International Education

3 semester credits. This graduate-level course is aimed at high-intermediate to advanced proficiency non-native English speakers in the field of International Higher Education and Instruction. It is geared towards teaching professionals who seek to improve their communicative abilities in English, providing them with language building strategies which can be employed beyond the classroom. Through a content- and task-based approach to language learning, participants enrolled in this course will develop and advance all four language skills - speaking, listening, reading, writing – within the context of the international and multicultural classroom. The objectives of this course are multifold, with particular focus on pronunciation, acquisition of field-related vocabulary, and effective oral delivery techniques. Individuals enrolled in the course will apply language skills to real-life tasks related to the teaching profession, including the development of a course syllabus in English, student-led class discussions, and lectures. Students will be asked to assess themselves as well as their peers and to provide constructive feedback in order to identify key areas for improvement. Content-based language learning involves the acquisition of language through relevant, engaging contexts. Each lesson will focus on a different topic or content related to the world of academics. This approach to language learning requires active student participation in classroom activities and discussions. Prerequisites: Open to individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree or are currently enrolled in a graduate-level program.

3 semester credits. This graduate-level course involves participating students in a comparative analysis of educational systems worldwide and the growing diversity of students within them. Initial topics will begin with an in-depth review of higher education systems around the world, and how they align and diverge from each other in educational practice and degree completion. Educational theory, policy, and legislation in diverse contexts will be examined, with a particular focus on the US and the EU, as well as the role of education and educational policy and how they translate into real life issues of social justice, human rights, and global citizenship. As the course progresses into the how international education is implemented and comes into contact with its beneficiaries, i.e. the student population, topics will address the impact of diversity and multiculturalism on higher education campuses and classrooms. Students will be challenged to reflect on the ultimate question of whether systems are effectively accommodating the diverse student populations that they serve, and how the rapid pace of world change will affect the needs of both. Prerequisites: Open to individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree or are currently enrolled in a graduate-level program.

3 semester credits. This graduate-level course is aimed at students who are willing to engage in a career in the field of international education, and who wish to acquire relevant perspectives and skills to teach classes to an international audience, both abroad and in their home country. The course will provide a theoretical background on most up-to-date and engaging teaching strategies to address a multicultural class, as well as a hands-on case-study based framework of elements of reference to build effective and stimulating teaching situations, with consistent reference to both didactic and educational objectives of a course. This course is made unique due to its connection with the three main educational assets implemented as core educational values by FUA-AUF: cultural integration, community engagement, and experiential learning. Experiential learning at FUA-AUF rethinks the concepts of the classroom and field experiences as related rather than distinct environments. The classroom is an on-going environment that extends beyond the physical spaces of lecture halls and laboratories; classroom learning is applied to the outer world. Field experiences must be rooted in academic contexts and give back to classroom learning a wider perspective of taught knowledge. Experiential learning is an active and lasting contribution, based on cultural integration, of international student perspectives to the local culture, and vice versa. Outreach and collaboration with the community increase awareness and expand an engaged knowledge of the local territory. Therefore, FUA-AUF offers a unique learning model that allows students to benefit from an all-encompassing educational experience based on theory and practice applied to real-life situations while learning comprehensive operational processes, problem-solving strategies, and leadership and management skills. Course topics provide a theoretical framework for engaging teaching strategies for the multicultural classroom. Hands-on approaches and case studies of effective and stimulating teaching situations will be covered, with consistent reference to the didactic objective of a course. The course is unique for the exploration of FUA-AUF’s approach to experiential learning: experiential learning (EL), field learning (FL), and service learning (SL). Cultural integration through outreach and collaboration with the community encourages an active exchange between student and local perspectives as an important basis for an active contribution of EL-FL-SL in the learning path. Participants of this course will learn how the teaching experience represents one of the many components of the overall study abroad experience in order to acquire the necessary expertise to manage international learning environments in a dynamic and community-geared context of cultural integration. This course includes experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI). CEMI are dynamic learning environments created to foster learning through a structured interaction with the community. In addition to regular lecture hours, students will be involved in learning by doing through real projects and integration with the local population and territory in order to remove cultural and learning barriers as well as to develop a strong likelihood for success in life. The experiential learning hours are fully supervised by instructors who track students step by step during their learning experience, monitor and advise according to student needs, and support student initiative. This unique learning model allows students to benefit from an all-encompassing educational experience based on theory and practice in real enterprises, learning of comprehensive operational processes, problem-solving, leadership, and management. Prerequisites: Open to individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree or are currently enrolled in a graduate-level program.

