Internationalisation through Digital Education

One of the key changes in the academic landscape over the past decades has been the spread of web based learning facilities. These have the potential to make academic studies more flexible and easily available to students, if supported by appropriate pedagogical, administrative, social and economic educational systems. An increasingly diverse student body display challenges for the higher education institutions. For example, an increasing group of learners are deficient in their cognitive academic language proficiency, which need to be properly addressed and solved to provide a sufficient knowledge base for future societal development. Also, the student body is increasingly multi-culturally diverse. Instead of being viewed as a problem, this multi-cultural diversity can, with proper pedagogical tools, be a strength and resource in the internationalisation of higher education. Based on previous experiences, and building on the established international collaboration between UW & UWC, this project will primarily aim to achieve the following goals; 

1. Develop a digital educational collaborative platform, and thereto connected digital tools suitable to implement a simultaneously organised international education programme including students from the north & south.
2. Thereto develop suitable pedagogical tools and curriculum that provides appropriate contextual support for learners with a diversified educational and cultural background to develop their conceptually demanding theoretical, synthesising and abstracting abilities.
3. Enhance multi-cultural understanding and knowledge sharing through international educational collaborative environment, favouring students as well as academic staff in the south & north.