Connections between Online International Learning and Inclusion of Intercultural and International Elements in the Curriculum—The Perspective of Slovene Academics

Abstract

Online international learning and the inclusion of intercultural and international dimensions in the curriculum are closely connected concepts, not only in theory but also in strategic documents and teaching practice. This article presents statistical connections between online international learning and the inclusion of intercultural and international dimensions in the curriculum, based on a survey that included 1367 Slovene academics (19.7% of the entire population). According to the χ² and Mann–Whitney tests, it was determined that academics who actively include students in any kind of online international learning with institutions from geographically distant areas, and those academics who consider the ICT support at their home institutions as satisfactory for the implementation of online international learning, statistically significantly more often incorporate international and intercultural elements into the study process, covering internationalised learning outcomes, internationalised learning and teaching activities, and internationalised assessment and evaluation tasks.

1. Introduction

In the last few years, online learning has become a part of the everyday pedagogical routine across the education vertical. As a consequence of information communication technology (ICT) support and the COVID-19 situation, which have forced teachers and students to resort to remote online learning [1], various kinds of distance online learning are now more easily implemented—not only within local or national borders but also internationally. In this context, increased online international learning, as an alternative to the physical mobility of students, which is especially evident after the COVID-19 epidemic, was highlighted in the study of Marinoni et al. [2]. Purposefully planned online international learning can lead to the broader inclusion of international and intercultural dimensions in the (formal) curriculum, which can support the implementation of an internationalised curriculum, as will be theoretically and empirically justified in this article.

Based on previous studies (e.g., [3,4,5]), it can be assumed that the inclusion of any kind of online international learning in the pedagogical process could have a positive impact on the implementation of an internationalised curriculum. This fosters the development of intercultural competence as well as other employment, transversal, and soft skills among students, including digital skills, which are necessary for graduates’ career advancement in today’s global world [6].

In this context, the objective of this article is to present the connections between any kind of online international learning with universities from abroad and the inclusion of intercultural, international, global, and social dimensions in the formal curriculum in domestic learning environments (covering internationalised learning outcomes, internationalised learning and teaching activities, and internationalised assessment and evaluation tasks). The survey was conducted in Slovenia, in a non-English-speaking higher education environment.

1.1. Online Learning

1.1.1. Conceptual Background

The flexibility of combining synchronous and asynchronous communication technology has opened up new avenues for teaching and learning approaches, including online learning. However, the concept of online learning is often defined in the literature with a range of meanings that are highly different, if not opposing [7]. All the definitions share the characteristic of using computer-based technology in synchronous or asynchronous online or virtual modes of learning [7,8,9,10].

Online learning activities have the potential to sustain and improve group collaboration, creativity, productivity, support, and coherence, and they can positively impact students’ communication skills and their effectiveness in problem-solving group assignments [11]. Moreover, online learning has a positive impact on the development of social studies skills, and it enhances other students’ experiences and soft competences while encouraging them to learn better, which are essential skills in a digitally and interculturally diversified reality [12,13]. Social studies skills, intercultural competence, democratic perspectives, social adaptability, and successful social relations collectively contribute to the development of responsible global citizens [12,14]. Online learning also has negative impacts and challenges, which will be further discussed in the later part of the article within the context of online international learning.

Universities strive to develop the aforementioned soft skills and competences among future graduates by utilising innovative collaborative strategies, often in mixed learning environments with state-of-the-art web services. This shift away from traditional teaching towards coaching emphasises the importance of peer collaboration and assessment among students [15].

1.1.2. Policy and Strategic Background

Similarly, in the European policy–strategic context, online learning and digital education refer to the objective of enhancing European citizenship and digital competences for better employment opportunities and equal chances to prosper in life, as stated by the European Commission [16]. The importance of equipping Europe for the digital age is stressed in the Political Guidelines of the European Commission until 2024 [17,18], as well as in the Digital Education Action Plan until 2027 [19], which highlights two priority areas: (i) the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem, and (ii) digital skills and competencies for the digital transformation (at universities). The purposefully planned digitalisation of teaching methods and the appropriate infrastructure for inclusive and effective distance learning–teaching processes play a crucial role in achieving these objectives. According to the International Computer and Information Literacy Study [20], which goes beyond the European context, students and teachers do not develop digital skills solely by using digital devices for learning–teaching purposes. Therefore, professional training and support in ICT skills for academics and students in the educational process are essential. According to the World Economic Forum [21], the adoption of technology has caused changes in future job skills, among which the ability to use and design technology are recognised as newly emerging work skills.

