Workshop agenda: Background of research choice Share findings Reflect on personal practice

1. A positive intercultural group working experience: rhetoric or realityWai Mun LIMProject conducted under the auspices of the HE Academy (BMAF) Teaching Research & Development Grant 2007/8

2. Workshop agenda: • Background of research choice • Share findings • Reflect on personal practice

3. Key facts (?) and figures: • 1 in 5 degrees awarded by British universities went to overseas students in 2008 • 5.5% increase in overseas applications (2007) • Cash strapped universities oust UK students for overseas ones?? • Concern about increase in overseas students affecting standards

4. Political Educational Economic Cultural Figure 1:Rationale for the internationalisation of UK Higher Education Source: Elliot, D. (1998) Internationalising British Higher Education: Policy Perspectives in Scott, P. (ed) The Globalization of Higher Education, The Society for Research into Higher Education, Buckingham

5. Political Rationale - meeting the 21st century challenges - understanding and cooperation among nations • professional partnerships and lifelong friendships • build a foundation of understanding and lasting partnerships. ‘These partnerships are important for a secure, prosperous future, not only for the United States, but also for the world as a whole.’ Colin L. Powell

6. Economic/ Commercial Rationale Students with international exposure come to understand the value of dialogue between people from different cultures and between people with different points of view. They also gain an understanding of the importance of relationships. Relationships are the foundation for meaning and success in life. They are also the foundation for strong businesses, especially businesses that care about creating mutual benefit. Douglass H. Daft, Chairman and C.E.O., The Coca Cola Company

7. Figure 2 : Rationale for group assignments adapted from Brookfield (1990) & Forster, Hounsell & Thompson in Jacques (2000:82) Social¹ -Develop sense of group identity -Encourage democratic habits Emotional¹ Intellectual¹ -increase emotional connection with a topic -show participants that their experiences, ideas and opinions are heard and valued -increase intellectual agility -help discover new perspectives -emphasize complexity & ambiguity of issues, topics or themes -help recognize assumptions behind many of their habitual ideas and behaviours -etc. Teamwork skills2 -initiating, directing and leading tasks -setting, allocating and monitoring tasks -supporting and encouraging other members

8. Methodology Paradigm framework Interpretivistic & Anti-Positivist Methods 3 focus groups as follows: Focus Group A: Consisted of only international fee paying students Focus Group B: Consisted of both international/EU and home fee paying students Focus Group C: Consisted of only home students

9. KEYFINDINGS? Intercultural Group Work:Learning & Teaching Issues to consider I) Past experiences of inter-cultural group work II) When would students consider working in an intercultural group? III) What can lecturers do to ensure a positive intercultural group work experience? IV) Factors contributing to a positive intercultural group working experience

10. Intercultural Group Work:Learning & Teaching Issue 1 Past experiences of inter-cultural group work • Language barriers • Learning background & culture variation • Perception of not being part of a group (only Grp. A) • Generally positive experiences (only Grp. B) • Having to practice ‘political correctness’ (only Grp. C) • Opportunity for wider learning (only Grp. C)

11. Learning & Teaching issue 1:Past experiences of inter-cultural group work ‘…she (an international student) had really good ideas but in the report she had lots of spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes. But I had to change the report, which was disgusting…’'ts kind of a hard thing when you work with someone else from another country, another language.’ Participant E • Language barriers

12. Learning & Teaching issue 1:Past experiences of inter-cultural group work ‘..people have been brought up in different educational cultures and have different approaches to a piece of work. If you can get them to all work together then you end up with something…then you get a really good piece of work at the end.’ Focus Group B: Participant B ‘I used to do quite a lot of group work with a friend of mine and was Chinese Australian…I think it was quite interesting for me…I think it’s the insight into seeing how other people work and I think if those people are particularly conscientious you can actually learn from it in terms of work style and ability and how people set their own standards really’ Focus Group C: Participant D • Language barriers • Learning background & culture variation

13. Learning & Teaching issue 1:Past experiences of inter-cultural group work ‘…Once the group work started…I feel very lonely. The four British people…I think I am not part of the group.’ Participant B ‘if the number of students from different cultures is out of balance…then it is particularly difficult, and it leaves someone feeling like an outsider...’ Participant C ‘In my experience, our group have one from Africa and one from South America and two from China and that felt like a balanced group.’ Participant E ‘…balance did not actually improve outcomes…for me…because I was bored waiting for…my colleagues, but it wasn’t a good experience for me personally.’ Participant F • Language barriers • Learning background & culture variation • Perception of not being part of a group (only Grp. A)

14. Learning & Teaching issue 1:Past experiences of inter-cultural group work ‘…you also see the difference between like you have a group of students from UK and one person from abroad, you can see that those who are more friendly…are the students who have been abroad themselves, who have mixed with other cultures...’ Participant A ‘…all of them were on placement last year…went different countries or working with people from different cultures…they seem to be completely different from the second year…when they talk to you, more friendly, start asking questions about your country…’ Participant B • Language barriers • Learning background & culture variation • Perception of not being part of a group (only Grp. A) • Generally positive experiences (only Grp. B)

