Online discussion: can it help international students ease into British university life

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• Online discussion can it help international
  students ease into British university life?
• Barbara Skinner
• University of Ulster

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The problem

• First stage of transition difficult
• Causes emotional/well being problems
• Difficulties relate to the different culture
• Difficulties can have disabling effects
• online discussion area?

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Aim can virtual contact help mitigate any
disabling effects of arriving in a new country?

• Does online discussion encourage international
  students to share and express their thoughts
  openly?
• Does it help build supportive friendships?
• Does it help them manage this time of transition
  more effectively?

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Why dont they ask for help?

• Too awkward to ask for help (Hanassab and
  Tidwell 2002)
• Deny symptoms of depression (Parker et al.,2001)
• Help for physical problems first (Klein et al.,
  1974)

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Who counsels international students?

• Go to family with personal problems (Porter
  1979)
• Create conational peer group (Pederson 1991)
• Cultural values students with strong cultural
  values versus students with weak cultural values
  (Bae1971)

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Cross-cultural counselling

• Three dimensions to cross-cultural counselling
  (Sue et al.,1982)
• Awareness, knowledge and skills
• Therapist bias (Leong1986)
• Individualistic versus collectivist cultures

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Online support

• More thoughtful interaction
• Time to think, to plan the language
• More equal participation

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The participants

• 55 students on a six week pre-sessional course
  based on two campuses
• 42 Chinese, 4 Japanese, 3 Taiwanese, 3 Polish, 3
  Italian
• A population that must learn a wide range of
  culturally defined and typically unfamiliar roles
  in a short time under conditions of considerable
  stress (Pederson1991)

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(No Transcript)
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Methodology Table 1 Set up of the WebCT
groups and tasks
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Methodology

• Comments posted were analysed thematically
• Six types of difficulty were identified as
  critical issues
• Health, accommodation, finance, language
  problems, loneliness, lack of independence
• Anonymous online questionnaire at end of series
  of discussion tasks

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Health

• I have got a bad cold and it is two weeks before
  I recover, my medicine does not work. I went to
  the hospital but I have to wait and then I have
  to see a doctor in a different place. I have to
  go to a different place on a different day.
• The air is always dry here. You need to go out
  for a walk. There is a shop in the university
  which has night nurse medicine. Have you signed
  for the doctor yet? There is just one form to
  complete to see a University doctor.

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Health I cant sleep

• On my fourth week here, I just feel so tired, it
  is awful because I cannot sleep, the room is too
  cold and the bedding is thin. It is also my first
  time to connect with so many foreigners in the
  accommodation office so I am unable to sort
  anything for me.
• This is happening on my campus too. You can go
  to a cheap store to buy better blankets and then
  you will feel better. You need to be sure you can
  sleep. What did the accommodation office advise
  you? I think they are only obliged to provide two
  blankets. Maybe in the winter there are more
  here. It is quite hot at the moment. Do you think
  you are ill? Why dont you phone your family and
  tell them?

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Accommodation

• To be honestly I dont like my room here.
  Although it is a private space, I have to share
  my bathroom with others. Moreover, I cannot sleep
  when there are always have a lot of noises in the
  house or in the walls. I like to cook Asian food
  with my friends but some students say that it
  smells and that the pans are too big.

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• I feel the same. One boy is playing music loudly
  every night and some students cook in the kitchen
  very later at night. My mum says to me that I
  will have to change my ways. She is a wise woman
  but it is not easy to change my feelings about
  this situation. Did you talk to them?

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Finance no money left

• I went to the bank six times last weeks to get
  money from my father and now I borrow from my
  friends here. I need more money all the time.
  Things are more expensive here and I have to eat
  in restaurants because I share a house with
  Irish. I dont know where to buy what I need to
  eat.
• Where are you living? You should move to on
  campus. Chinese students cook together and you
  can save your fathers money. Ask your friends
  where and what they eat then arrange to live with
  them. In Belfast we have a Chinese supermarket.
  You can make a trip to see us and go to this
  place.

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Loneliness I miss home

• I live in a single room, its not like we live
  together for four people as in my country. The
  people here who cook in the kitchen do not let me
  do my preparation so I eat very late. I cant
  stand potato and I will never eat them. I still
  lead a Chinese lifestyle, even use the Chinese
  time on my clock to know what my family are
  doing. There are no more opportunities to ask mum
  or dad for anything now. There have been some
  surprises and some bad things for me. I can only
  say bad luck. I hope it will be a bit better from
  now onwards.

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Advice

• I feel the same and always convert to Japanese
  time so I can know if my parents are at work or
  not. It is OK to think about them if you want.
• I advise you to be with your Chinese friends
  more and to tell them about your family. Try not
  to worry about at home and enjoy this time. Dont
  stay in your room too much. Normally there are
  people in the kitchen you must talk to them and
  watch the TV. You have to be strong not to feel
  unhappy. Do you have a best friend to talk?

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Conclusion

• Virtual contact can help international students
  express their thoughts and feelings
• Direct practical advice, indirectly brought
  emotional benefits
• Pre-sessional communication in situation of
  distress, dislike, difficulty, misunderstanding