Institutional internationalisation is diverse and multi-layered, with potentially competing or contradicting rationales. The results of the EUA membership consultation 2013 with responses from 175 HE institutions in 38 countries show an interesting snapshot.
The main findings include that about one-third of the responding institutions indicate to have an international student population above 10% of total students enrolled. The predominant characteristic here seems to be large differences between institutions within the same country, rather than between countries. Moreover, 99% of the institutions that replied to the survey either have an internationalisation strategy in place (56%), intend to develop one (13%), or have considered internationalisation in other strategies (30%).   The top institutional priorities mentioned for internationalisation are:
•    Attracting students from abroad at all levels (30%)
•    Internationalisation of learning and teaching (19%)
•    Providing students with opportunities to have a learning experience abroad (12%)
•    Developing strategic research partnerships with other institutions (10%)
Survey respondents testify that internationalisation strategies have a significant impact on:
    * Developing partnerships with new regions and countries (73%)
    * Sending more students abroad (72%)
    * Growing the international student population (68%)
    * Offering international opportunities to staff (67%)
    * Offering more courses in English (67%)
    * Developing double and joint degrees (61%)
EU strategy for internationalisation
91% of respondents felt that there would be an added value to an EU strategy for internationalisation, particularly in promoting internationalisation to university leadership, national bodies and to the wider university community. Regarding the expected impact that the EU strategy would have at the institutional level, most frequently mentioned were
    * funding opportunities for exchange and collaboration
    * support to the institution’s internationalisation strategy development
    * enhancement of specific EU support measures for internationalisation
The “open answers” from the respondents clearly indicate two aspects that can be improved at institutional level to stimulate and support internationalisation: language skills of students and staff and increased funding.
Link to the 24-page report.

16 al 18 de octubre, 2013 - Monterrey, México. Boletín CAEI 2013 "Movilidad del Conocimiento: Responsabilidades y Recursos". El programa del CAEI se consolida.
Una primera mirada de lo que les espera en Monterrey en un programa innovador sobre la internacionalización de le Educación Superior en las Américas:
Debate Plenario: “Internacionalización transversal en la Educación Superior”
La Dra. Yoloxóchitl Bustamante Diez, Directora General del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) en México, coordinará este debate, en el que 6 expertos intercambiarán sobre los elementos y estrategias más importantes para asegurar una internacionalización integral en todos los sectores del entorno universitario.
Entrevista Plenaria: “El rol de la internacionalización y otros temas vitales en Educación Superior"
La entrevista plenaria, animada por Dr. Francisco Marmolejo, Coordinador de Educación Superior, del Banco Mundial, permitirá comprender las tendencias y acciones interpuestas por los actores clave de la Educación Superior: ministros, líderes y directivos universitarios y de organizaciones internacionales, y gestionarios universitarios, entre otros. En esta entrevista plenaria, el desarrollo de la internacionalización y el aporte a la calidad educativa serán discutidos entre seis panelistas en un intercambio interactivo con el público presente.
Talleres
10 talleres serán ofrecidos a los participantes el miércoles 16 y jueves 17 de octubre, que desarrollarán los siguientes temas, entre otros:
* Ecuador: Construcción del país del conocimiento y la internacionalización
* Internacionalización de las universidades
* de los pueblos indígenas y las primeras naciones
* India-América Latina: Bases para una colaboración académica sostenible
* Estrategias de Internacionalización: Doctorados e iniciativas de investigación
* Internacionalización, Educación Superior y Organizaciones Filantrópicos.
Networking
A raíz de los resultados de la encuesta CAEI realizada en el 2012, el CAEI México 2013 ofrecerá una sesión cotidiana de networking que permitirá a los delegados aumentar sus contactos y encontrar nuevos socios de las Américas. Además, se ha desarrollado una plataforma interactiva en el sitio web del CAEI que brindará la oportunidad de establecer contactos antes del evento.
Cena de gala y actividades culturales
Este programa rico en contenido será complementado con un gran coctel de inauguración, dos cenas especiales y diferentes presentaciones culturales mexicanas con unos de los mejores grupos artísticos del país.
¡Consulte nuestro sitio web para mayor información!

Teaching resources and grants - eLearning and Online Learning
The CSHE has a group of staff whose primary focus is on the use of technology by staff and students in higher education. The Director of eLearning, who is based in the CSHE, developed the University's eLearning strategy which was endorsed in March 2012. A number of initiatives have been introduced based on this strategy including Learning and Teaching Initiatives and the University's partnership with Coursera in the delivery of Massive Open Online Courses.
The CSHE works closely with Melbourne Students and Learning and Learning Environments in the support of research and development of eLearning and Online Learning at The University of Melbourne.

Student learning strategies in online learning environments are known to be an important factor contributing to learning outcomes. Active learning strategies, a key element of constructivist learning theory, are considered to be particularly valuable, and this has been used as an argument for employing inquiry-based designs. On the other hand, researchers have highlighted empirical evidence showing that ‘pure’ discovery learning is of limited value and that strategies to reduce the complexity and provide guidance to learners are important if the potential learning benefits are to be achieved. This seminar reports on a study in which the learning outcomes from exploration and manipulation of a computer-based simulation were compared with the outcomes from observation of simulation output from a set of logically sequenced simulation parameters, the latter condition designed to limit the complexity of the task. The participants in the study were 158 university students who each used two computer-based simulations – one which allowed exploration through manipulation of simulation parameters and one which allowed only observation of simulation output from preset parameters, in two different scientific content areas. Student learning outcomes were assessed via pre-tests and post-tests of conceptual understanding. Students’ interactions using the discovery-based simulation were recorded and coded as either systematic or unsystematic. The results showed that when compared with observation, systematic exploration resulted in learning benefits, while unsystematic exploration did not. The implications of these results for the design of learning tasks using online learning resources will be discussed. The potential for more widespread application of the learning analytic methods used in the study will also be discussed. It is proposed that such methods could underpin the provision of dynamic support for students based on an automated characterisation of their learning strategies.         
1-2pm, Wednesday 22 May - Frank Tate Room (new), Lvl 9, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, 100 Leicester St, Associate Professor Barney Dalgarno, Sub Dean Learning and Teaching School of Education, Charles Sturt University.