15. Learning & Teaching issue 1:Past experiences of inter-cultural group work ‘I feel a bit uncomfortable because whenever you talk about anything to do with multiculturalism I’m really worried that I am going to say something that is going to be a big faux pas, I’m going to phrase something wrong that will sound racist or something and so I am thinking in my head ‘I must phrase this correctly’, I don’t want to slip up and then once you’ve said it that’s what I’m worried about.’ Participant D • Language barriers • Learning background & culture variation • Perception of not being part of a group (only Grp. A) • Generally positive experiences (only Grp. B) • Having to practice ‘political correctness’ (only Grp. C)

16. Learning & Teaching issue 1:Past experiences of inter-cultural group work ‘When I’ve worked in groups before with people from different backgrounds, they actually bring completely different ideas to the work sometimes, you know, things that like for instance I just didn’t, I wouldn’t have thought of, and completely different angles to what you are doing, so that was different to what I was expecting to act one aspect of work and they put a whole new angle on it. It makes it more rounded as a whole as well’ Participant A • Language barriers • Learning background & culture variation • Perception of not being part of a group (only Grp. A) • Generally positive experiences (only Grp. B) • Having to practice ‘political correctness’ (only Grp. C) • Opportunity for wider learning (only Grp. C)

17. Intercultural Group Work:Learning & Teaching Issue 2 Students would work in an intercultural group if: - an opportunity for exchange of ideas - common positive stereotypes - for new friends & to practice spoken language (only Grp. A) - to develop common interest (Only Grp. B) - no specific preference for working in intercultural or non-intercultural groups

18. Learning & Teaching issue 2: Students would work an intercultural group ‘(there) are two things that make the idea of group work quite attractive, is that you can have less pressure, because you will be doing less of the whole project, and also you will have an opportunity to exchange ideas, so those two things make group work seem quite attractive before you start.’ Focus Group A: Participant B • an opportunity for exchange of ideas

19. Learning & Teaching issue 2: Students would work an intercultural group ‘…like international students have a reputation for being more committed whether that’s true or not we don’t know but that is the reputation they have. So sometimes when…working with international students you think ‘oh this is good’ Focus Group C: Participant C • an opportunity for exchange of ideas • common positive stereotypes

20. Learning & Teaching issue 2: Students would work an intercultural group ‘It’s always a good way to making make new friends. To just meet people and to find out something about their countries, their culture and after submitting you can still stay in touch if you are able to make them your friends.’ Focus Group A: Participant C ‘the idea of meeting people who are different is really attractive.’ Focus Group A: Participant A ‘You can practice language and practice your expressive skills and teamwork ability’ Focus Group A: Participant F • an opportunity for exchange of ideas • common positive stereotypes • for new friends & to practice spoken language (only Grp. A)

21. Learning & Teaching issue 2: Students would work an intercultural group ‘…the first year about how it is more difficult in the first year particularly when you have just arrived and it’s scary, and getting into the right group and also needing to focus on your coursework because you want to pass because you have paid a load of money, and which is different from the Erasmus students who just want to get 40%... there’s a bit of an unknown hazard, that if you accidentally get friendly with the Erasmus group and you intended to be serious about your studies, you can forget it because you can just get a pass.’ Participant A • an opportunity for exchange of ideas • common positive stereotypes • for new friends & to practice spoken language (only Grp. A) • to develop common interest (Only Grp. B)

22. Learning & Teaching issue 2: Students would work an intercultural group ‘I don’t ever feel like I notice working in an intercultural group, to be honest, so I don’t know how I could be more interested in working in one…It’s not something that I immediately think,’ oh this person’s from Egypt or this persons from …’ it just happens that we’re in a group and we work together.’ Participant A ‘…for me I don’t really mind who I work with, anyone is good ‘cause at the end of the day, it’s for me, I came here to study, so if I work with someone whose from where I’m from or from Asia or from, I don’t know, Europe, it doesn’t really bother me ‘cause at the end of the day it’s my choice, it’s my choice to come here, so I have to try and make sure that the group works.’ Participant B • an opportunity for exchange of ideas • common positive stereotypes • for new friends & to practice spoken language (only Grp. A) • to develop common interest (Only Grp. B) • no specific preference for working in intercultural or non- intercultural groups

23. Intercultural Group Work:Learning & Teaching Issue 3 What can lecturers do to ensure a positive intercultural group work experience? - create healthy competition - promote cohesion - develop appropriate questions - promote awareness of team skills -promote socialising - reverse consideration (only Grp. C)

