| 1. |
- Anderson, Paul, et al.
(author)
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Connecting across cultures: student peer support for writing
- 2014
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In: Brookes eJournal of Learning and Teaching. - 1744-7747. ; 6:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One priority of teachers in higher education is to prepare learners for the careers that lie ahead of them. This article focuses on technical communication instruction for students in engineering and similar fields. The students will enter professional positions where they will often interact purely online with colleagues and clients from cultures which are different from their own. In these positions, the ability to provide effective feedback, peer review, will be critical to career success. This paper describes an online peer review exchange between students based in Sweden and students in the USA which aims to prepare engineering students for their future careers. In particular, this paper discusses how the online, intercultural nature of the peer review affected the comments students made and how students interpreted these comments. Finally, this paper offers advice for teachers embarking on similar projects.
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| 2. |
- Anderson, Paul, et al.
(author)
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Peer Reviewing Across the Atlantic Patterns and Trends in L1 and L2 Comments Made in an Asynchronous Online Collaborative Learning Exchange Between Technical Communication Students in Sweden and in the United States
- 2010
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In: Journal of Business and Technical Communication. - : SAGE Publications. - 1050-6519 .- 1552-4574. ; 24:3, s. 296-322
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In a globally networked learning environment (GNLE), 16 students at a university in Sweden and 17 students at a university in the United States exchanged peer-review comments on drafts of assignments they prepared in English for their technical communication classes. The instructors of both sets of students had assigned the same projects and taught their courses in the same way that they had in the previous year, which contrasts with the common practice of having students in partnering courses work on the same assignment or on linked assignments created specifically for the GNLE. The authors coded the students' 816 comments according to their focus and orientation in order to investigate the possible differences between the comments made by the L2 students in Sweden and those made by the L1 (English as a second language) students in the United States, the possible impact of peer reviewing online, and the influence of the instructors' directions on the students' peer-reviewing behavior.
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| 3. |
- Bergman, Becky, 1970, et al.
(author)
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An inclusive, international learning environment?
- 2020
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- One of the Chalmers’ prioritized strategies for 2019-2021 is to reflect the diversity of society in an inclusive international learning environment. This should include developing activities that contribute to greater inclusion between international and national students and enabling global perspectives by drawing up learning objectives and activities for intercultural standards, attitudes and values. These strategies connect to national requirements for the engineering programs where students should demonstrate the capacity for teamwork and collaboration with various constellations. However, results from the International Student Barometer (2019) that show that although international students rank Chalmers highest in Europe when it comes to teaching and learning, they also rank Chalmers near the bottom when it comes to integration between home and international students. At Master’s level, approximately 35% of the students are labelled international i.e. from outside Sweden though this percentage varies quite dramatically from program to program. The main groups represented are India and China but we have students from at least 80 countries. According to the Chalmers mission statement, we should raise our level of internationalization in education to secure intellectual exchange and new stimuli. But how can this exchange take place if home and international students are not integrating with each other? This session will consist of three 10-minute presentations from three different Master programs at Chalmers. Each program has different challenges, for example in terms of the ratio between home and international students and pre knowledge required to follow courses. The presenters will provide a brief description of their individual situation in terms of their student groups. They will then describe how they have worked proactively to encourage greater inclusion, including work with both the formal and the informal curriculum (Leask, 2015). The formal curriculum is defined as the syllabus in terms of the program goals and the courses within the program. The informal curriculum covers any additional unassessed activities, for example, social activities. Finally, they will provide a future vision to work with these questions, in terms of future priorities and actions. The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion led by the session chair where questions will be taken from the audience. This session will be of particular interest to anyone who is working in an international learning environment, particularly those involved at Master program level. An inclusive environment will not only benefit all students, but has been shown to have a positive effect on results as well (De Vita, 2010). References De Vita, G. (2002). Does assessed multicultural group work really pull UK students' average down?. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 27(2), 153-161. Leask, B. (2015). Internationalizing the curriculum. Routledge.
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| 4. |
- Bergman, Becky, 1970, et al.
(author)
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Att utbilda pedagogerna, är det nyckeln till lyckad internationalisering?
- 2022
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Pedagoger har en stor potential till att agera som agenter för förändring. Hur kan denna till stor del orealiserade potential tillvaratas? Kan utvecklandet av en nationell gemensam högskolepedagogisk kurs göra att dessa möjligheter realiseras? En av de uppenbara utmaningarna är de olika behov som finns på landets lärosäten. Under detta interaktiva pass kommer dessa utmaningar att beröras och möjligheter till utformandet av en gemensam högskolepedagogisk kurs att diskuteras med de medverkande.
