Cross Cultural Learning

Case studies

1. Learning activities develop intercultural professional/vocational communication skills to prepare students to perform professionally and socially in global and multicultural contexts.

Example:

An assessment task that requires students to present an aspect of their professional/vocational area to a (real or imaginary) audience from another country, such as engineers or plumbers explaining a particular specification requirement to Chinese applicants for skilled migration.

(Woodley & Pearce, 2007)

2. Project-based learning, with students interviewing students. In project-based learning, a group project is the starting point and focus of learning.

Example:

Elaine, a marketing lecturer, structures the first half of her subject around a large project involving students conducting research and developing a marketing strategy. Students work in pairs to interview (in depth) two students from different cultural backgrounds as research for designing an advertising campaign targeting young people in those students' countries. For example, Sam (an Australian-born student) was paired with a Jisoo (a Korean international student), and they decided to design an advertising campaign for young people in Hong Kong and Singapore. Sam and Jisoo then interviewed peers from each of these countries. The project requires integration of course materials/content and data collected from interviews. The assessment is based on students' presentation of their campaign and a written report.

(Arkoudis et al, 2010)

3. Demonstrate teaching methods that are diverse, inclusive and explicit and that do not disadvantage any student.

Example:

Reassuring students that if they do not understand a teacher or other students this is everybody's problem not the problem of the student alone, and that the group will work together to improve communication. Another example is explicit teaching about "discussion" in class. "Discussion" in an educational context is a culturally specific activity, and teachers should be mindful that not all students know what is expected of them or how to participate. Turn taking can be problematic and all students need to be made aware that 1) they need to participate and to take turns and 2) time spent speaking needs to be equally distributed. Teaching could include explicit rules about how students signal that they would like to speak, with strategies like having a "talking stick" or having "speaking credits". Discussion about body language or other signs that participants would like to speak, or for someone else to take up their point, could also be conducted in class.

(Woodley & Pearce, 2007)

4. Team-based learning and a particular approach that harnesses the potential of shared knowledge.

Example:

This involves students testing their knowledge, individually, using a set of subject-specific questions – in the form of a short quiz – and then working in teams to resolve the areas of difficulty identified. This effectively encourages peer learning, and also highlights to students the value of collaboration to their individual learning. The 'Readiness Assurance Test' (RAT) is a learning tool, developed by Larry Michaelsen (2004), which supports this particular approach to team-based learning. Based on the week's readings, students are required to complete the RAT individually at the beginning of each class. Then, in intercultural teams, students complete the quiz again, discussing and debating the questions to arrive at team answers. Usually, students will find that their team performs better in the quiz than any individual had.

(Arkoudis et al, 2010)

5. need to understand each other's culture, learn to communicate, socialise and work together in order to participate in a global workforce and be able to network effectively.

Example:

A case study was then undertaken with a 'typical' business class in an Australian tertiary institution, in order to gauge whether students were developing the necessary intercultural communication skills in the course of their studies. The case study showed that while students are equipped with quite sound knowledge of cultural and linguistic matters, they may not have the necessary intercultural communication skills to enable them to work effectively in multinational teams. A deliberate intervention was undertaken, in this case through a specially designed workshop, carried out to raise students' awareness of cultural and linguistic issues, and to develop their intercultural communication skills. The study emphasised the importance of guided discussion and how the workshop facilitator needs to lead students carefully and sensitively to explore cultural and linguistic issues in intercultural communication.

(Briguglio, 2006)

6. Learning activities and/or assessment tasks invite students to compare one or more international approaches to a profession, discipline or topic, including comparative professional contexts, expectations or accreditation requirements.

Example:

Students completing NES105 Install and terminate wiring systems might simply be aware that voltages are different around the world; assessment could require them to go to http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm and note the different systems in place.

(Woodley & Pearce, 2007)

7. Team-based learning is a term used to describe curricula where all or most of the learning activities throughout a subject centre around established groups of students.

Example:

Structure the learning activities in a course such that students work in syndicates or teams for the whole semester. Rather than allowing students to form their own teams, allocate students to syndicates, ensuring that there is a mix of international and 'local' students in each team. All class discussions are based on the syndicate groups so students soon become accustomed to working together with their team members. One of the assessment tasks requires the teams to conduct research for a group presentation and written report. After a few weeks of working in the same teams, students build good working relationships with their peers and some form additional study groups for exam preparation.

(Arkoudis et al, 2010)

8. Resources and assessment tasks are both customised for different cohorts and deemed equivalent in that they are equally rigorous.

Example:

Inclusion of equally complex local case studies both in Australia and China. Another example is an assessment task requiring students to both reflect from their own cultural point of view and demonstrate awareness of other cultural positions, such as by designing a building for the use of both an Anglican Church group and a Muslim community group.

(Woodley & Pearce, 2007)

9. Problem-based learning, with interaction embedded in curricula. 'Real world' problems are used as the starting point for learning.

Example:

Structure a course in such a way that requires problem solving in small groups from the start of the program. Some of the group activities are assessed tasks. The specific aim of such joint tasks is to foster peer interaction and capitalise on the range of abilities and diverse experiences students bring to the class. Because students are instructed to form groups on the basis of a diverse set of skills and experiences, the objective and the logic behind interaction are made explicit. And, importantly, because groups are formed at course commencement and continued throughout the course, interaction becomes a core component of the curriculum.

(Arkoudis et al, 2010)

10. Employ small-group discussion activities as a way of facilitating peer interaction in class, with an emphasis on multiple perspectives.

Example:

To encourage peer learning among students from diverse cultural backgrounds, discussion questions may ask for different perspectives or approaches to examining the issue/problem, or they may require students to present evidence from various perspectives. Commence each session with a question that students discuss in pairs or groups of three. Throughout the session these students work with their partners (sometimes joining another pair of students) to answer the questions. Students are encouraged to "work with someone different"each week.

(Arkoudis et al, 2010)

11. Group projects are commonly employed to facilitate peer learning, and such projects can also be purposefully designed to enhance peer interaction among students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Example:

Get students to undertake projects in teams. The teams are formed to include students from diverse cultural backgrounds. As a group, the students identify 'clients – industry or other partners outside the university – and work with them to understand a particular 'problem' worthy of researching. International students are also encouraged to select data or research problems from their home countries. Each group needs not only to draw on the relevant data from the organisation, but also to explore the relevant context for the problem. In this way, many students are exposed to unfamiliar cultures. Each student has a specific and significant role in the project, yet the project also requires collaboration throughout the whole process, from data collection to analysis and reporting.

(Arkoudis et al, 2010)

References

1. Arkoudis, S., Yu, X., Baik, C., Borland, H., Chang, S., Lang, I., et al. (2010). Finding Common Ground:
   enhancing interaction between domestic and international students: Australian Learning and
   Teaching Council.
2. Briguglio, C. (2006) Empowering students by developing their intercultural communication
   competence: A two‐way process, Proceedings from 2006 ISANAConference; Educate, Advocate,
   Empower, 5 – 8 December, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
3. Woodley, C., & Pearce, A. (2007). A Toolkit for Internationalising the Curriculum at VU: Victoria
   University.

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