scholarly journals “Because of the Christian Fellowship, I Decided to Stay”: How Participating in a Christian Community Shapes the Social Experiences of Chinese International Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 234
Author(s):  
Anke Li ◽  
Chi Nguyen ◽  
Jinhee Choi
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
American University ◽  
The Social ◽  
Christian Fellowship ◽  
The University

This ethnographic study examines how participation in a Christian church community shapes Chinese international undergraduate students’ social experiences in an American university. Our findings reveal that Chinese international undergraduate students identify the church and its fellowship as (1) a social support community and (2) an informal learning community, one which fills in the gap in counseling services and interpersonal activities that the university fails to offer. Recommendations are made for higher education institutions to provide stronger support for international students, regardless of their nationalities and religions.

American Undergraduate Students’ Social Experiences With Chinese International Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 354-370
Author(s):  
Takahiro Sato ◽  
Valerie Burge-Hall ◽  
Tsuyoshi Matsumoto
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
International Exchange ◽  
American University ◽  
The Social

The purpose of this study was to describe and explain American undergraduate students’ social experiences interacting with non-native English-speaking Chinese international students during conversational practices at an American university. This study used an explanatory (holistic) multiple case study design (Yin, 2003) using in-depth, semistructured interviews grounded in the social exchange theory. The participants were seven American students (three men and four women) who served as conversation partners of Chinese international exchange students during each fall semester. Three major interrelated and complex themes emerged from the data. They were (a) developing social reward relationships, (b) proving the social norm information during the conversational partnerships, and (c) employing/utilizing strategies for developing trust relationships. The results of this study can be utilized to encourage faculty, global education office staff, and all students to respect, value, and embrace the languages and cultures of Chinese international students. This contribution can prompt a greater appreciation for diversity which leads to meaningful academic, athletic, and social experiences for all students at American college and university.

The Church on the World's Turf

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Bramadat
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Sexual Ethics ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Conservative Protestant ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Christian Fellowship ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church

Is it possible for conservative Protestant groups to survive in secular institutional settings? Here, Bramadat offers an ethnographic study of the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) at McMaster University, a group that espouses fundamentalist interpretations of the Bible, women's roles, the age of the earth, alcohol consumption, and sexual ethics. In examining this group, Bramadat demonstrates how this tiny minority thrives within the overwhelmingly secular context of the University.

Social Media in Higher Education

2019 ◽  
pp. 898-922
Author(s):  
Laura Aymerich-Franch
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
American University ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Spanish Universities ◽  
The University

This chapter analyses privacy concerns of students and faculty resulting from the adoption of social media as teaching resources in higher education. In addition, the chapter focuses on privacy concerns that social media can cause to faculty when they are used for social networking. A trans-cultural study was carried out which involved three Spanish universities, a Colombian university, and an American university. A focus group was organized with PhD students to brainstorm the topic. Afterwards, 94 undergraduate students completed a survey and 18 lecturers participated in a written interview. Results indicate that social media are widely adopted in the university and are perceived as valuable resources for teaching. However, privacy concerns can easily emerge among students and faculty when these applications are used for this purpose. Concerns may appear when social media are used for social networking as well. The text also offers some guidelines to overcome them.

scholarly journals Performance, Interaction, and Satisfaction of Graduate EAP Students in a Face-to-Face and an Online Class: A Comparative Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 132-153
Author(s):  
Dmitri Stanchevici ◽  
Megan Siczek
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
American University ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Face To Face