This presentation reports on qualitative research into how Australian university teachers approach the routine work of designing the subjects they teach. The results reveal how academics conceive their design work, the basis for the decisions they make and the resources they draw on. The purpose of the study was to provide insights into design practices that could serve as an evidence base for strategies and initiatives employed by universities to improve the quality of educational design by teachers. By better understanding how teachers approach this aspect of their work and what influences their decisions, it may be possible to design supports that teachers can use to improve their practices and, in turn, the resulting designs.         
1-2pm Wednesday 8 May - Barbara Falk room, CSHE, 715 Swanston St  Associate Professor Sue Bennett Director, Education IT Centre Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong.

Thursday 4th July, 2013, 10.00-4.30 - School of Education, University of Brighton
Confirmed keynote speakers: Professor Ron Barnett, Centre of Higher Education Studies, Institute of Education and Colin Bryson, Director of Combined Honours Centre, University of Newcastle
We are pleased to invite you to participate in a one-day conference focusing on the ethics of student engagement. In a context in which students in higher educational institutions (HEIs) are increasing seen as consumers, debates about ethics become increasingly central. This conference aims to make an innovative and timely contribution to discussions about the role, scope and purposes of HEIs and the place of students and staff within them.
The conference will bring together scholars and practitioners from across HEIs to share emerging research, new thoerisations and philosophical thinking around the policies, practices and politics relating to the ethics of student engagement. We invite you to join this lively and important interdisciplinary conversation
Papers, round table discussions and workshops dealing with any aspect of the ethics of student engagement will be considered.
Offers of papers should be made by sending a title and an abstract of no more than 300 words to Carol Robison at carol.robinson@brighton.ac.uk to be received by Friday 12th April 2013. If you would like to lead a round table discussion or workshop, please also let us know by Friday 12th April 2013.
The cost of the day is £30 which includes lunch and refreshments.
Dr Carol Robinson, Education Research Centre, University of Brighton, and Dr Carol Taylor, Department for Education, Childhood and Inclusion, Sheffield Hallam University.
Registration is open from Monday 14th January 2013. All delegates must be registered by Friday 31st May 2013.

This one-day event will offer new perspectives on different types of digital literacies, with plenty of opportunities for participants to join in the discussions. The morning session (11am-1pm) will be a workshop focusing on the development of ‘informed researchers’ and digital literacies, while the second half (2-4pm) will offer theoretical insights into academic literacies and popular digital literacy practices. Lunch will be provided between 1-2pm.
Facilitating Informed Research in the Digital world
Moira Bent (Newcastle University) and Jane Secker (LSE) on behalf of the RIDLs Coalition
Interacting with information is at the very heart of the research process and easy digital access to material sometimes masks the complexity of the processes involved in ensuring quality. Additionally, not all researchers are at the same stage in their development as a researcher, in the research process itself, or in their lives. This can impact on how information literate or digitally literate they may be – are they new researchers, or experienced researchers who need to develop new approaches, for example. For anyone involved in facilitating the research process, the challenge is to identify opportunities for successful interventions and to develop strategies to implement them, perhaps via formal development programmes, independent learning or point of need. Read more...

The latest event in the HEA's Reserach and policy seminar series is now available on the HEA website.
Dr Andrew Rawnsley from Teesside University led the session 'Reserach Ethics and Integrity: Is it all about compliance and reputation?'
Dr Rawnsley, Research Governance and Training Manager at the institution, discussed the inconsistency in policy in this area across the sector and the reasons for this. He debated the conflict between a need for uniformity and the need for disciplinary differences in research work.
The next seminar in the series takes place on Tuesday 14 May. 'Academic integrity: learning lessons and exploring tensions' will be presented by Dr Erica Morris, Academic Lead for Assessment and Feedback at the HEA. To book a place on this event, please click here.

In a study commissioned by the Higher Education Academy (HEA), researchers from the University of York have highlighted potentially worrying inequalities in transition to postgraduate degrees. The full report is available here.
Dr Paul Wakeling and Dr Gillian Hampden-Thompson from York’s Department of Education found women progressed to a higher degree at a lower rate than men, even when accounting for differences in attainment and subject choice. Some minority ethnic groups had very low rates of progression and there were inequalities between graduates of different social class backgrounds. The researchers also found stark differences in progression to higher degrees across different types of university.
Their report examined progression from a first degree through to postgraduate study and focused on differences in transition to higher degrees in relation to three overarching themes: institutional profile, the four UK home nations, and graduates’ individual background characteristics, including gender, ethnicity and socio-economic factors. Read more...

Call open for HEA mini project - Working with new forms of online practice in the disciplines
Applications are invited from teaching staff to take part in a mini project to help them understand how students use technology to facilitate learning.
‘Working with new forms of online practice in the disciplines: The challenges of residency’ will encourage participants to reflect on their practice and to build new strategies for integrating technology into their teaching.
The project involves small institutional teams meeting for two half-day workshops. The first event will explore forms of online engagement before teams conduct similar sessions with a small number of students within their own institutions. The second workshop will be an opportunity to discuss participants’ findings and implications.
For more information and an application form please click here. The deadline for applications is 16 May 2013.