In line with European trends, the Resolution on the National Program of Higher Education until 2030 [22] was adopted for Slovene higher education. It emphasises the need for systemic financing to support digitally connected higher education infrastructure, digital transformation, and the development of smart lecture halls, as well as the importance of the digitally supported provision of learning content and materials. The resolution addresses overall conditions for implementing digital transformation in Slovene higher education. These include, inter alia, the design of a strategy for digitalisation in Slovene higher education, empowering institutions and individuals to effectively utilise ICT tools, and strengthening human resources in ICT to foster the development of digitisation in university distance learning and teaching.

1.2. Inclusion of Intercultural and International Elements in Curriculum

1.2.1. Conceptual Background

In today’s internationally, interculturally, and digitally intertwined reality, it is crucial to equip students and graduates with global and international perspectives for their success in work and life in an ever-changing world. Inclusive and intercultural education plays a crucial role in achieving this long-term goal [23,24], which is an inevitable part of the concept of the internationalisation of higher education and an internationalised curriculum.

According to de Wit and Hunter (p.3, [25]), the internationalisation of higher education is defined as “the intentional process of integrating an international, intercultural, or global dimension into the purpose, functions, and delivery of post-secondary education, in order to enhance the quality of education and research for all students and staff, and to make a meaningful contribution to society”. There are political, economic, social/cultural, and academic rationales driving the internationalisation of higher education [26], with the latter two being essential in the context of internationalising the higher education curriculum.

The internationalised curriculum is the tangible product of the concepts of the internationalisation of the curriculum [27] and internationalisation at home [28], emphasising the inclusion of international, intercultural, and global perspectives in the (formal) curriculum, which is primarily implemented by academics. According to the definitions of both concepts, and within the context of the constructively aligned internationalised curriculum [29], adapted from Biggs’ alignment theory [30], the (formal) internationalised curriculum requires comprehensive and systematic planning. The latter encompasses internationalised learning outcomes, which guide the design of internationalised educational activities with corresponding learning content and materials, followed by internationalised assessment and evaluation approaches. In the long term, following these constructively aligned steps leads to the development of intercultural competencies, as well as other soft, transversal, and employability skills among students.

An internationalised curriculum can be implemented using various tools and mechanisms [31,32,33,34]. Beelen and Jones [28] provide a list of instruments for applying internationalisation at home, which includes the following: the inclusion of comparative international literature and international case studies in the curriculum, inviting international guest lecturers, engaging with local cultural and international groups, encouraging cooperation with international students, etc. It is important to note that “[s]imply providing a program in English is insufficient for it to be considered an internationalised curriculum” (p. 10, [23]).

International online collaboration plays a crucial role in internationalisation at home, where the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) model, which is a relatively new pedagogical method or approach [35], provides opportunities for developing intercultural and international perspectives for the vast majority of non-mobile students within their domestic learning contexts. According to Rubin [36], COIL is a pedagogical approach that utilises online ICT support and has gained popularity among universities worldwide as a means of internationalising the curriculum. By designing courses in collaboration with faculty from other countries and leveraging online technologies, students can work on projects together and learn collaboratively with peers from different nations and cultures, thereby making internationalisation a practical reality (p. 2, [37]).

COIL involves intensive cooperation among academics and other relevant stakeholders who co-create a common internationalised curriculum [38,39,40]; it can be implemented synchronously and/or asynchronously. To be considered as COIL, activities must fulfil the following conditions [41]: (i) collaboration: students must effectively and efficiently collaborate with their colleagues to create the necessary outputs; the module is developed and co-taught collaboratively by teaching staff from different institutions; (ii) online: contact and interaction between students and faculty occur primarily or entirely online; (iii) international: the development of international and intercultural competences and perspectives among students results from meaningful interaction between faculty and students from two or more different countries; (iv) learning: COIL learning activities are an integral part of the curriculum and not an additional learning option.

Several benefits of COIL can be summarised [3,5,35,39,42], such as the development of a pluralistic view and the interdisciplinary nature of learning–teaching activities, personal and professional development for both students and staff, increased international and professional collaboration, and improved future international collaboration at the micro and mezzo institutional levels. COIL also facilitates the development of students’ intercultural competence within their domestic learning environments, providing all students with the opportunity to develop intercultural competencies, and not just the internationally mobile elite.

