Currently the majority of overseas students including EU and international students, at UAL number 53% of the student body (UAL Overseas Report, 2023). The term ‘international’ is used as students come as non-UK domicile students via the Tier 4 visa system. Internationalisation has been a part of UK university policy and strategy for a number of years. According to the Department for Education and the Department of International Trade (2019) international students bring “with them new knowledge, cross-cultural understanding and global friendships, enriching the education experience of domestic students.” and “They also bring important revenue to the UK higher education sector and to the UK economy.” (Ibid, 2019). In turn there is motivation from Chinese students to study in the UK as part of an ongoing global trend over several years due in part to the prestige of attaining a degree qualification at leading universities overseas.
For students adapting to the holistic approach primarily used within art and design HE is common. Students are likely to experience a mix of ‘culture shock’ and ‘academic shock’ resulting in an experience of cognitive dissonance or confusion (Hseih, 2012 cited in Zhu & O’Sullivan, 2022). As a teacher of international students my daily classroom interactions with groups or in one-to-one tutorials this is a familiar scenario. My motivation is therefore to explore how the student experience can be improved, develop student workshops and staff training sessions to shine a light on the experience from the perspective of Chinese students. This reflection will discuss the artefact chosen, discuss further my teaching context and how the artefact could be developed alongside inclusive learning theory. Finally, I will give potential action, reflecting on the use and adaptation of the artefact going forward.
The Artefact chosen is in two parts, one a radio piece by journalist Ben Chu “Chinese on Campus” (Radio 4, 2022, 11:00) and second the accompanying text ‘Why are Chinese Students so keen on the UK?’ (Chu, 2022). Both are rich sources to give an insight into the Chinese student experience. As a teacher I am aware of aspects of how students adapt and develop to study on the UK, having a solid knowledge base, teaching methods, strategies and techniques that are well versed over the course of twenty years means within my role as a Language Development (LD) tutor I am able to help a student navigate challenges faced.
“…students in their first year of study are constantly looking for certainty and reassurance, while staff are encouraging ambiguity and risk taking and expecting a tacit knowledge of how the subject is delivered. They rely on their tutors for guidance and for evaluation of the quality of their work.” (Finnigan and Richards 2016:7)
Frequently students ask for clarity when considering a project brief, by breaking this down via analysis of language is helpful. Considering vocabulary acquisition, context and giving access to potential creative output within a brief is helpful. Nevertheless, there is a tendency on the part of the student to have the expectation that specific instructions and guidance will follow in order to achieve a particular grade. Although I am aware of this within interactions, it is pertinent that the resulting potential for a mix of confusion and stress comes with the realisation that as there is a certain ‘freedom’ means some students even consider this ‘freedom’ as not ‘learning’.
As I am often prepared to explain and clarify course requirements I feel there is also a performative nature to this. In that my position as firstly a former TEFL teacher, who learnt a particular pedagogical approach, albeit a creative one, teaching the English language and, secondly like many of my colleagues as a white, middle aged, skilled and knowledgeable teacher with years of experience, there is a tendency to view our students generically as English language learners. Having taught many students from East Asian countries in those years some colleagues having taught in those countries hence there is a similarity with learning styles and perhaps the approach to this generic outlook. As such I am now revaluating this position by considering my whiteness to gain a better understanding of my interactions.
“One of the key points about whiteness as a performatively constituted identity is that those who are implicated in whiteness rarely even realize its existence – let alone their own role in its repeated iteration and re-signification.” (Gillborn 2005:9)
Gillborn (2005) states an important realisation within my positionality. The tendency within my role for ‘repeated iteration’ (not uncommon for many teachers!) is also part of a well-versed script. To develop an Allyship, of which I am consistently keen to do, is to recognise and continue to develop an awareness of the multilingual, multi sociocultural intersectional identities of this group. However, that is not to say that as an LD teacher despite having an awareness of a students’ cultural learning background and cultural capital I do not have empathy, rather thinking with a fresh perspective through the theories of Critical Race Theory is how I can shift my perspective. The Artefact chosen perhaps goes some way to breaking down the unspoken ‘repeated iteration’ that for me exists within English language learning spaces.
Inclusivity I believe is at the heart of my role within the academy. Looking at Critical Race Theory as defined by Delgado & Stefancic (2001:4) to include “economics, history, context, group – and self-interest, and even feelings and the unconscious.” can be a start to encourage staff to be aware of the student experience. Whilst looking specifically at Chinese students as one group could be regarded as potentially ‘othering’. This cohort as a population, which is set to grow in the coming years, should have specific consideration given the ‘difference’ as explained previously in terms of learning styles but also in terms of students as individuals. Given the opportunity students can be guided into a position that limits undue anxiety, stress and confusion. To build on conversations and information exchange in a positive context can only improve the experience for all.