3 semester credits. The course explores the educational theories and best practices that allowed contemporary generations to transition away from the traditional lecture environment of frontal classes. Topics focus on how emerging forms of education engage in the local cultural heritage through projects aimed at giving back to the community through volunteering, exploration, and service. Students will understand the management, organization. and philosophy of innovative teaching methodologies. This class includes experiential learning hours in the areas of field learning, service learning, and community service.

1 semester credit. This graduate-level course is designed for Italian language instructors. It provides an overview of advanced Italian language and grammar components, and examines the most up-to-date strategies of language teaching. The course includes an Experiential Learning (EL) component, which allows students to practice advanced patterns of the language and engage with the Italian culture. This course is taught entirely in Italian. Linguistic module: The activities in this module focus on the Italian language in its various aspects and levels (phonetic and phonological, morphological, syntactical, lexical, semantic, pragmatic, and textual), with in-depth studies of relevant topics. Cultural module: The activities in this module focus on significant aspects of Italy’s current cultural context through literary, historical, social, political, and artistic insights. Experiential Learning module: This module is designed to provide an immersive experience in the Italian culture, while stimulating advanced patterns of grammar and oral communication. Prerequisites: Successful completion of an undergraduate degree is required for this course. An upper-intermediate/advanced proficiency level of Italian is required.

3 semester credits. This graduate-level course is designed for international instructors of the Italian language. It covers advanced modules of Italian grammar, language, and linguistic and explores some of the most up-to-date teaching strategies in the field of language studies. The course also includes a cultural and experiential learning module. The module’s aim is to provide further teaching, methodological, and experiential best practices to Italian studies educators and language instructors by utilizing international perspectives and taking into account the ongoing evolution of language and society. At the end of the course, participants will be able to design, deliver, and assess (Italian language) lessons and courses through advanced didactic, methodological, and pedagogical tools. The course is taught entirely in Italian. Prerequisites: Successful completion of an undergraduate degree is required for this course. An upper-intermediate/advanced proficiency level of Italian is required.

3 semester credits. The scope of this graduate-level course is to present new teaching methodologies made possible by a global network and the growing availability of fast and powerful communication devices. Recent technology advancements made available a range of new teaching media, for example thematic easily accessible and manageable databases, powerful graphic systems allowing HD or UHD videos and student interaction and manipulation of 3D objects such as artistic human artifacts (sculptures, paintings, etc.) or items related to the natural sciences (molecules, body parts, etc.). Connectivity available almost anywhere reduces the dependence of coursework solely in building facilities, allowing for field experiences (museums, city walks), advanced hardware and software to share course materials in the form of interactive whiteboards where instructors and students can work at the same time from any location, and widespread portable devices (smartphones, tablets) for interactive visual platforms. A major focus of the course will be on the instant and dynamic accessibility to culture and current events as opposed to the static approaches of the past. In order to make the most of these new tools, an instructor has to understand their technology and master the new ways of interactions with the students, including the participation of field experts in moderated discussion settings. Prerequisites: Open to individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree or are currently enrolled in a graduate-level program.

3 semester credits. This graduate-level course develops previous studies on academic research methods to prepare instructors in the application of research to teaching undergraduate students in an international environment. Research methodologies will be regarded as an essential tool in the implementation of effective teaching in both multicultural classrooms and contexts where students need to establish an effective relationship local resources for the successful experience of an internationally-based study curriculum. The course will begin with an examination of how the instructional literacy of instructors can be enhanced through cross-cultural research approaches. Building on the topics introduced in the Strategies for Effective Teaching in International Education course for learning and student management, the research methodologies course focuses specifically on familiarization with local institutions and resource systems in the effort to create relevant connections between the cultural integration component of international education and the academic resources offered by a local community. Field learning visits to local institutions, discussions on how research methods can be applied to diverse categories of undergraduate courses, gaining leadership competency in guiding students through research abroad, and specific case students of how research contributes to the overall learning community of a campus will be addressed throughout the duration of the course. Prerequisites: Open to individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree or are currently enrolled in a graduate-level program.

3 semester credits. Social justice goes beyond the principles of diversity and acceptance; it addresses the circuits of power that influence the social structures in a society. How power is distributed, who benefits from this distribution, and what elements normalize unjust distributions of power in a society are focal points of this course. Cultural perspectives of social justice on a societal level and the role of educators as agents of change will be investigated from a critical perspective through reflections on global and local educational practices. The role of systemic oppression, cultural perspectives of social justice, and self-awareness of personal roles will be examined in-depth to develop a mindset of social justice within diverse environments. Prerequisites: Successful completion of an undergraduate degree is required for this course.