However, there are influences of academic culture and climate that determine students’ (and staff’s) perceptions and satisfaction regarding the success and added value of COIL modules [43]. Teaching staff engaged in international education projects have emphasised the importance of understanding academic culture and the need to resolve cultural misunderstandings (p. 441, [43]). As highlighted by King Ramírez [43], a more student-centred approach to teaching is preferred in online learning, positioning the teacher as a resource and facilitator; this aspect can present an additional challenge for some students. Additionally, online courses can disrupt personal interactions before, during, and after classes. In addition to the aforementioned challenges, when planning COIL, it is important to consider not only internet accessibility in the partner country, but also internet penetration, access to internet services, digital literacies, and how higher education institutions implement technologies within their academic cultures.

Therefore, approaches to COIL and an internationalised curriculum, in general, vary within various contextual backgrounds due to diverse micro- and macrotrends and strategies that emphasise intercultural and international awareness among students and citizens.

1.2.2. Policy and Strategic Background

UNESCO has defined the concept of global citizenship, providing concrete guidance on learning contents and pedagogical approaches for its development [44]. At the European level, the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) mobility strategy for better learning was published already in 2012, highlighting “other possibilities for mobility such as virtual mobility and enable[ing] non-mobile students to have an ‘international experience at home’” [45] to develop graduates’ and academics’ linguistic and intercultural competencies. The European Higher Education in the World strategy [46] emphasises the importance of internationalisation at home, which ensures that the majority of non-mobile students acquire international, global, and digital skills, among other things, through online learning activities.

European values, international norms, digital transformation, and international academic cooperation are essential aspects of the European Strategy for Universities [47], which also promotes various types of (online) peer learning activities between universities for internationalisation. In the Bologna Process Communiqués, the importance of international, intercultural, and digital dimensions is (in)directly emphasised, where the most recent communiqué acknowledges the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic but reaffirms the following goal:

At least 20% of those graduating in the EHEA should have experienced a study or training period abroad […] to acquire international and intercultural competences through internationalisation of the curricula […] in their home institutions, and to experience some form of mobility, whether in physical, digitally enhanced (virtual) or blended formats [48] (p. 6).

The White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue [49] (p. 30) highlights the common European and global goal of embracing cultural diversity and emphasises that “[w]ithin the formal curriculum, the intercultural dimension straddles all subjects”. In this regard, the implementation of various international online learning activities can make a positive contribution to the inclusion of cultural and international dimensions in the curriculum.

In the Slovene higher education context, the Strategy for the Internationalisation of Slovene Higher Education 2016–2020 [50] was adopted in 2016, with a focus on an internationalised curriculum and the inclusion of intercultural and international dimensions in all study programmes. One of its strategic objectives is the promotion of intercultural competence among academics and students. Although the strategy was adopted for the period until 2020, it remains relevant and has been further enhanced in the internationalisation section of the Resolution on the National Program of Higher Education (2021–2030). According to it, Slovene higher education institutions will increase the implementation of the internationalised curriculum in study programmes, with an emphasis on virtual mobility or international online activities in addition to traditional physical international mobility [22]. In 2023, the Strategy for Internationalisation of Higher Education and Science in the Republic of Slovenia until 2030 was adopted, which includes a dedicated chapter focussing on internationalisation at home; it specifically addresses the deliberate and planned inclusion of international and intercultural perspectives in the curriculum [51].

In the aforementioned theoretical background, strategic and policy documents clearly establish the connections between online international learning and the internationalised curriculum, as well as the inclusion of international and intercultural elements in the study process. These connections serve as the foundation for exploring the basic statistical relationships between both concepts, which will be analysed in further sections of this article.

1.3. Connections between Online International Learning and the Inclusion of Intercultural and International Dimensions in the Curriculum: The Scope of the Study

As a consequence of the COVID-19 epidemic, several authors and surveys have evaluated the impact of online learning on teaching–learning approaches, the development of digital skills among teachers and students, as well as its positive and negative aspects [52,53,54,55]. Additionally, the impact of the COIL model on the development of students’ soft and transversal skills and intercultural competencies has been examined [5,35,43,56]. The latter studies have in common the identification of the mainly positive impact of various forms of online (international) learning on the development of students’ international and intercultural perspectives and skills, including digital and intercultural skills.

