Academic literature on the topic 'Student exchange programs Australia'

Although student international exchange programs commonly claim to facilitate participants' intercultural competence, questions remain as to how this competence might be adequately and validly assessed. In this article, the notion of Cultural Responsiveness is used to assist in interpreting and categorizing students' experiences and intercultural learning through study abroad programs. Data on the Australian undergraduate student participants' unique backgrounds, experiences and perceptions was collected after they had completed an exchange program in Switzerland or France. Using the Cultural Responsiveness categorization developed through this study, three parameters of students' intercultural experiences emerged: Awareness, Engagement and Bringing Knowledge Home. Using these three parameters, this article proposes that the notion of Cultural Responsiveness provides a useful method for identification of students' responses to the experiences of study abroad programs.

The value of international student exchange programs is well documented—from the perspective of visiting students and sending institutions. This article reports on research that aimed to capture different perspectives by talking with host Thai students who interacted with and translated for visiting Australian social work students. This focus on the experience of international exchange from the perspective of the hosting Thai students foregrounds these seldom-heard voices, highlighting the potential benefits of engagement and reflective learning for host students and institutions. The analyzed data show that there are numerous opportunities for host students to benefit from international exchange and to develop the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that are necessary prerequisites for intercultural learning and sensitivity. The article illustrates the high demands on hosts and can inform good practice in the planning and design of exchange programs.

Establishing strong connections between universities within initial teacher education (ITE) programs not only takes time, but it also presents opportunities and challenges. Tertiary music educators are called to prepare ITE students/pre-service teachers to be culturally responsive. This article forms part of our wider study “See, Listen and Share: Exploring Intercultural Music Education in a Transnational Experience Across Three Universities (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia; Deakin University, Australia; and Universitat Jaume I of Castelló, Spain). For this article, we draw on student web survey data, anecdotal feedback, and our reflections. We employ Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as a tool to thematically group our surveys into three broad overarching themes to inform our findings and discussions. We argue that music education is an effective vehicle for exploring culture and diversity through song. Our findings show that our ITE students built positive attitudes about using songs in their generalist primary and early childhood classrooms. They also recognized the importance of collaborative sharing using face-to-face and Skype. This project proved a worthy experience for all concerned, it formed a rich part of our professional learning. We encourage others to consider the approach as one way to promote multicultural music and cultural diversity within ITE programs and across other educational settings.

Purpose The present paper aims to outline the case for diversity gains for employers via virtual internships, while recognizing the role of government and educational support. Design/methodology/approach In the context of Australian employment statistics about people with disabilities, the actors, key issues and barriers to utilizing virtual internships are explored. Findings The results of an online survey with 24 career, access and inclusion service officers at Australian universities suggested that the large majority were unfamiliar with virtual internships, as many shared concerns about what kind of learning and mentoring opportunities such computer-mediated internships may provide to their students. Practical implications Employers embracing new e-HR developments may be particularly well situated to adopt virtual internships and combine these effectively with existing diversity initiatives, many of which already include mentoring and learning opportunities. A closer dialogue with career, access and inclusion services may further support a fruitful knowledge exchange and reduce the concerns of educational representatives about virtual internships and their usefulness to increase the employment prospects of people with disabilities. Originality/value At present, virtual internship programs remain the exception, and are often not connected with diversity initiatives, nor are virtual internships well known among student services. However, virtual internships represent a promising opportunity for employers who wish to access untapped national (or even international) talent pools and thus candidates that would benefit from and contribute to their diversity initiatives.

