The International

Classroom

Amanda GrayCoordinator, International Student Services

Raymond Yip ChoyFaculty, School of Justice & Business Studies

Why This Session?• An enriched college community

• Some teething pains

This Session: a start…….

• 4 Pillars of Cultural Sensitivity• How Many• Our Stance• Our Collective Experience to Date• The Way Forward – consistent approach, some tools• Continued Shared Learning • Recommendations – ongoing

Canadian Culture:Four Cultural

Pillars

Created with material from Education Abroad Program. QUIC

Self Responsibility Time Control

(individualist vs. collectivist)Self

INDIVIDUALIST

• Individualistic: looking out for one’s self protects others• Personal fulfillment is the greater good• Independence and self-reliance are highly valued• Personal space

Created with material from Education Abroad Program. QUIC

(universalist vs. particularist)

UNIVERSALIST

• Honesty• Being fair and consistent is important• Favouritism is frowned upon, specifically when hiring• Ethics do not change: ethics are ethics at all times• People succeed because of what they do, not who they

know

Responsibility

Created with material from Education Abroad Program. QUIC

(monochronic vs. polychronic)Time

MONOCHRONIC

• Punctuality• Every minute counts• Wait on one person at a time• Action-oriented “workaholics”• Schedule social activities and time with family into your

calendar• Interruptions are a nuisance

Created with material from Education Abroad Program. QUIC

(internal vs. external)

INTERNAL FOCUS

• No limits on what you can do/become• Every problem has a solution• Change is a constant: there are few things that can’t be

changed• Unhappiness is one’s own fault• Life is what you make it

Control

Created with material from Education Abroad Program. QUIC

Values of Canadians

• Time• Space• Efficiency – Practicality• Individualism• Competition• Informality• Directness, Openness, Honesty

Created with material from Education Abroad Program. QUIC

Values of Canadians

• Action Orientation• Change• Future Orientation• Materialism• Personal Control over Environment• Equality• Life

Created with material from Education Abroad Program. QUIC

How Many?

Source: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

International Students Registered in Ontario colleges

+23%

+47%

+23%

At Fleming College - How many

• India 123• Mexico 9• China 3• Great Britain 2• Korea 2• Finland 2• Zimbabwe 1• USA 1• Brazil 1• Pakistan 1• Tunisia 1• Netherlands Antilles 1• Russia 1• Italy 1

14This past year

countries

Our Intake

2011 40909 41153 41275 415180

20

40

60

80

100

120

140 ?

How many: then, now & in the future

?Upcoming • 2012/2013 149

• 2013/2014 274 * as of April 4• Expecting 5 – 10 more from China• Top 5 programs to date

– Bio-tech forensic– International Business Management– Project Management– Pharmacy Tech– Wireless Networking

• Next on the list– Frost……

• 4.5% of enrollment now, • 10% in next several years

Who are these people?

On paper• BA or BSC, MA, MBA, MSC, Pharmacists, Engineers,

Lawyers• Most direct, some transfer and exchange• Very diverse backgrounds• International English Language Testing System 6.0• Canadian Academic English Language 60% overall

Our stance: as a college, in the classroomCollege• Position Fleming as a destination for a positive international student

experience• Identify appropriate international markets • Actively recruit in those areas

Students• Most see Fleming as a stepping stone to stay in Canada• Some engage in the learning process

In the Classroom• Enable faculty and students to embrace the richness of a wide cultural

experience• Continue to meet or exceed student and college expectations

So They Arrive

What are your observations/comments?

A short team exercise

• Case 1, 2, 3 15: minutes to read and make group notes

• 15 minutes to share • List of issues arising• List of solutions

Our collective experience to date

What are the differences?– We are at home, they are not– Culture clash/understanding– Language proficiency– Education style: passive vs. active, directed vs. independent– Asking questions – considered disrespectful or an admission

of ignorance– Education equivalency/consistency– Domestic/International mix

Our collective experience to date

Faculty Implications

More detailedMore observantCulturally awareConsistent

Do they conform to Fleming norms?Does Fleming adapt to a new norm?

Our collective experience to dateTopic C E Action

Language comprehension

Language – oral use

Language – written

Research and citation skills

Punctuality

Last minute work

Group work

Canadian vs Int; working styles

Textbooks

Cheating in quizzes, tests & exams

Plagiarism – copy from source

Plagiarism – copy from peer

Pedagogy

Our collective experience to dateTopic C E Action

Head wobble

Blank stare

Yes

No

Class, Caste

Gender

Social integration

Travel out of town/country

Religious observances and holidays

Use of native language

Homesickness

Abuse by local businesses

Regional differences

The way forward

Establish your ground rules at start of the class – in course outline and on course page – Punctuality– Attendance– Language in class– Devices– Accessibility– Cultural signals

The way forward

Establish Academic Expectations– Provide examples of research

(maybe a specific assignment)– Provide examples of proper citation

(maybe a specific assignment)– Bring in librarian as a guest speaker– Provide examples of good previous work and explain why it is

good– Have low value quizzes, assignments where you can issue a

zero without jeopardizing the final grade unduly– Clearly explain assessment plan and implications for missing

marks

Quizzes, Tests, Exams

– Change order of multiple choice answers– Change order of questions– Change sense of questions– All same response– Number test papers– Assign seating plan– Absolutely no talking

The way forward

Assignments

– Build complexity as semester goes on– Provide test assignments or ability to re-do assignments so

they can see what is required– Weight individual work more heavily than group work

The way forward

Group Work

– Group selection – try different methods– Mix them up periodically– Monitor regularly and closely– Element of individual work– Watch for interaction between different ethnicities,

religions, genders, regions– Actively look for the workers vs. the coasters– Consider putting workers together

The way forward

What happens when international students want a letter of reference?

The Way Forward

• Regular consultation amongst faculty and staff• Ideas on handout• Continued sharing of experiences and best

practices – how?