Introduction to
Academic Expectations
Learning how to adapt to contrasting cross-cultural academic expectations
Introduction
Learning style expectations differ significantly across cultures, especially in relation to what are called teacher- or student-centred approaches to the organisation of the educational experience.
More specifically, at international universities there are typically noticeably fewer face-to-face encounters with teachers while students are often expected to engage in forms of self- or independent study in response to assigned tasks. Therefore, the sudden transition to contrasting study expectations can initially trigger an experience of learning shock leading to a sense of disorientation, isolation, unwelcomed stress, or even homesickness.
Consequently, this course has been designed to familiarise students with the key contrasting learning challenges at international universities, while exploring simple practical solutions that can help to avoid or manage negative encounters. The five themes covered in this course are:
Investigating the causes of learning shock in relation to educational expectations
Examining the contrast between teacher- and student-centred learning styles
Exploring practical approaches to develop self- and independent learning skills
Managing the prioritisation and allocation of time
Learning how to successfully analyse, plan, and complete assigned projects
The Course Aim
To develop practical skills aimed at helping students to successfully adapt to new teaching methods and learning style expectations at international universities
The Course Objective
By the end of this course, students should be able to manage cross-cultural teaching and learning expectations to enable a confident adaptation to the new educational context.
The Key Learning Outcomes
The primary learning outcomes focus on an ability to do the following:
Anticipate the causes of culture shock
Analyse the contrast between direct and indirect communication
Evaluate the difference between teacher- and student-centred learning expectations
Avoid behaviour that leads to cultural isolation
Implement self-management strategies
Apply the 8 Ps of project planning and time allocation scheduling
Additional Online Tutorial Opportunities
If you are already taking this course using the self-study material but would also like an additional one-on-one online discussion about any of the issues, please book a tutorial session.
See also:
Culture shock to learn how to manage culture shock and the common negative consequences
Project planning to learn how to develop project planning and assignment management skills
Time management to learn how to develop time allocation and management skills in a cross-cultural context