http://citers2014.cite.hku.hk/channeling-interactions-between-local-and-international-students-through-a-blended-approach/ Author HODGSON, Paula (Hong Kong Baptist University); CURRY, Janel (Gordon College); VRIJMOED, Lilian (United International College) Abstract The internationalization of higher education has provided extended opportunities for students to have international experiences such as student exchange programmes or overseas internships. This paper addresses how local and international students with diverse cultural background and different learning styles can have better channels of communication in learning, interacting and collaborating through the classroom and out-of-classroom settings with a blended approach to teaching and learning.

1. Channeling interactions between local and international
students through a blended approach
Paula HODGSON, Hong Kong Baptist University;
Janel CURRY, Gordon College;
Lilian VRIJMOED, United International College
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

2. Outline
• Potential for internationalization of higher
education (HE) in classrooms
• Issues relating to internationalization in
classrooms
• Considerations of student diversity
• Classroom practice
• Technology for an enhanced learning
experience
• Implications
• Conclusion

3. Internationalization of HE
WHAT?
Internationalization is a
‘process (continuing effort)
of integrating an
international and
intercultural dimension into
the teaching, research and
service functions of the
institution.’
Knight (2003: 2)
WHY?
Preparing graduates with
• global perspectives
• intercultural skills

4. Teaching/learning environment
Teacher/student groups
• International
scholars/teachers
• Local international/
intercultural experts
• International students on
home campus
• Local ethnic groups
International dimensions
• Create cultural diversity in
the classroom
• Teaching materials with
international perspectives

5. Potential for internationalization of higher
education in classrooms
Increased population of international students (IS)
in classroom, this may potentially
• Provide a rich teaching resource
• Interact with local students from the host
institution
• Increase opportunity to develop global
awareness and avoid stereotyping (Sawir 2013)
• Broaden perspectives and horizon to home
students (Barron 2006; Sawir 2013)
• Develop intercultural competence (Summers
and Volet 2008), and value differences (Chang
2006)
• Motivate home students to put more effort into
academic work (Trice 2003)

6. Positive outcomes
• Providing more alternatives when
approaching problems (Summers and
Volet 2008)
• Assignments done in culturally mixed
groups attained higher marks, on average,
than the usual individual performances of
both their local and international members
[a study conducted in UK] (De Vita 2002)

7. Polarized findings
Positive
• IS were reported to value the
interactive mode (i.e. discussion
based learning) of unit delivery
over a sometimes assumed
teacher-centred mode.
Reid (2002) in Hellstén and Prescott (2004)
• IS sitting in the front two rows
with strong work orientation.
Harrison and Peacock (2010)
Negative
• Asian students reported lower
levels of English proficiency than
the European students.
Poyrazli and Kavanaugh (2006)
• Due to language barriers, and
cultural norms, IS are often
reluctant to participate in
classroom discussions.
Kwon (2009)

8. Issues (1)
• Diversity in cultural background
• Larger gap in language
communication, i.e. English
Language proficiency
• Difference in expectations on
teaching methods: teacher-
centred (Asian students) versus
learner-centred (Eaves 2009)
• Difference in expectations on
learning culture: acceptance vs
critical evaluation of information
/ knowledge (Sawir 2013)

9. Issues (2)
• The most typical pattern is one of minimal interaction
between students of different cultures (Summers and
Volet 2008). Patchy interactions between home
students and international students in their activities
(Briguglio 1998; Smart, Volet and Ang 2000; Leask
2009)
• International students tend to interact ONLY with other
international students (Bradley 2000), and vice versa
with host students (Sovic 2008)
• A common stereotypical belief that students from Asian
backgrounds prefer rote-learning styles and tend to be
passive in classroom interaction; IS lack confidence in
speaking up in class (Guo and Chase 2011)
• Home students may be concerned about lowering of
academic performance in cross-cultural group work
(Jones 2010)

10. Considerations of student diversity
(home and IS)
• Individualist vs collectivist orientation to
cooperation
• Task-focused vs relationship-focused behaviour
• Outspoken (extrovert) vs quiet-listening (introvert)
interpersonal styles
• Direct-confrontational vs indirect-harmonious
approaches to negotiation and discussion
Turner 2009: 251

11. Classroom practice
• Professors as being caring, approachable; have heighten cultural
awareness and ready to learn about the other culture (Leask 2009;
Ryan and Viete 2009)
• Delivering at a slower pace and avoiding the use of slang and
metaphors (De Vita 2000)
• Inviting international perspectives and components in the context
of the teaching (Crose 2011)
• Structuring home and IS students’ involvement in small-group
classroom activities (Crose 2011; Leask 2009)
• Ensuring fairer turn-taking (Ryan and Viete 2009)
• Peer-pairing by matching a host student with an international
student (Summers and Volet 2008)
• Allowing more time for non-English-speaking IS to prepare and
formulate ideas, and review assignments particularly (Sovic 2008)
• Engaging students on building intellectual depth (Chang 2006)
• Encouraging reflection as a learning strategy to embrace inclusivity
(Turner 2009)

12. Technology for enhanced
learning experiences
• Inviting IS and home students to build a personal profile in
the learning management system (LMS)
• Using technology like smartphones or tablets to make in-
class individual responses (BYOD)
• Having summary of group discussion posting to forum in
LMS in the class
• Inviting IS and home students to contribute to different
perspectives and opinions on forum after class
• Using collaborative platform (wiki) to allow IS and home
students working in group tasks/projects
• Providing additional support when necessary through
synchronous and asynchronous apps with text, images or
audio (What’s App, WeChat)

13. Implications
• The two-way process of cross-cultural interaction requires efforts
from both IS and home students
• Teaching faculty need to have knowledge of the background of
students with acceptance of and interest in the cultural
backgrounds of IS
• Adopting teaching methods that draw on reflective and inclusive
teaching philosophies, i.e. accommodation of diversity with
culturally sensitive communication styles (Hellstén and Prescott
2004)
• Encouraging IS to engage in dialogue and questioning in the
classroom with home students as examples (Crose 2011)
• Having assessment tasks that embrace diverse perspectives and
synthesis of different cultural experiences (Leask 2009)
• Ensuring the opportunity to use learning technologies to scaffold
learning between IS and home students (Gray, Chang and
Kennedy 2010)

14. Conclusion
• A culturally diverse learning environment is potentially
conducive to developing a global outlook in international
classrooms
• Building cross-cultural competence for professors, tutors, IS
and home students is essential for internationalization in
higher education classrooms
• Creating multiple structured opportunities for interactions
• Extending face-to-face interactions with online interactions to
promote open-mindedness, and a learning and sharing
culture, through blending learning technologies (LMS, google
apps, smartphone apps)
• Ensuring fair and respectful means of communication

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16. Channeling interactions between local and
international students through a blended approach