Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 8 | Page 38

38 | JADE
ARTICLE #3 | 39
DR. KEITH WALLEY, SANDRA TURNER, DR. GILLIAN WRIGHT & FENG TAN
among the students from early days on the programme, and along
with the inclusion of overt opportunities for the Chinese students
to integrate with UK students during the two week induction, there
has been a resultant improvement in the way that the latest cohort
sees opportunities to integrate via sport and social activities which
has meant a significant decrease in those reporting that life at HAU
is boring.
It is also very interesting to note that there has been a general
improvement in student perceptions regarding teaching and learning
on the programme. While much of Chinese education, both at school
and university, is based on rote learning (Wang and Greenwood,
2015), it is pleasing to note that over time the students on this
programme are now more engaged with the Western pedagogic
aim of producing independent thinkers. They are also much more
inclined to acknowledge that lectures are a good means of teaching,
they learn a lot in tutorials (which are not part of the normal Chinese
system), they make regular use of the English language support staff,
and the lecturers are very helpful. It is also interesting to note that
while some literature (eg Wang and Greenwood, 2015) suggests
that Chinese students prefer multiple-choice type assessment and
are quite willing to engage in cheating and plagiarism the latest
cohort of these students are less inclined toward multiple choice
type questions and collusion with their friends when working on
assignments, perhaps reflecting their improved confidence in being
involved with the culture and reduced insecurities regarding their
performance. It can only be hypothesised that the work undertaken
by the BUA as well as HAU staff in China has inculcated the students
with something much more akin to a Western philosophy toward
teaching and learning on this programme and prepared them better
for their experiences overseas.
Finally, and as a result of the changed perceptions identified above
it is possible to develop a series of lessons for others involved in the
design and management of TNE programmes (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Ten Lessons for TNE Design and Management
1. Engage in TNE for the right reasons i.e. the student’s education.
2. Ensure that colleagues at the Partner institution fully understand
the operation of the programme by engaging in regular and
frequent communication with staff at both universities and
encourage academic and support staff visits to the Partner
institution to teach, share materials and develop relationships.
3. Be sympathetic to the style of teaching that the students have
been exposed to at school but adopt Western teaching practices
DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION TRANS-NATIONAL EDUCATION
(TNE) PROVISION: TEN LESSONS FROM AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT
and provide staff development opportunities at both universities
which address teaching and learning issues in cross cultural
programmes.
4. Work to prepare the students for coming to the host country
from the day they register on the course.
5. Don’t underestimate the value of a formal Induction Programme
when the students first arrive in the host country.
6. Ensure that the Induction Programme is of sufficient length to
allow for the students to properly acclimatise and take-in what is
likely to be a large amount of information when they first arrive
in the host country.
7. Provide all the necessary information but do so little-and-often
rather than in one big hit that may overwhelm the students to the
extent that they simply ignore it. It may also help to provide the
information in writing so that the students may return to it later
to ensure their understanding.
8. Work closely with the Student Course Representatives as these
students will disseminate information to the rest of the cohort.
These students are also invaluable in providing guidance and
support for the following cohort.
9. Use the relevant social media (e.g. QQ) to maintain regular
communication with the students and also to informally monitor
their views and feelings toward the programme
10. Use a formal system of Action Research to monitor the students
and take action to remedy issues as soon as they become
apparent.
Conclusion
TNE is an important component of many universities
internationalisation strategy. It not only generates financial revenue
but it provides a means of broadening the perspectives of both
students and staff. However, not all TNE initiatives are successful and
it is useful to consider key aspects arising from an action research
project that focuses on what may be deemed a successful TNE
programme. The findings highlight the pre-eminent importance of
the institutional relationship, the advantages of acculturating the
students as soon as they register on the programme and of the
benefits arising from a formal Induction Programme when they arrive
in the UK. This research also highlights the importance of monitoring
and continuous improvement of TNE programmes.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance provided by
Aneka Patel in the preparation of this paper as well as all the students