However, no studies were found addressing the effect of any form of online international learning (e.g., excluding systematic international virtual exchange, international online mobility, the COIL model, etc. (i.e., among academics who are not familiar with the mentioned online approaches)) on the integration of international and intercultural elements into the curriculum in non-English-speaking higher education environments. For example, in the Slovene higher education system, the COIL model or various forms of online international exchanges or mobilities are rarely implemented systematically. However, different types of online collaborations with institutions from abroad, actively involving students, had been implemented even before the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, out of 1694 Slovene academics surveyed, almost 32% reported including video conferences, international project activities, online mentorship, blended learning, and other forms of online collaborations with institutions from abroad in the learning–teaching process [57].

Previously mentioned online international learning activities support the internationalisation of the home curriculum. However, according to the European Association for International Education (EAIE)’s Barometer study [58], conducted within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) in 2019, only 21% of respondents indicated that the internationalisation of the home curriculum is one of the top ten internationalisation activities prioritised in their institutional strategies. Because online international learning activities play a crucial role in the internationalisation of the home curriculum, it can be assumed that at many higher education institutions in the EHEA (including Slovenia), such online international learning activities are not frequently carried out, nor are they implemented systematically. Therefore, it is essential to examine whether there are statistical connections between any form of online international learning and the inclusion of intercultural and international elements in the formal curriculum. Thus, the first research question (RQ1), with a focus on the Slovene higher education context, is as follows: Are there statistically significant differences between academic staff who have performed online international learning and those who have not in terms of their inclusion of international and intercultural elements in the curriculum?

Furthermore, with the increase in online or virtual learning and working, and the necessity of using online technology for communication and learning, modern graduates require a wide range of skills that traditional classrooms may not always provide. International online learning environments bring together these settings, contributing to the development of a new generation of globally and digitally educated graduates [59] (p. 30). With the availability of various technological tools, promising opportunities arise for the inclusion of (international) students in online international learning [59]. Thus, in recent years, university classrooms have undergone radical changes due to the emergence of new technologies. The provision of appropriate ICT equipment has become a prerequisite for the effective implementation of various forms of online international learning. In this context, the second research question (RQ2) is as follows: Are there statistically significant differences between Slovene academic staff whose perceptions regarding ICT equipment/support at their home institutions are reported as satisfactory and those whose are reported as unsatisfactory in terms of their inclusion of international and intercultural elements in the curriculum?

The aforementioned research gaps will be addressed to determine whether it is beneficial to encourage Slovene academics, higher education institutions, and other higher educational environments/contexts to incorporate various forms of online international learning into their pedagogical practices. This is particularly relevant even if they lack the knowledge, experience, and (financial) resources to implement more complex models of online international learning, such as the COIL model. It is anticipated that there is a correlation between engaging in any form of online international learning (e.g., without a systematic and comprehensive approach) and the inclusion of intercultural and international elements in the formal curriculum, as is characteristic of an internationalised home curriculum. Furthermore, it is expected that the presence of appropriate ICT support within higher education institutions provides a more conducive environment for the implementation of online international learning.

The research questions will be examined within the context of a constructively aligned internationalised curriculum [29], and the following hypotheses will be statistically evaluated:

Hypothesis 1: 

Slovene academics who engage in any form of online international learning are significantly more likely to incorporate international and intercultural elements into the curriculum compared to those who do not engage in online international learning.

Hypothesis 2: 

Slovene academics who perceive ICT equipment/support at their home institutions as (very) satisfactory are significantly more likely to incorporate international and intercultural elements into the curriculum compared to those who perceive ICT equipment/support as (very) unsatisfactory.

The survey was conducted in a non-English-speaking higher education system, where the language of university instruction is Slovene, as mandated by the Slovene Higher Education Act [60]. Additionally, only a small percentage of Slovene students participate in international mobility, with approximately 3 percent of students per year engaging in physical Erasmus mobility in Slovenia in 2018 and 2019 (according to our calculations [61,62]). Therefore, in the Slovene higher education system, online international learning can serve as an important catalyst for the integration of intercultural and international elements into the curriculum. It is important to note that the survey represented in this article was conducted prior to the declaration of the COVID-19 epidemic. Therefore, the results must be interpreted cautiously, as data collected in a post-COVID-19 context would likely yield different outcomes.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Data Collection Approach and Ethical Consideration

The quantitative empirical research was conducted from the turn of 2019 to 2020. An online questionnaire was chosen as the data collection method due to its advantages outweighing its disadvantages in finding answers to research questions and testing hypotheses. The questionnaire was programmed using the online data collection tool called OneClick Survey, which facilitated the sending of mass electronic mail invitations. This advantage was particularly important given the use of over 9000 target email addresses.

