Internationalisation at Home: Developing a Global Change Biology Course Curriculum to Enhance Sustainable Development

Abstract

Internationalisation of curriculum can enhance graduate awareness of global issues, such as climate change, and shape behaviours in ways that facilitate sustainable development. To ensure all students can develop this perspective, internationalisation needs to be done at home using a variety of approaches. There is a growing body of research exploring internationalisation at home; however, much of this research focuses on Western academic institutions, with other regions being largely overlooked. This study investigated the application of an internationalisation at home approach, specifically the use of contemporary media, during the “Global Change Biology” course taught at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Case studies of the international aspects of global change were introduced to students through the use of news articles at the beginning of lectures. Student responses to this activity were identified using surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the course. There was an overwhelmingly positive response to the sharing of case studies and internationalisation of the curriculum, with students at the end of the course reporting increased knowledge confidence about the global effects of climate change. Further, students were able to share more location-specific examples of the effects of global change, and indicated they may shift behaviours in the future so that they adapt more sustainably to climate change. In terms of the teaching approach used, students stated the sharing of news articles provided them with a greater appreciation of the global nature of climate change impacts. Together, these results indicate that internationalisation at home can be effective, and allow an internationalised experience for students regardless of their access to travel.