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

Leeds Metropolitan University 2

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.

Literature & Other Research

Why do we want it? How do we design it?

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.”

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.”

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.

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.”

“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.”

“ …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.”

“… intervention by the institution is necessary in order to break down obstacles to intercultural interaction…”

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.”

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.”

What are the resources at our disposal?

considerable human resource implications: time commitment; staff capabilities to employ more student-centred

teaching and learning strategies.

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.

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.

Learning Outcomes

Level two undergraduate languages students: apply the principles of intercultural

communication in real life contexts; identify and critique areas of cultural

difference.

Degree ProgrammeDegree Programme

I.T.BusinessStudies

BritishCulture

Integrated

Skills

LEEDS NEWSLETTER

VOLUNTARY PROGRAMMES

UNIVERSITY SOCIETIES

“CULTURAL”

LINGUISTIC

ACADEMIC

POOR INTEGRATION

“DRIFT”

homesickness and culture shock are prolongedlack of confidence

missed classesmissed deadlines

negative impact on academic and language studies

THE DRIFT: high risk groups

large group of nationals

I FS 2007-08 cohort

Largest national group Second largest The rest

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.

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.

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?

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.).

“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.”

The possibilities and benefits

of a ‘compulsory’ form of

integration.

The possibilities and benefits

of a ‘compulsory’ form of

integration.

End of Semester1500-word project/essayStudents choose own subjectbased on personal interests

Integrated Skills

Mid-term assessments

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?’

Integrated Skills

End of semester project focussedon integration

IFS/CAC ‘research’ group

Basic primary research

Evidence 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.

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

Discussion & Questions

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.

Bridging the gap

Enabling home and international students to explore cultural boundaries

Kevin Ottley & David KillickLeeds Metropolitan University

1 Bridging the gap Enabling home and international students to explore cultural boundaries. Kevin...

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