The invitation containing the final online questionnaire was sent semi-automatically to academics’ emails, which were collected from the websites of all Slovene higher education institutions. Only academics whose emails were publicly available on the webpages of their respective institutions received the invitation. In the introductory text of the questionnaire, all respondents were informed that their participation in the survey was voluntary, and that the data collected would remain anonymous and solely used for research purposes. The research results are presented only at an aggregate level. The latter is in accordance with Slovene legislation [63].

2.2. Data Instrument and Statistical Methods

The design of the online questionnaire was based on evaluations of various questionnaires [64] on intercultural/international learning and teaching, taking into account the specifics of the Slovene higher education system. For the purpose of this article, only selected parts of the questionnaire were used and analysed to test the hypotheses presented, as the questionnaire was designed extensively, with several sections addressing other research gaps, such as teaching–learning approaches, assessment methods, syllabuses, etc., in the context of an internationalised curriculum.

The initial questionnaire was upgraded based on the responses from a pilot group. A 5-point Likert scale was used for the provided statements, which was adopted based on the characteristics of previously analysed comparable questionnaires [64].

The data were analysed using univariate and bivariate statistical inference methods, specifically the χ² test and Mann–Whitney test, with the SPSS software package (version 23).

2.3. Sample and Population of the Survey

Teaching staff from all academic disciplines, holding various academic titles, and working at all Slovene public and private higher education institutions, were included in the survey. Therefore, the entire population was invited to participate, and no sampling was performed (e.g., simple random, stratified). The final list of mailings consisted of 9335 email addresses, and the final sample of the survey included 1367 responses from Slovene academics. The response rate was estimated at 19.7% [62]. Among the respondents, 31.9% stated that they had participated in some form of online international learning with geographically distant locations/universities where students were actively involved in international learning activities.

Considering the demographic structure of the entire population [65], it can be claimed that the sample is fairly representative of the entire population of academics in Slovenia.

3. Results

The academics, among other things, responded to statements that, from various perspectives, are related to teaching approaches promoting the inclusion of international and intercultural dimensions in the curriculum. The questionnaire covered a spectrum of questions concerning internationalised learning outcomes, educational approaches with appropriately selected internationalised materials and teaching content, as well as internationalised assessment and evaluation methods. The same statements were used for both hypothesis 1 and hypothesis 2 to determine whether there are statistically significant differences among Slovene academics regarding their inclusion of international and intercultural elements in the curriculum based on the following independent variables:

• Performing any kind of online international learning with foreign institutions in which students are actively included (academics’ responses: YES/NO);
• Academics’ perceptions of the appropriateness of ICT equipment/support at their home institutions for the inclusion of international and intercultural dimensions in the curriculum/modules (academics’ responses on a five-point Likert scale: satisfied (including ratings of very satisfied and satisfied) and unsatisfied (including ratings of very unsatisfied and unsatisfied)).

All the given statements were not normally distributed (sig. < 0.05); therefore, in later statistical analyses, the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test was used. In

Table 1. Impact of implementation of online international learning with foreign institutions on inclusion of international and intercultural elements in the curriculum/modules (Mann–Whitney test, * sig. < 0.05).

