Learning in a new culture and in an intercultural environment
Lars Peter Jensen and Xiangyun DuDepartment of Control Engineering
Department of Education, Learning and Philosophy
Overview • 9:30 – 9:40 Workshop introduction• 9:40 – 10:30 Reflection on culture and
intercultural communication • 10.30 – 13.00 Project work on a case study, incl.
lunch break• 13:00 – 14:00 Guest lecture by Torben
Brændgaard, Grundfoss • 14.00 – 15.00 Project work cont.• 15:00 – 16.00 Project presentation
2
The way I was educated Big class, little room for individual ideas
3
’There is still one more seat in the wall’
http://www.cnsphoto.com/
Same materials year after year…
4
Memory is more important than application skills for high scores…
5
Transferred knowledge will be returned after exams
6
Am I teaching the same way I was taught?Need for Innovation in Engineering Education
7
Can innovation be facilitated in this way?
8http://eby.cc/p/1961.htm
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Coming to DK – Sweden to
learn innovative
ways…
I don’t
understand
the lecturer
What on earththe supervisor wanted
me to do?
So difficult to do a project in group work!
I am Depressed!
10
Things that have been taken for granted in one culture might be unknown in
another• Parents
Meeting cultures – Cultural shock
Please write 3 words
For foreign students: What were your most impressive observations on arrival of AAU/DK?
For Danish students: What were your most impressiveobservations on arrival of anothercountry?
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East vs. West - Cultural Differencescomparison of Western and Asian culture in the eyes of a
Chinese raised in Germany.
http://www.socialhallucinations.com/2008/11/east-vs-west---cultural-differences-in-pictures.html
17
STREET AT WEEKEND
18
SHOWER TIME
19
QUEUING
20
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Symbolism Manners and body language – eye contact,
distance, etc.
Intercultural communication- non-verbal language
Rasmussen & Bank-Mikkelsen 2000: 8)
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Solution
(Herlitz 1989:60)
‘The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said.’(Peter F. Drucker American Educator, b.1909)
Intercultural communication- cultural understanding
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Intercultural communication- cultural understanding
How would you read this ad of pills?
(Herlitz 1989:38)
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Please work in pairs, talking to different people using the script which follows…
The script:A: ‘Hello’.B: ‘Hello’.A: ‘You are late’.B: ‘I know’.Try to do it completely differently each time.
Intercultural communication- Power of language
25
Intercultural communication in teaching and learning
Why is culture an issue? • Development of intercultural competencies
for future engineers • Establishment of international program
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Globalized context
Diverse capabilities
Lifelong learning
Project management
Social, environmental, and
ethical concerns
Effective communication
Designing and conducting
experiments
- National Academy of Engineering, The Engineer of 2020, 2004- EUR-ACE (Accreditation of European Engineering Programmes and
Graduates, http://www.feani.org/EUR_ACE/EUR_ACE_Main_Page.htm - ABET: http://www.abet.org/
Identity and solve applied science
problems
Team work
Application of mathematics and
science knowledge
Analytical skills
Interdisciplinary knowledge
Intercultural competencies
Developing intercultural competencies for future engineers
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Intercultural environment in PBL
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Challenges and identified problems 1
• Miscommunication arises due to
– Use of second language (English) as a means of communication
– Learning and working styles – Personality
29
Challenges and identified problems 2Different beliefs on/ways of learning
– different expectations
Opinions?
Educational background
30
Challenges and identified problems 2Different beliefs on/ ways of learning
Nobody knows the exact answers until the project is finished
Students are responsible for managing their own learning
Learners are creating new knowledge
Studying in a PBL environment, Denmark
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Challenges and identified problems 3Can group work be an efficient way of learning?
YES, we can meet at 8 tomorrow
morning
NO, I can’t get up anyway
Will they believe me
because I am a girl??
Listen to me, I am very
experienced
If we don’t follow the
supervisor’s suggestion, will he allow us to pass?
They don’t understand even
such easy things!!
It is my turn to talk?
He complains of my garlic, but he has coffee and carrots all the
time!!!
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Doing project
in groups
Group meeting
Brainstorm
Subgroup work
Discussion Disagreement
Presentation
Compromise
Exam Report writin
g
Life
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`I have never worked in a group in my educational life… In group work, I preferred to listen when some students discussed intensely, because I could not understand why it was a question to discuss. Sometimes I could not follow their ideas or thinking. I need to change and actively work in the group.´ (Chinese female master student)
Student’s reflection
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Is ethnicity the only reason thatmakes us different?