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| 5. |
- Bergman, Becky, 1970
(author)
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Bridging the gap: Integrating Content and Language in the English-Mediated Classroom
- 2016
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In: English as a Global Language Education Journal. ; 2:1, s. 65-86
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- English is being used as the medium of instruction in an increasing number and range of courses, programs and universities. It is therefore crucial that both teachers and students can deal with the demands that such a study environment places upon them in order to maintain the same quality of education. Such demands include issues of processing the content and learning materials, and interacting with classmates and instructors in English. This article discusses how integrating content and language teaching (ICL) could be one way to address some of these challenges. ICL is defined in this context as content and language teachers working together on the same course. One example is given of the electrical engineering program at a technical university where content and language are integrated throughout the program in order to provide the students with the skills required both by the EMI university environment but also by the workplace of today. Factors in designing such courses are discussed such as the learning objectives of the program; integrated activities; deep approaches to learning; formative feedback over summative feedback; and peer learning. It is argued that the collaboration between the “outsider” (the language teacher) and the “insider” (the content teacher) provide the former with an insight into the demands of the discipline on the student and the latter with an increased awareness of academic literacies.
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| 6. |
- Bergman, Becky, 1970
(author)
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Engaging with Diversity and Inclusion: Unwrapping Layers of Practices
- 2022
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Internationalization is part of over 90% of universities’ key strategies and student mobility is a key part of that strategy. At the same time, home and international students do not tend to mix. Recent government initiatives in Sweden have stressed the need for all students to develop their intercultural competence, yet only a small minority will travel. The concept of internationalization at home argues that students can benefit from the exchange of ideas and broadened horizons on their own campuses, through bringing together home and international students. The aim of this presentation is to investigate the process of integration from a student perspective (both home and international), in particular, the effect of practices like intercultural pair and group work on academic and social integration. For engineering students, intercultural group work is an essential skill for the global workplace many will work in. Using a co-constructivist approach, the presentation will present data collected through interviews and student diaries, to build a picture of student experiences of integration into engineering education. The results show that intercultural pair work has the potential to bridge some of the academic-social divides experienced by many students in the international environment.
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| 7. |
- Bergman, Becky, 1970, et al.
(author)
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Forming effective culturally diverse work teams in project courses
- 2017
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In: 13th international CDIO conference proceedings CDIO, June 18-22 2017, Calgary. - 1796-9964. - 9780889533998 ; 2017:13, s. 508-518
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A culturally diverse student population at Master’s level is a reality at many universities today, as it is at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. However, a common issue is the lack of interaction between home and international students, which counteracts university goals of fostering intercultural cooperation. This paper will discuss and evaluate a pilot project in one Master’s program in production engineering, where activities around group diversity were integrated into a company-based project course. Students were assigned groups where a mixture of backgrounds and expertise were prioritised.The project used a number of group dynamics activities including a pre-survey of expectations of group work; negotiating a group contract; and continuous peer group assessment in order to develop and reflect on the skills required in a culturally diverse work team.From reflective essays that students wrote, as well as interviews carried out, the project and tasks were evaluated. The following themes were identified: attitudes to diversity; the importance of well-functioning communication; and attitudes and roles within the group.Results show that students found this a challenging but useful environment to work in and found the group dynamics activities helpful in negotiating this environment. Continuous peer group assessment, in particular, was seen as helpful in providing a forum for feedback and discussion on individual performance in the group and challenges for the group as a whole.Recommendations include constructive alignment within the program in terms of clear goals, activities and assessment, in order to build up these skills and awareness, not only in a single course but throughout the program.
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| 8. |
- Bergman, Becky, 1970
(author)
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Home and international students’ integration into engineering education: Intercultural competence in the curriculum
- 2023
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Academic and social integration is both important for student success in higher education and a challenge for the international university (Severiens et al., 2006). This mixed-method study uses the lens of two integration models to study the academic and social integration of a mixed group of Swedish and international students starting a master’s engineering program online (Tinto, 1975; Spencer-Oatey and Dauber, 2019). Both models make it clear that the responsibility for integration is not just the individual student’s, but also the structure around them. The students in the study worked in teacher-formed intercultural pairs. The results highlighted factors which promoted integration and others which affected it negatively. Pair work was generally helpful though it hid a more challenging reality at times, for example with different academic experiences. This was circumvented by some through inventive ways of sharing tasks, problem solving together, and in some cases, going beyond the tasks to forming friendships with one another. The high work pace and working online were more problematic. One clear finding was the work pressure all students were under. The combination of an international, problem-based learning, time limited, online setting contributed to the students feeling overwhelmed. The study concludes that integration takes more time in an international, online environment but that teacher formed mixed nationality pair work can provide one way to bridge the academic – social divide experienced by many students in the international environment. At the same time, there can be greater challenges; therefore, it is important with pedagogical support. Severiens, S., ten Dam, G., & Blom, S. (2006). Comparison of Dutch ethnic minority and majority engineering students: Social and academic integration. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10(1), 75-89. Spencer-Oatey, H., & Dauber, D. (2019). What is integration and why is it important for internationalization? A multidisciplinary review. Journal of studies in international education, 23(5), 515-534. Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of educational research, 45(1), 89-125.
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| 9. |
- Bergman, Becky, 1970, et al.
(author)
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How Can We Prepare Teachers for Increasingly (Culturally) Diverse Classrooms?