24. Learning & Teaching issue 3:What can lecturers do to ensure a positive intercultural group work experience? ‘I think competition is good way to drive the people, because if the teacher said ‘it’s a competition’ and then we divide into different groups - team1, team2, team3. I thought that would be pretty exciting…if there is an external prize and some people in the group want that prize, they can motivate the other people in the group by saying ‘come on we can win that prize’. Focus Group A: Participant B • create healthy competition

25. Learning & Teaching issue 3:What can lecturers do to ensure a positive intercultural group work experience? ‘…if people get a chance to get know each other before they form the group they can choose who to be in the group with and they are more likely to have a group which can work together than without that’ Focus Group A: Participant D • create healthy competition • promote cohesion

26. Learning & Teaching issue 3:What can lecturers do to ensure a positive intercultural group work experience? ’…choose a topic for the groupwork which will enable people from different cultures to talk about the cultural differences that relate to the content of the assignment.’ Focus Group A: Participant C ‘You can do 20% presentation about somebody, about another country, it can be a structured presentation, it can be based on some theories or …some research. It can be based on, it can include a part of explaining your culture, or country , something like this…if you do it at the beginning of the year, like your third year.’ Focus Group B: Participant B • create healthy competition • promote cohesion • develop appropriate questions

27. Learning & Teaching issue 3:What can lecturers do to ensure a positive intercultural group work experience? ’… we all know each others’ strengths and weaknesses and we use that in the group work, so if someone happened to be a non-UK student, that would be great if we were all friends. That is what would make me choose a group, if I knew them, rather than anything else.’ Focus Group C: Participant G ‘…getting to know international students would make it easier to work with them. Getting to know their strengths…’ Focus Group C: Participant B • create healthy competition • promote cohesion • develop appropriate questions • promote awareness of team skills

28. Learning & Teaching issue 3:What can lecturers do to ensure a positive intercultural group work experience? ‘Going out for drinks and things, you know bonding as a group, I think that’s important.’ ‘…the social element of higher education IS really important because if you don’t know people as friends, it makes it much more difficult to work with them.’ Focus Group C: Participant A • create healthy competition • promote cohesion • develop appropriate questions • promote awareness of team skills • promote socialising

29. Learning & Teaching issue 3:What can lecturers do to ensure a positive intercultural group work experience? ‘But the flip site of that is I always think if a student chooses to come to Britain. How much of their learning experience is absorbing the British point of view of doing things and everything, rather than reflecting back on where they have just come from…, I don’t know, how much of it is about integration and adaptation to a new culture. I don’t know.’ Participant A • create healthy competition • promote cohesion • develop appropriate questions • promote awareness of team skills • promote socialising • reverse consideration (only Grp. C) ‘…it stops your integration and that learning about the other culture, if you’re constantly being reminded that ‘oh you’re not from this culture’. Participant H ‘… if I was an international student, I don’t think I would want special conditions put in place for me either. I’m speaking as someone who is British and I wouldn’t necessarily like to see it. Because I do think it could cause problems with other people but on the flip side if I was an international student, I’ve chosen to come over here, I think I’d be thinking ‘hang on I feel a bit actually in the minority now and I’m being made to feel in the minority’. Participant F

30. Intercultural Group Work:Learning & Teaching Issues 4 Factors contributing to a positive intercultural group working experience: - clearer assignment guidelines - patience in understanding spoken language (only Grp. B) - positive individual disposition

31. Learning & Teaching issue 4:Factors contributing to a positive intercultural group working experience: ‘…to have some record about who…some limits, or some record of the meetings so that we can see who has been present and who has been making contributions and that would help/act as an incentive for people to be more active’ Focus Group A: Participant B ‘…it would be helpful to have style guidelines’ Focus Group B: Participant D • clear assignment guidelines

32. Learning & Teaching issue 4:Factors contributing to a positive intercultural group working experience: ‘I think one main thing is quality, your personal qualities. Because if somebody from another country does not speak well English, some students they just lose patience. ‘I don’t understand what he’s saying, I don’t understand’. Whilst we have other students that try to understand. They don’t stop until they understand what the other student is trying to say. I think it depends on the person...’ Participant B • clearer assignment guidelines • patience in understanding spoken language (Grp. B)

33. Learning & Teaching issue 4:Factors contributing to a positive intercultural group working experience: ‘Tolerance, good organisation and engagement.’ Focus Group A: Participant E ‘A factor is punctual(-ity) ...’ Focus Group A: Participant A ‘I think you need to just play to peoples strengths no matter where they are from, or whatever, in a group you work out peoples strengths and you utilise those to get your product out at the end. And I think that as long as people focus on that, I think the rest will just fall by the way. I don’t think it is an issue.’ Focus Group C: Participant A • clearer assignment guidelines • patience in understanding spoken language (Grp. B) • positive individual disposition

34. References: Coughlan, S. (2008) Overseas students ‘buying essays’. BBC News, Education. 3rd March. URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7275452.stm [Access date: 4th March 2008] Hackett, G. & Colchester, M. (2007) Chinese students oust UK pupils from top universities. The Sunday Times, Education. 13th May.