Foreign scholars move to international destinations and enroll in institutions for academic courses of study. The students form a promising niche’ market and is the third export earner in Australia. Africa is endowed with unique geographical features which attract the students who enroll in programs such as; eco-tourism, heritage tourism, rural/farm tourism and student exchanges between educational institutions. Africa recognizes educational tourism as a promising niche’ market segment to cushion out the fluctuating numbers of other market segments. The region receives about 14% foreign scholars yearly to add to those existing in their institutions of learning. Kenya receives 50,000 of the students distributed as 1% admissions to public universities and 12% to private universities, a constant 200,000 international students annually. The reasons why scholars from developed nations do not prioritize Africa should be investigated to increase Kenya’s market share. The study purposed to establish the tourist activities that are of interest to the scholars. The scholars from all over the globe join Kenya’s institutions of higher learning and throughout their course of study, they will be attached to attraction sites either as part of their study or as leisure activities. UNESCO supports travel of students to foreign destinations in order to enhance and promote culture and international understanding. International students visit several tourist attraction sites and can be classified as foreign or local tourists. Questionnaires were administered to the scholars, the heads of foreign student offices were subjected in-depth interviews while the communities offering tourism participated in focus group discussions. Only 29.7% (98) had involved themselves with various activities in the communities while a considerable number (65.2%) did not involve themselves in the activities within host communities. However, there was a significant relationship between tourists’ activity options and sustainable tourism development, the P-value 0.029 (P-value<0.05). When tourists’ activity options and economic impact were cross tabulated, no significant relationship was displayed because P-value is 0.301 (P-value>0.05). Majority 58.7% of the students were self-driven to the local communities. The study shows that most of the activities linked to educational trips are organized in relation to the products of tourism available within destinations. Keywords: International students, international destinations, local destinations, niche’ market, foreign scholars

The 2022 International Conference on Governance of Accounting and Global Business Management (GAGBM 2022) was successfully held in Yantai, China from July 16-17, 2022 by the Shanghai Maritime University, University of Leicester and University of South Australia. The conference offered extraordinary opportunities for educators, teachers, researchers, administrators and decision-makers to exchange and gain new insights on the ongoing research works and an opportunity to collaborate with like-minded researchers from across the world. This conference covered a variety of sessions, including the works on 1) governance of accounting; 2) economic development; 3) finance & investment; 4) marketing research and strategy; and 5) global business management. GAGBM 2022 is a platform for researchers, engineers, academics and industry professionals from around the world to showcase their sustainability and research results and development activities in marketing research and global business management. We sincerely invite all researchers, scholars, engineers, students and people to be interested in these areas and participate in our conference. On behalf of the committee, we would like to thank the authors, reviewers, advisory board, committee members, presenters, and participants. Recognition should go to the GAGBM 2022 team members who have all worked extremely hard for the details of important aspects of the conference programs and social activities. Special thanks are also given to the conference proceedings publisher. We would like to thank all parties for their participation in supporting this publication. We hope to see you all at the next conference. Kind regards, GAGBM Organizing Committees Yantai, China

This work is devoted to the study of factors that shape the competitiveness of higher education institutions in the international market of educational services. To this end, the work considers the areas of state participation, which provide incentives for the export of educational services that have not only financial but also reputational and innovative benefits. In addition, it is noted that specialized organizations that operate in many countries and are involved in attracting foreign students to their country (for example, national agencies, academic services, educational foundations, international exchange centers, etc.) and educational TNCs (as DAAD, British Council, CIMO, EduFrance 35, IDP Education Australia, etc.) play an important role. International organizations (such as the Council of Europe, UNESCO, the World Bank, the OECD, etc.) also form an information and advisory field for the international market of educational services, public authorities - regulatory. Increasing competition in the international market of educational services encourages the identification of factors that affect the competitiveness of educational institutions and their competitive advantages. These include the following: stability of financial and economic situation and flexible pricing policy, development of international relations and its advertising activities, the formation of a positive image, the availability of innovative educational programs using information technology, geographical location, specifics of public and private funding, teaching quality and training, etc. However, it is necessary not only to have them, but also to use them correctly, depending on the specifics of each educational institution. In addition, rankings are considered an effective tool for ensuring the quality of higher education. In the course of this work the top institutions of higher education according to QS World University Ranking, Academic Ranking of World Universities, Times Higher Education World University Ranking are analyzed. This revealed that American higher education institutions have the greatest competitive advantages in the international market of educational services and accumulate a large percentage of foreign students.

This thesis presents the findings of a descriptive study of goals of international exchange and how they are perceived in terms of relevance by host family participants in homestay exchange programs. The literature of international exchange was examined to identify goals as established and defined by researchers in the field. Experienced exchange coordinators, host families and others were interviewed for their suggestions of additional goals not discussed in the literature. A survey questionnaire was developed and administered to 69 host family members from Tillamook County, Oregon. They were asked to evaluate the importance and achievement of 14 literature-based and 22 non-literature-based goals represented by 43 two-part questions.

