DEHub/Research Themes/Globalisation of education project 1



 Globalisation of education

Summary of narrative syntheses, meta-analyses, meta-evaluations, and best evidence syntheses that currently exist.
Relatively little has been written directly on this topic. Most of the literature on globalisation of education is concerned with face-to-face delivery, either at Australian campuses or off-shore. Short syntheses have been written on the internationalisation of distance education: Evans & Daryl (2003) and Mason (2007). There are also a number of relevant journal articles which summarise relevant research on particular issues. These include:
 * Rumble (2000) – examines issues related to the management and planning.
 * Bates (2001) – considers cultural and ethical issues associated with international distance education.
 * Hovenga (2004) – focuses at the globalisation of medical education.
 * Sherritt & Carbajal (2006) – looks at online virtual education.
 * Kawachi (2008) – reviews current research on the potential of distance education for world-wide education.
 * Skinner (2008) – looks at issues of quality and accreditation in relation to online distance learning.
 * Ziguras (2008) – examines the evaluation of transnational distance education programs.
 * Zondiros (2008) – concentrates on issues of educational access, equity and exclusion.

There is a small, but growing, literature on transnational education: eg McBurnie & Ziguras (2006), Dunn & Wallace (2008) and Miliszewska (2009). The focus is generally on the offshore classroom. However, such works also address cultural and contextual issues relevant to distance education. Transnational education has been the subject of a number of research theses at Australian universities. These include: Doherty (2006), Hoare (2006), Miliszweska (2006), O’Regan (2006). Each of these theses provide valuable syntheses of the literature, although (again) not always from a strictly distance education perspective. The OECD has published a number of useful research papers on the globalisation of higher education (eg Vincent-Lancrin 2004; Marginson & van der Wende 2007). Reference to distance education in these works is brief, serving only to indicate the lack of research. The best recent overview of the impact of globalisation on the Australian higher education sector is Harman (2005). Distance education is largely passed over in silence.

Recommended keywords for searches
borderless eduction, cross-border, cross-cultural, cultural difference, distance education, DE, flexible delivery, flexible learning, global education, globalisation, globalization, higher education, internationalisation, internationalization, online, online transnational education, open learning, transcultural education, transnational education, transnational online, higher education

Recommended search databases
A+ Education, Emerald, ERIC, Google Scholar, IDP Database on Research into International Education, Libraries Australia, PsychINFO, SpringerLink.

Additional references and links
The DE Hub Globalisation of education and cross-cultural aspects research theme page provides additional links to relevant material.