Muslim
Philosopher
Animaldoctor
Young girl
butcher
artistwolf
farmer
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Engineering culture – engineer study
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Engineering culture – engineer study
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Is culture something
we are born with?
(Jensen 2005:18)
’I got culture from mom’s breast breeding’
38(Jensen 2005:72)
You are so big. You can not stay here! Come back when you become smaller!
Learning from each other vs. cultural integration Self vs. others Acceptance vs. adaptation
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PBL in International programs, AAU, DenmarkDifferent backgrounds in educational culture
Cultural reflections
Doing PBL in ‘the right’ way!
A new culture to be established
Root of PBL in DK- Tradition of group work in Denmark - Critical thinking - Emphasis on - Collaboration and participation - Lower power gap - Close link between industry and university
A real life case for today’s workshop
Confucius Institute for Innovation & Learning, AAU is playing a role of facilitating intercultural and international collaboration between DK-China. In collaboration with Investment Denmark, a state-run organization, to attract and facilitate Chinese industry to invest in north DK. BRANDEN, a biomed company in China showed interest and is exploring opportunities. These days the CEO, Mr Zhang, comes to Aalborg for a visit.
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A real life case for today’s workshopPlease work out a list of recommendations for BRANDEN
to successfully develop a new international small-middle size company in North DK.
Both Danish and foreign graduates from Aalborg University will be potential employees in the new company, together with Engineers from China, North DK and other countries.
• Is there any special issues to prepare/consider for establishing a company in North DK , e.g. cultural issues?
• What are the culture preparations for employing international staff (engineers, scientists and medicine people) and facilitate an efficient working environment? How to prepare for meetings, how to approach people, etc.
• What management style will you suggest to lead the new company?
• Which parts of the company profile should be emphasized in a job adverticement to attract graduates from Aalborg University?
• Prepare a short (5 min) presentation of your recommendations.
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Profile of BrandenBranden is a professional medical device supplier, who also handles its own R&D,
production and marketing services. The company was founded in 1996, registered in Zhongguancun, Haidian District in Beijing. Over a decade, the company experienced a rapid growth period. http://www.brandentech.com
Technology:
• advanced technology in medical polymer material production, especially in silicone production and research field.
• focusing on medical plasma technology, engineers have enlarged our range of products with a plasma sterilizer and a plasma electrotome system.
• key techniques like drug coating, coating spreading techniques, as well as brand new highly effecient drugs.
Intellectual property:
• Branden pays special attention to international cooperation with its partners and cares for the respect of intellectual property rights.
• We have succeeded in building cooperation relationships with universities and laboratories -in Germany, the Netherlands, and the US- concerning drug-eluting stents, biodegradable metals and polymer materials, and the medical plasma technology field.
• Due to our efforts, we have obtained over ten patens in China as well as PCT international patent in the key technologies of these fields.
Profile of BrandenMarketing:
• Branden’s R&D team, marketing team and management employees have an extinguish feature of diversification. In fact they all have backgrounds or work experiences in medical, polymer material, biomedical engineering, and mechanical manufacturing.
• This feature allows our employees to understand the specific needs of our clients in terms of product R&D and design process. We provide our customers with reasonable solutions to meet their requests.
• Branden has its branches in the main cities of China mainland including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Jinan. Moreover, branden is proud of having won its acceptance of U.S major buyers such as Cardinal Health, Medline, Diamics as well as multinational companies in Europe and Japan, being permitted to be their official supplier.
Internationalization:• Branden has a global vision of business, by now it has branches in Germany, the USA,
Brazil, and Malaysia. • Its products have been exported to over 20 countries and regions including Europe, the
USA, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, India, Taiwan etc... • Its annual exporting growth rate reached 100% for the last three years.
Profile of BrandenCorporate culture:• Our goal is to become an excellent company recognized by the actors of the Medical field.
Development:
• Branden keeps developing medical and health-care products of high technology; making efforts to open up now markets; providing ongoing staff training, career and personal development opportunities.
Respecting human rights:
• Branden treats its employees equally, strives to build up a working environment which benefits employees’ communication. Branden believes one of the key criteria to become an excellent company is to make its staff feel relaxed and at ease on the workplace.
Customer:
• Branden put its customers in the first place, providing them with services and products of the best quality. The success of the company lies on this whole philosophy.