Before arriving in a host country, international students may be motivated to complete some institutional requirements online. Many studies address computer-assisted instruction for second-language students, but few focus on fully online English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing courses. This comparative case study, grounded in action research, examined the extent to which a fully online version of a graduate-level EAP course offered to international students at a North American university achieved comparable outcomes to a face-to-face version. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of study participants’ performance and course evaluations indicated that the outcomes and student satisfaction of both cohorts were comparable. However, an examination of the participants’ final research papers and online interactions revealed differences and challenges. Based on these findings, it is recommended that future online courses provide more instruction on source integration, library research, and building an interactive learning community. Overall, the findings suggest that when carefully designed, assessed, and refined, fully online courses hold strong promise in EAP academic writing contexts. Les étudiantes et étudiants internationaux tiennent parfois à remplir certaines exigences institutionnelles en ligne avant de se rendre dans leur pays d’accueil. L’enseignement assisté par ordinateur pour les apprenantes et apprenants d’anglais langue seconde fait l’objet de nombreuses études, mais peu d’entre elles portent sur des cours d’écriture d’anglais académique (EAP) complètement dispensés en ligne. Entièrement basée sur la recherche-action, la présente étude de cas comparative fait état du degré de comparabilité des résultats d’un cours d’anglais académique de deuxième cycle complètement présenté en ligne à des étudiantes et étudiants internationaux inscrits à une université nord-américaine et des résultats obtenus lorsque le même cours était dispensé en personne. Une analyse quantitative et qualitative des rendements des participantes et participants et du cours lui-même a indiqué que les résultats et le degré de satisfaction des étudiantes et étudiants des deux cohortes se valaient. L’examen des rapports de recherche finaux des participantes et participants et celui des interactions en ligne ont toutefois révélé des écarts et des défis. Sur la base de ces constatations, il est recommandé que les futurs cours en ligne fournissent davantage d’instructions sur l’intégration des sources, sur les recherches en bibliothèque et sur la construction d’une communauté d’apprentissage interactif. Dans l’ensemble, les constatations de l’étude suggèrent que, s’ils sont soigneusement conçus, évalués et peaufinés, les cours complètement dispensés en ligne sont très prometteurs dans des contextes d’écriture en anglais académique.

Middle East Studies for the New Milleniu

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
The United States ◽  
American University ◽  
The Social ◽  
Big Picture ◽  
The University ◽  
Middle East Studies ◽  
The Relationship

Few world regions today are of more pressing social and political interest than the Middle East: hardly a day has passed in the last decade without events there making global news. Understanding the region has never been more important, yet the field of Middle East studies in the United States is in flux, enmeshed in ongoing controversies about the relationship between knowledge and power, the role of the federal government at universities, and ways of knowing other cultures and places. This book explores the big-picture issues affecting the field, from the geopolitics of knowledge production to structural changes in the university to broader political and public contexts. Tracing the development of the field from the early days of the American university to the Islamophobia of the present day, this book explores Middle East studies as a discipline and, more generally, its impact on the social sciences and academia. Topics include how different disciplines engage with Middle East scholars, how American universities teach Middle East studies and related fields, and the relationship between scholarship and U.S.–Arab relations, among others. This book presents a comprehensive, authoritative overview of how this crucial field of academic inquiry came to be and where it is going next.

scholarly journals Ivy League Experience: Increasing Care, Increasing Engagement

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1104-1112
Author(s):  
Silvester G. Mata, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
International Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Personal Narrative ◽  
Student Health ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Ivy League ◽  
Student Wellness ◽  
Campus Resources ◽  
The University

The purpose of this personal narrative is to document initiatives that were designed and implemented to increase engagement and inclusivity for international students. The university campus of focus is a historically elite institution that enrolls one out of five international undergraduate students when compared to domestic peers. Initiatives focused on welcome events (i.e., orientation, campus tours, student panels) were implemented along with initiatives focused on student mental health and student wellness. Successful initiatives utilized campus resources such as university crisis and alert teams in addition to campus resources focused on counseling and student health.

scholarly journals Chibumons: A Positive Effect On Game to Undergraduate Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (01) ◽  
pp. 222
Author(s):  
Thanakorn Uiphanit ◽  
Pattarasinee Bhattarakosol ◽  
Kwanrat Suanpong ◽  
Sompoch Iamsupasit ◽  
Chalotorn Wongwan
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Skill ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Statistical Data Analysis ◽  
Mobile Game ◽  
Sample Group ◽  
Average Percentage ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University ◽  
Positive Effect

