Internationalising the curriculum for students from Singapore: a field study in the Australian bush

This paper discusses a case study of a summer study abroad program for Singapore students at an Australian university. Issues raised by students and teaching staff are explored using a framework adapted from a Typology of Internationalised Curriculum (Bremer and Van Der Wende, 1995); Best Practice Guidelines for Internationalisation of the Curriculum (Whalley, 1997); and Strategies for Internationalisation (Leask, 2001). Some implications for the design and teaching of summer study abroad programs offered by Australian universities to offshore students are explored within a curriculum design framework. Significant issues include the selection of appropriate teaching staff, inclusion of host country students in group learning activities, and the need for orientation and bridging programs.