The focus of this research is the learning of host families participating in the curricula of student exchange programs. The role of the host family is central to the exchange event, but hosting is often a problematic experience during which the host family faces may dilemmas. The research substantiates the relevance of family systems theory in relation to the host family and positions the host family in an intercultural context. Phenomenographic techniques are used to describe the different ways of experiencing a hosting event and to account for how these ways occur. The phenomenon of Hosting is described by the conception of Synergy. A Spectrum of Experience, rather than a hierarchy, is defined by the four components of :fit, responsibility, investment and learning. Host family dilemmas and discernment are related to prior experience of hosting and the Synergy between expectations and learning outcomes. Intercultural learning in a hosting event is identified as participants' understanding of themselves, the process of hosting, communication skills and an appreciation of cultural heritage. Host family expectations have an impact before, during and after the hosting event while realistic expectations recognise the potential for learning moments as well as the contribution that conflicts, confrontations and challenges make to learning and growth in an intercultural context. Best preparation and best practice for host family participation involves an understanding of experiential learning, training program design and strategies for ongoing support systems
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 2000.
"Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Education, University of Western Sydney, Nepean." "June 2000" Bibliography: leaves 276 - 302.

An increasing reliance on expatriate employees makes it critical that multinational organizations make a concerted effort to facilitate the successful transition of employees from foreign cultures. The parallels between the experience of expatriate employees and international students suggests that the results of research investigating issues of cross‑cultural adaptability that are conducted in academic settings should generalize to the workplace. The current study investigated the influence of the Sino‑American 1+2+1 Dual Degree Program on the cross‑cultural adaptability, acculturation, and withdrawal intentions of international students. It was hypothesized that participants in the 1+2+1 program would demonstrate higher levels of psychological adaptability and socio‑cultural adaptability, while demonstrating lower levels of withdrawal intentions. In addition, it was hypothesized that 1+2+1 participants would be more likely to adopt an acculturation orientation style than 1+2+1 non‑participants. To test the hypotheses, survey responses were obtained from 50 Chinese international students who were currently enrolled at California State University, San Bernardino, Northern Arizona University, and Coastal Carolina University. Results provided partial support for the 1+2+1 program improving the socio‑cultural adaptability of international students, while providing no support for the other three hypotheses. An interpretation of the results is provided that cites past studies which present potential explanations for the findings. Finally, an overview of the limitations of the current study, as well as the theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

This study is an investigation of the relationship between assessment, teaching and learning from the perspective of undergraduate students. It consisted of three stages which were developmental in nature with each stage informing the next and providing overall focus and direction. Students participating had completed at least five semesters of their undergraduate porogram.Findings from the literature, the interviews and the survey confirmed the central role the assessment process plays in shaping student learning. Ways feedback was used to inform learning as well as the types of assessment strategies employed emerged as key factors associated with students' motivations to learn. Nine practice related recommendations are made and four issues requiring further research are identified
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This study asks, “How can international educational exchange contribute to more peacefulsocieties?” To test the first two steps in a proposed causal pathway, this paper hypothesizes thatstudents from non-democratic countries who study in a democratic country will 1) have more favorable views toward human rights than students who have not studied in a democratic country; and 2) be more likely to advocate for human rights protections in their home country than students who have not studied in a democratic country. Utilizing a natural experiment design, this study did not find support for either hypothesis when comparing international students who had studied in the United States with those who were unable to due to Covid-19. There were, however, statistically significant differences in political activism levels for the variables of socio-economic status and previous experience in a democratic country before university. This suggests that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who study in a democratic country may ultimately secure more politically influential careers in their home country due to the theory of cultural capital. As these students are more likely to support political activism, they may use their influence to advocate for improved human rights protections, contributing to more peaceful societies.