		Inclusion of Internat. Elements	Mean Rank	Mann–Whitney Test (sig.)
Internationalised learning outcomes/competences	(i) Module learning outcomes clearly indicate international or intercultural aspects (referred to as internationalised learning outcomes).	Yes	226.74	* 14,664.5 (0.002)
		No	189.81
	(ii) Module learning outcomes include soft/transversal skills connected with intercultural learning (e.g., overcoming stereotypes, adaptability, working in mixed teams, etc.).	Yes	212.81	18,182.0 (0.515)
		No	204.90
Internationalised educational activities and materials/content	(iii) Students (virtually) collaborate/learn together in internationally mixed teams.	Yes	234.67	* 16,448.0 (0.003)
		No	198.95
	(iv) (Online) inclusion of guest lecturers from the international environment in the study process.	Yes	239.37	* 14,682.5 (0.000)
		No	191.39
	(v) Students from different cultural backgrounds share examples and perspectives from their own countries/cultures.	Yes	229.51	* 18,202.0 (0.035)
		No	204.97
	(vi) Students gain first-hand professional experience in an international environment.	Yes	252.43	* 2007.5 (0.007)
		No	219.68
	(vii) Purposeful development of students’ skills for successful functioning in an intercultural environment (e.g., tolerance, adaptability, overcoming stereotypes, etc.).	Yes	244.14	20,572.5 (0.092)
		No	223.60
	(viii) Students are actively involved (online) in various international projects.	Yes	189.17	* 8620.5 (0.000)
		No	141.13
	(ix) Implementation of flipped learning in intercultural classrooms.	Yes	263.47	25,540.5 (0,322)
		No	249.95
	(x) Didactic use of ICT in intercultural classrooms.	Yes	275.78	* 23,669.5 (0.018)
		No	244.67
	(xi) Use of various tools/approaches to support online learning in intercultural classrooms (e.g., MOOCs, Coursera, Udacity, edX).	Yes	307.22	* 23,669.5 (0.018)
		No	231.21
	(xii) Students are encouraged to critically evaluate cultural and national influences on the implementation of their academic disciplines/professions in practice.	Yes	247.77	* 20,400.5 (0.044)
		No	222.47
	(xiii) Teaching concrete academic cases from different national and cultural contexts (e.g., comparative studies).	Yes	249.53	* 19,316.5 (0.017)
		No	219.94
	(xiv) Students critically evaluate cultural or national bias in academic materials and resources.	Yes	238.95	* 17,817.0 (0.019)
		No	209.89
	(xv) Inclusion of resources and literature from various cultural backgrounds in the study process.	Yes	266.74	* 21,642.0 (0.000)
		No	235.10
Internationalised assessment and evaluation	(xvi) Students’ international and intercultural perspectives and knowledge are assessed.	Yes	231.67	* 14,147.5 (0.001)
		No	189.45
	(xvii) Students’ performances or presentations in foreign languages are assessed.	Yes	129.09	5816.0 (0.082)
		No	113.56
	(xviii) Cultural differences among students are taken into consideration in the assessment tasks.	Yes	226.19	* 16,277.0 (0.031)
		No	199.52

and

Table 2. Impact of academics’ perceptions of ICT equipment/support on the inclusion of international and intercultural dimensions in the curriculum/modules (Mann–Whitney test, * sig. < 0.05).

		Perceptions	Mean Rank	Mann–Whitney Test (sig.)
Internationalised learning outcomes/competences	(i) Module learning outcomes clearly indicate international or intercultural aspects (referred to as internationalised learning outcomes).	Unsatisfied	108.42	* 4986.0 (0.001)
		Satisfied	142.57
	(ii) Module learning outcomes include soft/transversal skills connected with intercultural learning (e.g., overcoming stereotypes, adaptability, working in mixed teams, etc.).	Unsatisfied	108.22	* 5090.5 (0.000)
		Satisfied	148.17
Internationalised educational activities and internationalised materials/content	(iii) Students (virtually) collaborate/learn together in internationally mixed teams.	Unsatisfied	114.77	* 5593.0 (0.007)
		Satisfied	142.25
	(iv) (Online) inclusion of guest lecturers from the international environment in the study process.	Unsatisfied	114.93	* 5469.5 (0.042)
		Satisfied	135.36
	(v) Students from different cultural backgrounds share examples and perspectives from their own countries/cultures.	Unsatisfied	120.38	* 6133.0 (0.026)
		Satisfied	142.53
	(vi) Students gain first-hand professional experience in an international environment.	Unsatisfied	136.12	7419.0 (0.259)
		Satisfied	147.50
	(vii) Purposeful development of students’ skills for successful functioning in an intercultural environment (e.g., tolerance, adaptability, overcoming stereotypes, etc.).	Unsatisfied	135.69	7266.0 (0.290)
		Satisfied	146.23
	(viii) Students are actively involved (online) in various international projects.	Unsatisfied	72.89	* 2346.5 (0.000)
		Satisfied	109.46
	(ix) Implementation of flipped learning in intercultural classrooms.	Unsatisfied	128.47	* 7177.0 (0.000)
		Satisfied	168.56
	(x) Didactic use of ICT in intercultural classrooms.	Unsatisfied	130.95	* 7382.5 (0.001)
		Satisfied	167.68
	(xi) Use of various tools/approaches to support online learning in intercultural classrooms (e.g., MOOCs, Coursera, Udacity, edX).	Unsatisfied	123.44	* 6759.5 (0.000)
		Satisfied	170.36
	(xii) Students are encouraged to critically evaluate cultural and national influences on the implementation of their academic disciplines/professions in practice.	Unsatisfied	132.89	7000.0 (0.217)
		Satisfied	145.82
	(xiii) Teaching concrete academic cases from different national and cultural contexts (e.g., comparative studies).	Unsatisfied	133.05	7242.0 (0.152)
		Satisfied	147.35
	(xiv) Students critically evaluate cultural or national bias in academic materials and resources.	Unsatisfied	117.57	* 5837.0 (0.005)
		Satisfied	146.53
	(xv) Inclusion of resources and literature from various cultural backgrounds in the study process.	Unsatisfied	146.92	8708.0 (0.154)
		Satisfied	156.63
Internationalised assessment and evaluation	(xvi) Students’ international and intercultural perspectives and knowledge are assessed.	Unsatisfied	109.30	* 5127.0 (0.006)
		Satisfied	137.52
	(xvii) Students’ performances or presentations in foreign languages are assessed.	Unsatisfied	65.53	1663.5 (0.054)
		Satisfied	81.64
	(xviii) Cultural differences among students are taken into consideration in the assessment tasks.	Unsatisfied	108.34	* 5172.5 (0.000)
		Satisfied	146.64