As an LD tutor of nearly 11 years standing at UAL having worked across most colleges supporting students from Pre-Undergraduate to Post-Graduate and within many disciplines and subject areas. I have developed an awareness of the many and varied intersectional identities of students in addition to learning habits and expectations. As one of the largest international overseas group at UAL it could be argued that there is perhaps a certain lack of awareness with Chinese students, by this more specifically in terms of learning habits and student expectations. Students are often seen as quiet and passive unwilling to respond to questions particularly in groups or ask questions preferring to work alone and reluctant to express opinion (Zhu and O’Sullivan, 2022). This is in part due to East Asian ‘face’ culture where part of this sociocultural ‘norm’ is about feeling embarrassed to speak out in front of your peers for fear of making a mistake. In addition to this for students, listening is seen as gaining knowledge and silence as part of respect for the learning and teaching environment. Ongoing discussions with colleagues, lecturers, course leaders and support staff can help us to gain an understanding and a raised awareness of this sociocultural habit along with a learning style unfamiliar to us could be a vital attribute for Language Centre staff.
As many of my colleagues and I have lived and worked in other countries we tend to have an empathy with students in the sense of ‘culture shock’ when adapting to a new way of living, studying and for some working. The Artefact could also go some way to assisting students and staff to gain this awareness by opening up the conversation around student experience. Frimodig states as cited in Finnigan and Richards (2016:12) “International students arrive, but do not automatically connect with a western, and especially Anglo-centric, individualistic intellectual heritage of critical thinking.” The teaching and learning context within my role and that of my colleagues could through this Artefact continue the work that we do as actively engaging with and developing our practice.
At the Language Centre as part of Library and Student Support (LSS) this includes Language Development, Library and Academic Development LSS is actively working towards the Anti-Racism Strategy. As stated it will “Audit and review existing collections and resources and encourage students to suggest resources reflecting their social and cultural backgrounds.” (UAL, 2021). With this in mind the artefact is intended to be used with students and staff. As a resource for student workshops to consider, reflect and discuss adapting to live and studying in the UK and potentially for staff to raise awareness of student experience and how they can relate better to student groups. The Associate Dean of Student Experience at UAL and my line manager were both supportive of the artefact seeing the potential for its use. Both felt it appropriate and apt given the Anti-Racism Strategy which includes decolonising the curriculum.
Presenting the artefact to my peers was helpful and useful with some encouraging feedback in person or written on my blog. Through the coming summer months, I am teaching on sporadic days for drop in tutorials and as such I am not able to experiment with the artefact. I intend to prepare a workshop or session that can be used in the new academic year starting 2024. I would firstly, use the video clip as part of an ‘Introduction to studying in the UK’ with the following text as part of the session or self-study for students to reflect on by bringing their thoughts to a later session. Where possible with colleagues the artefact could be used as part of a staff meeting or within online ‘rapid sharing’ sessions that have been a part of staff development for LSS in the last year or so. There are also ‘Intercultural Communication’ workshops provided by my colleagues, and so it could also be added to these type of training sessions. I hope and anticipate that this artefact would open up a discussions for both staff and students, where I could gain further useful feedback. In turn by allowing students to come forward with their own stories, truths and experiences possibly adding to the current SoN Tell Us About It (2009) archive or even create a specific archive within the Language Centre.
Bibliography
Chinese on Campus (2022) BBC Radio 4, 16Th February, 11:00 am. Available at: https://www.benchu.co.uk (Accessed: 22nd May 2023)
Chu, B (2022) Why are Chinese Students so keen on the UK? Available at: https://www.benchu.co.uk/post/chinesestudentsukunieversities (Accessed: 22nd May 2023)
Delgado, R. and Stefancic, J. (2001) Critical Race Theory: An introduction. NYU Press. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qg26k (Accessed 8th July 2023)
Finnigan, T. (2009) Shades of Noir, Tell Us About It. Available at: https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/artefacts/tell-us-about-it (Accessed: 24th May 2023)
Frimodig, B. (2016) Cited by Richards, A. and Finnigan, T. (2015) Embedding equality and diversity in the curriculum: an art and design practitioner’s guide, 5.6 Use of English and modes of thinking Higher Education Academy (2015:11-12). Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/embedding-equality-and-diversity-curriculum-discipline-specific-guides (Accessed: 25th May 2023)
Gillborn, D. (2005) Education policy as an act of white supremacy:whiteness, critical race theory and education reform. Journal of Education Policy 2005, Vol 20, Issue 4, 485-505. Published online 2007. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/02680930500132346 (Accessed 23rd May 2023)
HM Govt Department for Education and the Department for International Trade (2019) International Education Strategy global potential, global growth. Available at: www.gov.uk/education (Accessed 8th July 2023)
UAL (2023) Intercultural Communication Workshops. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/language-centre/intercultural-communication-training (Accessed 23rd May 2023)
UAL (2021) Anti-Racism Strategy. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/strategy-and-governance/anti-racism strategy#:~:text=Some%20of%20our%20plans%20are,will%20continue%20to%20do%20so. (Accessed:24th May 2023)
Zhu, H. & O’Sullivan. H. (2022) Shhhh! Chinese students are studying quietly in the UK Innovations in Education and Teaching International 2022, Vol 59, No 3, 275-284. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2020.1813603 (Accessed 21st May 2023)