1 bridging the gap enabling home and international students to explore cultural boundaries. kevin...
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Bridging the gap
Enabling home and international students to explore cultural boundaries.
Kevin Ottley & David KillickLeeds Metropolitan University
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Outline
Review some of the literature; Outline the context for a small integration
project at Leeds Met; Describe key features of the project; Outline proposed learning points &
modifications; Join you for discussion, questions and
answers.
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Literature & Other Research
Why do we want it? How do we design it?
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Why do we want a bridge?
Most fundamentally – what is the purpose of higher education itself? o “to play a major role in shaping a democratic,
civilised, inclusive society.”o “to promote positive attitudes to cultural diversity.”o “to prepare graduates with international
perspectives, who can be active and critical participants in world society.”
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Why do we want a bridge?
“to view the priorities of other cultures from the perspectives of those cultures.”
“to analyse their own value structures and habits more critically..”
“to communicate and collaborate globally in a changing world.”
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Our Graduate “Attributes”
the awareness, knowledge and skills to operate in multicultural contexts and across cultural boundaries;
the awareness, knowledge and skills to operate in a global context;
values commensurate with those of responsible global citizenship.
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What is the evidence to suggest that these underlying purposes are not already being met as
well as they might, and that a bridge might help?
“Persons do not become a society by living in physical proximity…”
“Experience is more than being in the vicinity of events.”
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What is the evidence to suggest that these underlying purposes are not already being met as
well as they might, and that a bridge might help?
“a common observation is that there is not enough interaction between the two groups.”
“apathy and lack of interest of the majority of Canadian students towards international students and institutional parochialism were major barriers to the integration of international students.”
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What is the evidence to suggest that these underlying purposes are not already being met as
well as they might, and that a bridge might help?
“ …half of the international students had social contact with host students less than once a month.”
“… more than 60% of them had no or hardly any contact with foreign students at their campus.”
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What is the evidence to suggest that these underlying purposes are not already being met as
well as they might, and that a bridge might help?
“… intervention by the institution is necessary in order to break down obstacles to intercultural interaction…”
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Some hopeful indicators … greater interaction led to greater cross-
cultural knowledge, openness and acceptance.
…. students who had more intercultural contact, “more likely to have a heightened level of global perspective and a more positive attitude toward cultural diversity.”
“… recognized that contact with individuals with different cultural backgrounds had opened their eyes.”
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What design should we employ?
By what means do we believe people will travel on our bridge?
• A constructivist view of learning (Vygotsky, 1962, 1978), underpinned by a values-based rationale, as indicated above;
• The goals of intercultural learning require transformative learning (affective as well as cognitive and behavioural) (Mezirow, 1997, 2000).
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What design should we employ?
learning takes place socially (through interaction and experience);
it requires a level of challenge to existing “frames of reference” or “habits of mind”;
it requires opportunities for personal reflection.
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What design should we employ?
establishing group work which involves students working together in multi-cultural formations;
introducing an explicit focus on difference and dissonance across the cultures involved;
creating a mechanism to facilitate reflective thinking beyond the group work session.
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What are the particular characteristics of the population we wish to serve?
the diversity in: Expectations; Experiences; communication abilities; interpersonal skills; psychological and cultural dispositions.
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What are the resources at our disposal?
To construct the bridge. To maintain it:
“… the resource potential of international, multicultural groups for fostering intercultural competence is not always capitalised upon.”
“… careful planning and management are needed in order for the benefit to be realised.”
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What are the resources at our disposal?
considerable human resource implications: time commitment; staff capabilities to employ more student-centred
teaching and learning strategies.
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What are the access routes to the bridge? International
students studying an International Foundation Studies (IFS) course in preparation for admission to a full undergraduate degree programme.
Modern foreign languages students in Year 2 of an undergraduate degree programme, and attending a module in cross-cultural communication as preparation for their period abroad in Year 3.
