without localizing (Level 1 failure)

Partial or Incomplete internationalization (Level 3 failure)

Paradox of internationalizing without a curriculum

Research questions

This study focuses on applicability to transnational programs at postgraduate level in science and social sciences

Can the 3-level typology model address curriculum internationalization in transnational postgraduate programs in pharmacy and education?

What are the adjustments needed to make the model a robust one in light of experience from the two case studies?

Background to case studies

Example of transnational postgraduate science program

MSc Clinical Pharmacy (UK university in partnership with a HK university continuing education school)

One of only 2 such programs in HK (other is a local program, hence a mainstream provision)

Qualification is a mandatory requirement after first degree for employment as a hospital pharmacist in HK

Taught entirely by UK staff

Background to case studies

Example of transnational postgraduate social science program

Doctor of Education (UK university in partnership with a HK university continuing education school)

One of 7 such programs in HK, 3 of which are transnational, specialization on lifelong education

Students studying mainly for professional development

Taught modules with some conjoint teaching by local academic staff

Issues from case studies MSc internationalization

Low in priority as subject content is deemed universal

Extensive use of UK examples, transfer of learning is a problem due to structural constraint of the local system (i.e. no separation of prescribing and dispensing)

Pharmacist professionalization in HK is incomplete, assumption of natural convergence of practice with international trend carries risk

Exemplifies Level 1 and Level 3 failure (low job mobility for pharmacists worldwide)

Issues from case studies

EdD internationalization

Localization of taught stage includes using local cases for illustration and prioritizing topics pertinent to local context

Optional summer courses in UK and online real-time tutorial for interaction between UK and HK students

Research stage does not have a formal curriculum

Exemplifies Level 1 and Level 2 internationalization and paradox of internationalization without a curriculum

Professionalization as the learning focus

Response to MSc internationalization Appreciate local constraints in pharmacist prof

essionalization Use comparative-historical approach to illumin

ate on the professionalization process overseas

Discuss social aspects of pharmacy practice Aim is to teach not just advanced knowledge a

nd skills of pharmacy practice but the antecedent condition (i.e. professionalization) required for their application

Professionalization as the learning focus

Implementing MSc internationalization Draw from FIP guidelines and the work of its P

harmacy Education Task Force The culturally inert competency approach esp

oused is similar to ‘graduate attributes’ approach

When students are challenged to reflect on their own notions of professionalism through problem-posing method, this can help to realize ‘infusion’ approach to curriculum internationalization

Learning to become researching professionals

Past research on EdD experience EdD student identity is formed around a set of social pr

actices that are culture-bound and mediate between different roles of the student (Chapman and Pyvis 2005)

Learning to become a researching professional involves situated learning in multiple contexts (Taylor 2007)

Learners navigate between different communities of practice to develop shared understanding with tutor and fellow learners (Wikeley and Muschamp 2004)

Suggest social practice theory of learning invoking concept of Community of Practice

Learning to become researching professionals

Response to EdD internationalization Training at thesis stage need not be conceived as f

ormal curriculum Four-stage ways of understanding – conformity, ca

pability, becoming and being (Taylor 2007) Informal curriculum is embedded in the relationshi

p between tutor and learner and the learning transactions that ensue.

Supervisor should help students move from a community of practitioners to a community of researchers (Wikeley and Muschamp 2004)

Discussion

Point 1

Internationalization without localization (Level 1 failure as in MSc) when addressed could strengthen the basis and capacity for pharmacist advocacy in HK leading to eventual full professionalization and convergence with international trends of practice

Discussion

Point 2

Partial or incomplete internationalization (Level 3 failure as in MSc) may still lead to positive non-functionalist goals such as building of international professional networks among pharmacists and the enhancement of capacity for technical cooperation across countries and regions

Discussion

Point 3

Teaching an overseas cohort for the EdD would mean extending the community of practice internationally, in effect bringing up new members into the research community of lifelong education scholars or researching practitioners. When understood in this light, the paradox of internationalizing without a curriculum may not seem too perplexing

ConclusionCertain deficiencies in the assumptions of the 3-level typology have to be addressed to produce a more robust model

Teaching the antecedents required for using new knowledge and skills in the local context

Broadening of learning outcomes to cover non-employment related objectives

Model can subsume the social practice theory of learning especially for learning with non-structured curriculum

Thank You

Benjamin.chan@hkuspace.hku.hk