A reflection on the impact of an internationalisation experience via a digital platform: views, opinions and experiences of students and lecturers

This small-scale study investigates how remote cooperative teaching, based on mutual enrichment across international Initial Teacher Education providers, supports active participation of students in international activities. According to literature, mutual enrichment is a key aspect in supporting active participation in collaborative work. The cooperative teaching practice among lecturers from both universities involved in this study created the ethos for role modelling mutual enrichment. Exploring new methods of achieving internationalisation goals by capitalising on digital opportunities has proved particularly important given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. Participants were year 3 student teachers on the undergraduate Master of Education (MEduc) programme at the School of Education, University of Glasgow and undergraduate and postgraduate students on the course ‘Science of Education' at the Niccolo’ Cusano University, Rome. Three sessions on the topic of Parental Engagement in Children’s Education were delivered remotely to both cohorts of students by a multicultural and multilanguage teaching team from both universities. Students also engaged in collaborative formative assessment tasks in order to further stimulate collaboration and knowledge exchange. Qualitative data were collected through students’ session feedback, focus groups and tutors’ reflective journals. Results showed that language and communication barriers were strong, especially at the beginning of the workshops. They ranged from differences in verbal expressions of emotions to fear to be judged, and from anxiety to speak a foreign language to the need to be understood in order to complete the assessments. However, the resilience and inclusivity shown from both cohorts of students (with tutor support) enhanced the learning experience and enriched students’ communication skills enabling them overcome language barriers.