Um interkulturelle Interaktionen verstehen und erklären zu können, bedarf es eines Ansatzes, der offen für die Selbst- und Weltverhältnisse aller beteiligten Interaktanden ist und sich dementsprechend emischer, nicht etischer, Beschreibungen von Handlungen und damit verknüpften Bedeutungszuschreibungen verpflichtet fühlt. Auf Basis (1) eines Kulturbegriffs, der von der Kulturdurchdrungenheit jeglichen Handelns einerseits und der (an individuelles Handeln gebundenen) Handlungsbedingtheit von Kultur andererseits ausgeht, wie dies in der Kulturpsychologie der Fall ist, und (2) qualitativ-sinnverstehender Methodologie und Methoden empirischer Sozialforschung ist dies möglich. Da das Verstehen von (kulturell fremden) Handlungen als Grundlage interkulturell kompetenten Handelns gelten kann, kommt der Lehre hermeneutisch-sinnverstehender Ansätze in der Ausbildung interkultureller Kompetenz somit eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Diesen Zusammenhängen widmet sich die in drei Großkapitel gegliederte – teilkumulative – Dissertation. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit werden die Symbolic Action Theory Ernst E. Boeschs, die handlungstheoretisch und kulturpsychologisch fundierte Relationale Hermeneutik Jürgen Straubs und der Grounded Theory-Ansatzes (Glaser/Strauss) im Hinblick auf ihre Eignung für die Erforschung und Lehre interkultureller Kommunikation und Kompetenz beleuchtet, ihre besondere Nützlichkeit für diesen Kontext begründet und zum Verfahren der ‚pragma-semantischen Analyse’ verdichtet. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit sind die acht eingereichten Schriften in Originalfassung abgedruckt. Eine Zusammenfassung der zentralen Inhalte und Forschungsergebnisse sowie eine Darstellung der inhaltlichen und entstehungsgeschichtlichen Zusammenhänge der einzelnen Schriften findet sich in Kapitel 1.3. Vor dem Hintergrund des zentralen Themas der Erforschung und Lehre interkultureller Kommunikation rücken in Teil 2 konkrete Handlungsfelder (Tourismus, internationaler Schüleraustausch und Hochschule) in den Blick, die im Rahmen von Forschungs- und Lehrforschungsprojekten untersucht wurden. „Pragma-semantische Analysen zur Erforschung interkultureller Kommunikation“ (2.1) ist eine Studie, die am Beispiel eines reisebiographischen Interviews – in konsequenter Fortsetzung des ersten Teils der Arbeit – die Leistung des komparativen Vorgehens vorführt. Dem Zusammenhang zwischen touristischen Reisen und interkultureller Kommunikation und Kompetenz ist der Handbuchartikel „Tourismus“ (2.2) gewidmet. Die Studie „Touristische Begegnungen aus der Perspektive einer Psychologie interkulturellen Handelns“ (2.3) basiert auf vom Autor erhobenen Beobachtungs- und Gesprächsdaten in Ladakh (im indischen Teil des Himalaya). Die Studie „Experiences and Coping Strategies of Host Families in International Youth Exchange“ (2.4) basiert auf im Rahmen eines Lehrforschungsprojekts erhobenen narrativ-biografischen Interviews und analysiert Erfahrungen und Umgangsstrategien der Gasteltern im Hinblick auf kulturelle Differenz. Mit der programmatischen Betrachtung „Interkulturell ausgerichtete Studiengänge“ (2.5) beginnt der dritte Themenkomplex (Hochschule), der sich der Fruchtbarmachung der in Teil 1 und im Kapitel 2.1. dargestellten Theorien und Methoden für die Lehre im Bereich ‚Interkulturelle Kommunikation’ sowie für die Ausbildung interkultureller Kompetenz widmet. Im Kapitel „Akteure\" (2.6) wird dies mit Bezug u.a. auf die Anforderungen an Studierende, das Lehrpersonal und an die involvierten Institutionen konkretisiert. Der Text „Lehrforschung und Lehrforschungsprojekte“ (2.7) sowie die aus einem Lehrforschungsprojekt entstandene „Bedarfsanalyse“ (2.8) demonstrieren beispielhaft die enge Verzahnung von Forschung und Lehre, Theorie und Praxis und zeigen, wie das in den Kapiteln 2.5 und 2.6 formulierte Programm in der Lehre umgesetzt werden kann. In Teil 3 der Arbeit werden die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse für die Ausbildung im Bereich interkultureller Kommunikation und Kompetenz an der TU Chemnitz fruchtbar gemacht. Insbesondere der ermittelte Bedarf (2.8) an interkulturell ausgerichteten Studienangeboten an der TU Chemnitz sowie die in Kapitel 3.1 vorgenommene vertiefte Analyse der konkreten Standortfaktoren ermöglicht die empirisch und theoretisch fundierte Entwicklung eines detaillierten Konzepts zur Ausbildung Interkultureller Kommunikation und Kompetenz an der TU Chemnitz, das in Kapitel 3.2. dargestellt ist
If one views intercultural competence not as a set of – ultimately parameter-based – skills, but as a result of an understanding of otherness, intercultural competence cannot be taught as such. What can be taught, however, is the way one can make sense of otherness, hermeneutics. Understanding and explaining intercultural interactions requires an approach that is open to the self and world relations of interactants and thus committed to emic, not etic, description of actions and ascription of meaning to actions. This necessitates an understanding of culture that views culture as a result of individual action and all action as steeped in culture. Methodologically, this calls for qualitative interpretive methods. This – partially cumulative – dissertation consists of three parts. The first part discusses in detail two hermeneutic approaches to interculturality: Ernst E. Boesch’s Symbolic Action Theory and Jürgen Straub’s Relational Hermeneutics. Using Grounded Theory (Glaser/Strauss), these two approaches can be turned into a highly useful tool for the investigation of intercultural phenomena: Pragma-Semantic Analysis. The second part contains eight papers and articles. Starting with three papers demonstrating the usefulness of pragma-semantic analysis if applied to authentic ethnographic data, this part also explores interculturality in host families in international youth exchange and the intercultural systematics of tourism. The other four papers address various aspects of teaching the subject of Intercultural Communication at universities – degree structures, teaching/research projects and needs analysis. The recurring theme in these four papers is the necessity of a close interrelation between research and teaching as well as theory and practice. The third part, based on a case study from the second, outlines challenges and opportunities for the development of intercultural study programmes at the University of Chemnitz. The methodology employed here is pertinent to all universities wishing to implement intercultural studies programmes that suit their particular local and institutional requirements