, only abbreviated forms of statements are used due to space constraints and to ensure display clarity. Some comparable statements in the questionnaire were used to test the consistency of the responses.

To test the first hypothesis, the impact of academics’ implementation or non-implementation of online international learning activities with universities from abroad on their inclusion of international and intercultural elements in the curriculum was analysed. No further evaluations were performed regarding specific characteristics, scopes, or approaches to online international pedagogical cooperation with foreign universities as an independent variable. Additionally, the academics’ responses did not relate to the implementation of the COIL model.

According to the Mann–Whitney test (* sig. < 0.05), there are statistically significant differences in terms of academics’ (non)implementation of online international learning activities for almost all the selected statements. For the higher values of mean ranks in Table 1, a higher incidence of a specific statement is performed in practice. Hence, academics who perform any kind of online international learning activities (although they are not systematically and purposefully implemented) include international and intercultural aspects more often in the learning outcomes of their subjects or modules, in various educational activities and materials, as well as in assessment and evaluation tasks for all the given statements.

The differences are not statistically significant only in four (4) out of eighteen (18) statements; among others, this is the case for the assessment of students’ performances in foreign languages. The latter statement was included in the questionnaire due to the specifics of the Slovene higher education context, as the vast majority of study programmes are taught and assessed in the Slovene language, and lectures with international students are usually provided separately from domestic students.

According to the results presented above, hypothesis 1 is confirmed: academics who engage in any form of online international learning activities are significantly more likely to incorporate international and intercultural elements into the curriculum, in comparison to academics who do not participate in online international learning.

Furthermore, hypothesis 2 was tested to analyse whether there are statistically significant differences among academics in their perception of ICT equipment/support at their home institutions regarding the inclusion of international and intercultural dimensions in the curriculum. The responses, measured on a five-point Likert scale, were divided into two groups: satisfied (including ratings of very satisfied and satisfied) and unsatisfied (including ratings of very unsatisfied and unsatisfied). Neutral ratings were excluded from the statistical analyses (Table 2).

The Mann–Whitney test was statistically significant (* sig. < 0.05) for two-thirds of the eighteen statements (Table 2). Therefore, it can be claimed that academics’ perception of ICT equipment/support is strongly linked to the implementation and inclusion of intercultural and international dimensions in the curriculum. However, in the case of (vi) students’ encouragement to gain professional experience in international environments, (vii) their development of soft skills, (xii) critical evaluation of cultural influences on the academic profession, and (xvii) the assessment of students’ performance in a foreign language, among others, the differences are not statistically significant.

Nonetheless, according to the obtained results, hypothesis 2 is confirmed: academics who perceive ICT equipment/support at their home institutions as (very) satisfactory regarding online international learning significantly more frequently incorporate international and intercultural elements into the curriculum (compared to academics who perceive it as (very) unsatisfactory). The latter refers to all steps within a constructively aligned curriculum, encompassing internationalised learning outcomes, internationalised teaching–learning activities, and internationalised assessment and evaluation tasks.