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Communicating Across Cultures
develop an ethnographic mindset and an awareness of culture-general dimensions to intercultural communication.
intercultural communication; relationships between language and culture; basic ethnographic approaches.
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Learning Outcomes
Level two undergraduate languages students: apply the principles of intercultural
communication in real life contexts; identify and critique areas of cultural
difference.
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Degree ProgrammeDegree Programme
I.T.BusinessStudies
BritishCulture
Integrated
Skills
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LEEDS NEWSLETTER
VOLUNTARY PROGRAMMES
UNIVERSITY SOCIETIES
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“CULTURAL”
LINGUISTIC
ACADEMIC
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POOR INTEGRATION
“DRIFT”
homesickness and culture shock are prolongedlack of confidence
missed classesmissed deadlines
negative impact on academic and language studies
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THE DRIFT: high risk groups
large group of nationals
I FS 2007-08 cohort
Largest national group Second largest The rest
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Imported (and self-contained) societies can be,
we know, difficult for other students
to penetrate. This is especially true for lone
nationals living and studying amongst them,
who, already struggling to adapt to British life
and education, find themselves further
marginalised, inside and outside the classroom.
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Key features of the project
an ice-breaker activity; meeting in cross-cultural groups & sharing
personal information; a set of cultural topics for discussion; an internationally focussed quiz to complete
in their new groups; and time to diarise their next meeting.
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How do we assess the impact and evaluate the design?
Did the project achieve our objectives? Did the students have/achieve different
objectives? Were there additional (unexpected,
unwanted) outcomes?
What appear to be the limiting factors in our design, and how do we improve upon it?
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Learning Points (already) Participation was much lower than we would have
liked. Individuals reported that the “other” were the major
block to regular meetings. Individuals complained (and certainly did not
celebrate) that the interactions were “difficult” at some level or another.
There were significant inequalities between students in the two groups (English language skills, confidence and experience in UK study processes, established in-groups, etc.).
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“To do” list for the next bridge generate more intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to
participate; support actual meeting up (perhaps formally
scheduled tutor-led time); give more support in the process of reflection on
experience (perhaps additional formative feedback); send, “an unambiguous message of equality to
students, a message that promotes an environment which embraces cultural diversity and within which all students feel they have something significant to contribute.”
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The possibilities and benefits
of a ‘compulsory’ form of
integration.
The possibilities and benefits
of a ‘compulsory’ form of
integration.
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End of Semester1500-word project/essayStudents choose own subjectbased on personal interests
Integrated Skills
Mid-term assessments
Mid-term assessments
Mid-term assessments
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Integrated Skills
‘Discuss the Advantages andDisadvantages of Integration’
‘How Might an International StudentSuffer as a result of Non-Integration?’
‘What are the Educational, Social andCultural Challenges an International
Student Faces while Studying Abroad?’
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Integrated Skills
End of semester project focussedon integration
IFS/CAC ‘research’ group
Basic primary research
Evidence of integration
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IFS Project/Essay
Students have to prepare a 1500-word project/essay.
The title for this is based firmly on the theme
of integration.
IFS Project/Essay
Students have to prepare a 1500-word project/essay.
The title for this is based firmly on the theme
of integration.
In order to fulfil the project requirements,
students must show evidence of primary research.
In order to fulfil the project requirements,
students must show evidence of primary research.
A small group of students from within the CAC
cohort is assigned to the IFS student for
research purposes.
A small group of students from within the CAC
cohort is assigned to the IFS student for
research purposes.
End of semester
Reflective Essay
End of semester
Reflective Essay
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Discussion & Questions
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Summary “democratic, civilised and inclusive”
global society . a ‘developed’ view of internationalisation. a constructivist approach - transformative
learning . intercultural awareness and acceptance of
the ‘other’ - not “natural” conditions. success in developing more inclusive
behaviours and mindsets …. bring diverse students together in meaningful ways.
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Bridging the gap
Enabling home and international students to explore cultural boundaries
Kevin Ottley & David KillickLeeds Metropolitan University