Presentation 6

Inter-cultural Learning? The experience of Chinese undergraduate students from the University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China and home students on a year 2 one-semester module, The Contemporary World since 1945 in the School of History, Nottingham.

Dr Carole Mallia
carole.mallia@nottingham.ac.uk
&
Dr Katie Haessly
khaessly@hotmail.com
School of History, University of Nottingham, UK

Students from the University of Nottingham’s Ningbo campus in China are able to spend one or two semesters in Nottingham in their second year, and many choose the Contemporary World module. Informal feedback from both Chinese and home students showed that the students are not integrating in a way that is conducive to inter-cultural learning. This presentation will report on a research project in which we sought to investigate the experience of both sets of students, and what they would like to happen to encourage a more holistic learning environment.  Volunteers were asked to record their experience over the semester either through taking photographs, drawing pictures or keeping a diary. A one to one interview was held at the end of the semester to illicit their views in more detail and for them to explain their recordings. We will present some of these findings, and suggest some of the recommendations made by the students, and ourselves as tutors on the module, that may help integration and an opening of minds between cultures.