In the university daily life, social skill is very important. Social skill helps students to participated and interact with people. In this paper, we present the research and development of a mobile game to develop students’ social skill, 'Chibumons'. The sample group consists of 120 students. The tools used in this research were 'Chibumons', and satisfaction with the game questionnaire. Statistical data analysis used in this research were average, percentage, and standard deviation. The research reveals that games can enhance the social skill of students. This consequently accretes their social skill, boosting up enjoyment, engagement, and make friendships amongst playing. Moreover, this study demonstrates that ‘Chibumons’ is able to promote developing social skill and motivates students in higher education.

From imagined community to imagined social space: The case of three international students

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-143
Author(s):  
Behnam Soltani ◽  
Ly Tran
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Imagined Community ◽  
Tertiary Institution ◽  
Production Of Space ◽  
Dynamic Interactions ◽  
Future Aspirations ◽  
The Social ◽  
Space Data

Drawing on the concepts of imagined community and production of space, this article introduces the concept of imagined social space to understand hopes, dreams, worries, fears, sadness and happiness of three international students who have left their homelands to study in an unfamiliar academic social space. Data from qualitative in-depth interviews with three focal participants from an ethnographic study in a tertiary institution are presented to show that students’ desires, goals and future aspirations are determined by the interplay between social relationships and social conditions governing the social space. The findings of the study give insights into the development of an academic social space framework to capture the dynamic interactions of students’ investments, positionings and negotiations in their imagined space that can shape and reshape their identities.

scholarly journals Intellectual Growth For Undergraduate Students: Evaluation Results From An Undergraduate Research Conference

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharyn J. Potter ◽  
Eleanor Abrams ◽  
Lisa Townson ◽  
Cameron Wake ◽  
Julie E. Williams
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Educational Impact ◽  
Research Conference ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
The Social ◽  
High Level ◽  
The University ◽  
University Of New Hampshire

We describe the development and evaluation of the university-wide, weeklong undergraduate research conference at the University of New Hampshire.  Despite increases nationally in the number of undergraduate research conferences (URC), there has been little research examining the social and educational impact of these events on student presenters. We describe the development and evaluation of the university-wide, weeklong URC at the University of New Hampshire. A survey administered to URC participants over a four year period revealed that research culminating in a presentation at the URC was one of the more influential events students experienced during their undergraduate years and students realized a high level of satisfaction from presenting at the URC.

scholarly journals Prerequisites for interactive learning in distance education: Perspectives from Swedish students

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Berit Östlund
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Interactive Learning ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
The Social ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
The University ◽  
Masters Students

<span>This article investigates distance students' understanding of the prerequisites for interactive learning in asynchronous, computer mediated university distance studies. It encompasses students' attitudes to structure, dialogue and autonomy, and their experience of social presence and what they consider interaction with peer learners signifies for their learning. The data were collected from an undergraduate and a masters course within the teacher training distance program, using questionnaires, interviews, diaries and analysis of students' contributions in </span><em>FirstClass</em><span> and </span><em>WebBoard</em><span> respectively. The results indicate that there was no difference between the student groups in preferences concerning structure, dialogue and autonomy. Their preferences depended on their ideas about how to benefit from different situations. They preferred a course design permitting them to use time effectively in relation to their other commitments outside the university. The results also indicate that they felt social presence despite using only asynchronous, text based communication. The student groups, however, had different ideas about the significance of inter-learner interactions. The amount of spontaneous contributions sent to</span><em>WebBoard</em><span> and </span><em>FirstClass</em><span> also differed. The undergraduate students stressed the social and practical aspects, while the masters students to a greater extent emphasised the cognitive aspects. The amount of spontaneous interactions was also higher in the undergraduate group. These students need more support from others in order to manage their studies compared to the masters students.</span>

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