Mito, Susanna K. A.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-226).
Abstracts in English and Chinese; appendix also in Japanese.
ABSTRACT (English) --- p.i
ABSTRACT (Chinese) --- p.ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.v
TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.vii
LIST OF TABLES --- p.xix
ACRONYMS --- p.xx
Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1.1 --- Background to this Study --- p.1
Chapter 1.2 --- Purpose of this Study --- p.2
Chapter 1.3 --- Research Questions --- p.3
Chapter 1.4 --- Significance of this Study --- p.4
Chapter 1.5 --- Organization --- p.5
Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW
Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.7
Chapter 2.1.1 --- Terminology --- p.7
Chapter 2.1.1.1 --- Study Abroad --- p.7
Chapter 2.1.1.2 --- Program Duration --- p.8
Chapter 2.2 --- Overview of Study Abroad Literature --- p.8
Chapter 2.2.1 --- Product-Orientated Studies of Language and Intercultural Learning --- p.9
Chapter 2.2.2 --- Process-Orientated Studies of Language and Intercultural Learning --- p.11
Chapter 2.3 --- Intercultural Communicative Competence --- p.16
Chapter 2.3.1 --- Byram's (1997) Model of Intercultural Communicative Competence --- p.21
Chapter 2.4 --- Individual Differences and Study Abroad --- p.27
Chapter 2.4.1 --- Attitude --- p.28
Chapter 2.4.2 --- "Motivation, Investment and Language Learning" --- p.31
Chapter 2.4.3 --- Willingness to Communicate (WTC) --- p.33
Chapter 2.4.4 --- Language Anxiety --- p.35
Chapter 2.4.5 --- Self-Efficacy --- p.36
Chapter 2.4.6 --- "Ecology, Linguistic/Cultural Affordances and Agency" --- p.37
Chapter 2.4.7 --- Culture Shock and Adjustment --- p.39
Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.44
Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.46
Chapter 3.2 --- Part One: Overview of the Micro-term Study Abroad Program --- p.46
Chapter 3.2.1 --- Overview of the Micro-term Study Abroad Program --- p.46
Chapter 3.2.1.1. --- Program Aims --- p.46
Chapter 3.2.1.2 --- Home Institution --- p.47
Chapter 3.2.1.2.1 --- Background --- p.47
Chapter 3.2.1.2.2 --- International Course --- p.47
Chapter 3.2.1.3 --- Host Institution --- p.48
Chapter 3.2.1.3.1 --- Background --- p.48
Chapter 3.2.1.3.2 --- Homestay Family Selection Process --- p.48
Chapter 3.2.1.3.3 --- The Buddy System --- p.49
Chapter 3.2.2 --- Program Components --- p.49
Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Pre-Sojourn --- p.49
Chapter 3.2.2.1.1 --- Pre-Sojourn Preparation --- p.49
Chapter 3.2.2.1.1.1. --- Pre-Sojourn Recruitment --- p.50
Chapter 3.2.2.1.2 --- Orientation Materials --- p.51
Chapter 3.2.2.1.3 --- Orientation Procedures --- p.53
Chapter 3.2.2.1.3.1 --- Cultural Exchange Preparation --- p.53
Chapter 3.2.2.1.3.2 --- Comparative Study --- p.53
Chapter 3.2.2.1.3.3 --- Goal Setting --- p.54
Chapter 3.2.2.1.3.4 --- Linguistic Preparation --- p.54
Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Sojourn --- p.54
Chapter 3.2.2.3 --- Post-Sojourn --- p.55