- 2023
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- OVERVIEW OF WORKSHOP A goal at many engineering institutes is to attract more diverse students. An important aspect of increased diversity is inclusion and integration into the classroom and university. However, teachers are seldom prepared for the changing student group that this implies and yet they are crucial actors in the successful integration of these students into both the formal and informal curriculum. The first stage of the workshop will set the stage by comparing diversity goals in the participants’ institutional settings and sharing examples of how they are being achieved. In the second stage, the workshop will assist participants to formulate their own activities for the diverse classroom, using activities partly taken from a faculty course in Diversity and inclusion in learning in higher education being taught at Chalmers University of Technology. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a toolkit of ideas to facilitate the diverse classroom, with a particular focus on cultural diversity and the international environments that our institutes have become. KEYWORDS (Culturally) diverse, inclusion, teachers, Standards: 9, 10 DURATION 120 minutes ACTIVITIES Part 1: Setting the scene (approx. 30 mins) 1) Share diversity goals at department and institution level 2) Share examples of how these goals are being achieved In this first part, participants are invited to share the diversity and inclusion goals at their own institutions and bring examples of how these goals are being realised. Diversity is defined in a broader context as including people with different and multiple characteristics. The examples might be in a variety of forms, from faculty focused initiatives such as professional training to student focused initiatives such as program/ course goals and activities in and outside the classroom. The workshop facilitators will share their own examples of a faculty training course in diversity and program / course interventions for students. Examples will be collected and shared with the participants afterwards. Part 2: Teaching in the (culturally) diverse classroom (approx. 90 mins) 1) A brief presentation of existing activities teachers have employed at Chalmers university in the course “Diversity and inclusion for learning in higher education” 2) Exploring different activities together for inclusion in the culturally diverse classroom 3) Final reflection regarding the relevance to your own context / institution Part 2 will start with a brief presentation of the results of a survey sent out to teachers participating in a faculty course in diversity. In this survey, teachers were asked to describe the activities that they have used to facilitate the diversity in their classrooms, a follow-up to the final assignment in the course where they were asked to plan these activities. The workshop will then continue by working with some activities together which the facilitators have used in the culturally diverse or international classroom. Three examples of such activities are the cultural star, the fishbowl and the 360 model. The first activity functions as an icebreaker /getting-to-know-you activity. The second encourages empathy and the third is used to reflect on group dynamics at the start of a project. Finally, participants will put together their own reflections for activities that they might use in their own contexts. TARGET AUDIENCE Anyone involved in engineering education including teachers, administration, management and interested in issues of diversity, inclusion and equity. Background knowledge: No prior knowledge of diversity work required OUTCOMES By the end of the workshop, participants will have a toolkit of ideas to facilitate the (culturally) diverse classroom which is applicable to their own institutional setting. This toolkit will include finding out about student diversity at the start of the course (both for the teacher and for the student); working with constructive alignment and diversity; group forming and the motivation behind that. REFERENCES Bergman, B., Norman, A., Carlsson, C., Nåfors, D., & Skoogh, A. (2017, June). Forming effective culturally diverse work teams in project courses. In Proceedings of the 13th International CDIO Conference, Calgary, AB, Canada (pp. 18-22). Rienties, B., Luchoomun, D., & Tempelaar, D. (2014). Academic and social integration of Master students: a cross-institutional comparison between Dutch and international students. Innovations in education and teaching international, 51(2), 130-141 Spencer-Oatey, H., & Dauber, D. (2019). What is integration and why is it important for internationalization? A multidisciplinary review. Journal of studies in international education, 23(5), 515-534. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Becky Bergman is a senior lecturer at Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Communication and Learning in Science, Gothenburg, Sweden, where she works with intercultural communication and diversity with both students and staff. She is also a PhD candidate at the same university where her main research interests are intercultural communication, internationalisation at home and intercultural group work. She is examiner for a faculty course “Diversity and Inclusion for Learning in Higher Education”. Lena Peterson is a senior lecturer in electronic circuit design at Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Computer Science and Engineering. She has held various management positions related to education and teaches three courses in the master’s programme “Embedded Electronic System Design” among which is a half-term project course. She has cooperated with Becky Bergman in the course “Diversity and Inclusion for Learning in Higher Education”. Corresponding author Becky Bergman Chalmers University of Technology Department of Communication and Learning in Science Hörsalsvägen 2, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden becky@chalmers.se
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| 10. |
- Bergman, Becky, 1970, et al.
(author)
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Individual experiences of intercultural group work in engineering education over time: beyond 'home' and 'international' labels
- 2023
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In: European Journal of Engineering Education. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0304-3797 .- 1469-5898. ; 48:1, s. 143-156
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Intercultural group work (IGW), where students from different nationalities work together, is one important way to develop intercultural competence, a key skill for engineering students. This longitudinal, qualitative study of five master's engineering students follows their individual experiences in IGW and the affordances and challenges this way of working provides. In particular, the study problematises the use of the terms 'home' and 'international', often used to differentiate student experiences in IGW, by highlighting the range of student backgrounds and experiences which can be encompassed within them. The results show that the students' self-positioning in their group and their sense of belonging to it are affected by a range of factors including previous experience, the nature of the group work and personal aspects such as openness and adaptability. In addition, belonging to the group can be a transient process influenced in part by critical incidents during the group work process.
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