4. Discussion and Conclusions

Despite the existence of various programmes, activities, and projects that support students’ international physical mobility, the majority will never have the opportunity to study abroad due to various personal or other objective reasons. This is particularly evident in the Slovene higher education environment, in which only a small percentage of students engage in international physical mobility. In this context, online learning, which has experienced significant growth, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, has presented not only several challenges, but also various options and new ways to incorporate international and intercultural dimensions into the curriculum at home. This allows for the implementation of an internationalised home curriculum without requiring students to leave their home university.

With this survey, we analysed some fundamental correlations that examine statistical connections between international online learning and selected elements of an internationalised curriculum among Slovene academics, thereby incorporating international and intercultural dimensions into the study process. It is important to note that the survey was conducted before the declaration of the COVID-19 epidemic. Therefore, the data and results should be treated and interpreted with critical caution, as a repeated survey implemented during or after the epidemic would likely yield different results.

As anticipated, academics who included students in online international learning activities with foreign universities significantly more frequently incorporated international and intercultural dimensions into the study process for almost all the given statements in this survey. Based on the results of this article, it can be concluded that any form of online international learning with active student involvement (unintentionally) encourages the inclusion of international and intercultural dimensions in the curriculum. Consequently, it could be argued that through the systematic and comprehensive implementation of the COIL model or other similar approaches, an even more pronounced inclusion of international and intercultural elements in the curriculum could be achieved. Previous studies [5,30,36,49] have shown that the COIL model, as well as an internationalised curriculum in general, also have a further impact on the development of students’ soft and transversal skills, as well as intercultural competence and international and global perspectives, which are essential in today’s competitive world.

It can be confidently claimed that, at the time of conducting the study, the vast majority of Slovene academics were not familiar with the COIL model or other similar pedagogical approaches, their systematic implementation, or the benefits they bring to the learning–teaching process at home and for students, including non-mobile representatives [3,5,35,43]. Academics’ lack of awareness of COIL’s objectives or the general concept of an internationalised curriculum can be indirectly observed from statements that are not obviously and directly related to online international learning activities. In such cases, the differences between academics who did or did not engage in any form of online international learning were not statistically significant, as tested in hypothesis 1. These statements primarily pertain to the intentional development of students’ soft skills, employability, and/or transversal skills and perspectives.

Furthermore, the questionnaire included a statement regarding the assessment of students’ performances or presentations in foreign languages. According to a widely accepted practice and background theory [28], this is not a requirement for implementing the concept of internationalisation at home and is not directly connected with the inclusion of international and intercultural activities in the curriculum. However, the Slovene Higher Education Act [57] stipulates that the language of university instruction is Slovene, and teaching activities in foreign languages can only be provided under specific conditions, including the presence of international students in (e-)classrooms. Therefore, it was expected that the differences for this statement would not be statistically significant. Additionally, it is important to highlight that this survey did not analyse further specifics regarding the concrete implementation of online international learning, such as specific learning–teaching approaches or assessment tasks. This serves as a starting point for future research.

Testing hypothesis 2 confirmed that academics who consider ICT support at their home institutions as satisfactory for the implementation of online international learning more frequently include international and intercultural dimensions in their learning–teaching processes in a statistically significant manner. The significance of appropriate ICT technology and overall support for the successful implementation of online learning is also emphasised in various strategic documents, articles, and surveys [6,11,18,19,20,22]. Only a few of the research statements showed non-statistically significant differences, particularly in the case of using international/foreign academic materials or resources/literature. This outcome was expected, as the inclusion of international and foreign language literature and materials in the syllabi of Slovene-taught courses is a common practice. Moreover, academics do not associate appropriate educational ICT support with students’ acquisition of international and intercultural perspectives in an authentic foreign/international environment, nor with the development of students’ soft and transversal skills in an international environment. The assessment of students’ performances in foreign languages is also not perceived as connected to educational ICT technology and support by academics, as expected.

The effective and authentic inclusion of international and intercultural elements in the study process is inevitably connected to the implementation of online international learning, with the latter having a positive impact on the former. Additionally, online learning can be implemented without including international and intercultural elements in the curriculum. However, achieving international and intercultural dimensions and an internationalised curriculum is challenging without at least some implementation of online (international) learning. Online learning can be seen as an essential tool or means to attain higher goals, such as implementing an internationalised curriculum, preferably in a domestic learning environment. In this context, the long-term objectives of a digitally supported internationalised curriculum or online international learning are the development of students’ intercultural, international, and global perspectives, as well as their acquisition of digital competencies, employability skills, and other soft skills necessary in today’s global world.