Digital technologies are broadening the global reach of UK universities and colleges. As well as marketing courses to international students, for example through the use of Open Educational Resources as attractors to study, digital networks allow courses to be delivered to students who are not resident in the UK, through distance learning and syndication to local colleges.

Many institutions are now incorporating international or global awareness into their programmes of study, in recognition of the fact that graduates will be living and working in a networked global society. Not only are universities becoming edgeless, but so are the economies and societies they serve. Some programmes realise this ambition through study trips and periods spent abroad, when digital technology is used to support students' progression and ongoing contact with their home institution. Some programmes undertake virtual partnerships with programmes and cohorts in different countries, when digital technologies become essential to support learning conversations across geographical and cultural boundaries.

A 2009 report by the UK/US Study Group, Higher Education and Collaboration in Global Context: Building a Global Civil Society, argues that UK HEIs have a particular responsibility to seek out collaborations with colleges in developing economies and to use the status of UK HE internationally to build a global alliance for quality higher education. Digital technologies have an important role to play in supporting international collaboration and dialogue.

The JISC CDD project INTEGRATE utilised wikis to support integration of international students into the Exeter University community, to facitilate cultural exchange and also to provide an authentic expereince of global business collaboration. They produced a talking head video which describes this approach.

Resources

View all resources in the Design Studio tagged  'international' or 'globalisation'