Chapter 3.3 --- Part Two: Investigation of the Micro-term Study Abroad Program --- p.55
Chapter 3.3.1 --- Research Design --- p.55
Chapter 3.3.2 --- The Researcher --- p.56
Chapter 3.3.3 --- Pilot Study --- p.57
Chapter 3.3.3.1 --- Aims --- p.57
Chapter 3.3.3.2 --- Instrument Testing --- p.57
Chapter 3.3.3.3 --- Data Processing and Analysis --- p.58
Chapter 3.3.3.4 --- Findings --- p.59
Chapter 3.3.3.5 --- Lessons Learned --- p.60
Chapter 3.3.4 --- Main Study --- p.61
Chapter 3.3.4.1 --- Stakeholders --- p.61
Chapter 3.3.4.1.1 --- Home Institution --- p.61
Chapter 3.3.4.1.1.1 --- Ms Mori --- p.61
Chapter 3.3.4.1.1.2 --- Mr Fujimori --- p.62
Chapter 3.3.4.1.1.3 --- Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) --- p.62
Chapter 3.3.4.1.2 --- Host Institution --- p.63
Chapter 3.3.4.1.2.1 --- Ms Ross --- p.63
Chapter 3.3.4.1.2.2 --- Mrs Farmer --- p.63
Chapter 3.3.4.1.2.3 --- Mr Cressing --- p.64
Chapter 3.3.4.1.2.4 --- Mr French --- p.64
Chapter 3.3.4.1.3 --- Host Family Profiles --- p.64
Chapter 3.3.4.2 --- Data Collection --- p.66
Chapter 3.3.4.2.1 --- Questionnaires --- p.67
Chapter 3.3.4.2.2 --- Interviews --- p.70
Chapter 3.3.4.2.3 --- Journals --- p.71
Chapter 3.3.4.2.4 --- Observation and Field Notes --- p.72
Chapter 3.3.4.3 --- Triangulation of Data --- p.73
Chapter 3.3.4.4 --- Time Frame and Data Collection --- p.73
Chapter 3.3.4.5 --- Data Processing and Analysis --- p.75
Chapter 3.3.4.6 --- Participants --- p.76
Chapter 3.3.4.6.1 --- Selection Criteria for Four Case Participants --- p.76
Chapter 3.3.4.6.2 --- Demographic and Language Background --- p.77
Chapter 3.3.5 --- Validity and Reliability --- p.79
Chapter 3.3.6 --- Ethics --- p.80
Chapter 3.3.7 --- Limitations --- p.81
Chapter 3.3.8 --- Summary --- p.83
Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- STUDENT STORIES:HlROKO AND KENJI
Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.85
Chapter 4.2 --- Hiroko's Journey --- p.85
Chapter 4.2.1 --- Profile & Family Background --- p.85
Chapter 4.2.2 --- Background in English --- p.86
Chapter 4.3 --- Pre-Sojourn --- p.87
Chapter 4.3.1 --- Concerns --- p.87
Chapter 4.3.2 --- Sojourn Aims --- p.87
Chapter 4.4 --- Sojourn --- p.88
Chapter 4.4.1. --- Sabrina & the Host Family --- p.88
Chapter 4.4.2 --- First Impressions --- p.88
Chapter 4.4.3 --- Interaction with her Buddy..............................: --- p.90
Chapter 4.4.4 --- School Recess Time --- p.91
Chapter 4.4.5 --- Stomachaches --- p.91
Chapter 4.4.6 --- Rejecting her Buddy --- p.92
Chapter 4.4.7 --- Outpourings --- p.93
Chapter 4.4.8 --- Different Styles of Mentoring --- p.94
Chapter 4.4.9 --- Growing Calm --- p.95
Chapter 4.4.10 --- A Good Ending --- p.96
Chapter 4.5 --- Immediately Post-Sojourn --- p.96
Chapter 4.6 --- Four Months Post-Sojourn --- p.98
Chapter 4.7 --- Kenji's Journey --- p.100
Chapter 4.7.1 --- Profile & Family Background --- p.100
Chapter 4.7.2 --- Background in English --- p.102
Chapter 4.8 --- Pre-Sojourn --- p.103
Chapter 4.8.1 --- Concerns --- p.103
Chapter 4.8.2 --- Sojourn Aims --- p.103
