Cross-national online discussions: international learning experiences with American and Chinese students in higher education

• Nannette Commander ^[1] ; Yali Zhao ^[1] ; Peggy Gallagher ^[1] ; Yongheng You ^[2]
  1. [1] Georgia State University

     Georgia State University

     Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] Sichuan Normal University

     Sichuan Normal University

     China

     
• Localización: Innovations in education and teaching international, ISSN 1470-3297, Vol. 53, Nº 4, 2016, págs. 365-374
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Universities are seeking techniques that encourage students to become more globalised in their perspectives. One method of fostering globalisation is to incorporate cross-national asynchronous online discussions with students from different countries within courses. The purpose of this study was to explore if participation by American and Chinese graduate students in cross-national online discussions facilitated construction of new knowledge regarding western and eastern cultures and provided effective international learning experiences. Data sources include students’ transcripts and responses to open-ended survey questions on their perceptions regarding the online discussions. Results indicate that cross-national online discussions facilitated new knowledge regarding very different cultures. Further, this research offers a model that provides authentic international learning experiences where students explore meaningful concepts and relationships to address relevant problems in education.