Chapter 4.9 --- Sojourn --- p.104
Chapter 4.9.1. --- Nancy & the Host Family --- p.104
Chapter 4.9.2 --- Sudden Apprehension --- p.104
Chapter 4.9.3 --- Feeling I11 --- p.106
Chapter 4.9.4 --- Return to School following his Illness --- p.108
Chapter 4.9.5 --- Inability to Connect with his Buddy --- p.108
Chapter 4.9.6 --- Kenji´ةs Need for Company Satisfied --- p.110
Chapter 4.9.7 --- Starting to Feel Part of the Family --- p.111
Chapter 4.9.8 --- Program Participation --- p.112
Chapter 4.9.9 --- Departure from the Australian School --- p.113
Chapter 4.10 --- Immediately Post-Sojourn --- p.114
Chapter 4.11 --- Four Months Post-Sojourn --- p.116
Chapter 4.12 --- Summary --- p.118
Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- STUDENT STORIES: CHIAKI AND YUMI
Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.119
Chapter 5.2 --- Chiaki´ةs Journey --- p.119
Chapter 5.2.1 --- Profile & Family Background --- p.119
Chapter 5.2.2 --- Background in English --- p.120
Chapter 5.3 --- Pre-Sojourn --- p.121
Chapter 5.3.1 --- Concerns --- p.121
Chapter 5.3.2 --- Sojourn Aims --- p.121
Chapter 5.4 --- Sojourn --- p.122
Chapter 5.4.1 --- David & the Host Family --- p.122
Chapter 5.4.2 --- First Impressions --- p.123
Chapter 5.4.3 --- “Enviable´ح --- p.123
Chapter 5.4.4 --- A Full Homestay Program --- p.124
Chapter 5.4.5 --- Easy Communication with her Buddy --- p.125
Chapter 5.4.6 --- Lack of Agency --- p.126
Chapter 5.4.7 --- New Perspectives on Gender Relations --- p.128
Chapter 5.4.8 --- Deepening Buddy Friendship --- p.128
Chapter 5.4.9 --- Departure from the Australian School --- p.129
Chapter 5.5 --- Immediately Post-Sojourn --- p.130
Chapter 5.6 --- Four Months Post-Sojourn --- p.132
Chapter 5.7 --- Yumi´ةs Journey --- p.134
Chapter 5.7.1 --- Profile & Family Background --- p.134
Chapter 5.7.2 --- Background in English --- p.135
Chapter 5.8 --- Pre-Sojourn --- p.136
Chapter 5.8.1 --- Concerns --- p.136
Chapter 5.8.2 --- Sojourn Aims --- p.136
Chapter 5.9 --- Sojourn --- p.137
Chapter 5.9.1 --- Joy & the Host Family --- p.137
Chapter 5.9.2 --- First Impressions --- p.138
Chapter 5.9.3 --- Feeling Rejected by her Hosts --- p.139
Chapter 5.9.4 --- An Ethnocentric Lens --- p.140
Chapter 5.9.5 --- The Role of the Japanese Group --- p.141
Chapter 5.9.6 --- Host family Perspectives --- p.142
Chapter 5.9.7 --- Breakdown and Mediation --- p.143
Chapter 5.9.8 --- Identifying with her Group --- p.144
Chapter 5.9.9 --- Departure from the Australian School --- p.146
Chapter 5.10 --- Immediately Post-Sojourn --- p.146
Chapter 5.11 --- Four Months Post-Sojourn --- p.147
Chapter 5.12 --- Summary --- p.150
Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.152
Chapter 6.2 --- Guiding Question One --- p.152
Chapter 6.2.1 --- Savoir etre --- p.152
Chapter 6.2.2 --- Savoirs --- p.157
Chapter 6.2.3 --- Savoir faire --- p.159
Chapter 6.2.4 --- Savoir apprendre --- p.163
Chapter 6.3 --- Guiding Question Two --- p.166
Chapter 6.3.1 --- Personal Development --- p.166
Chapter 6.3.2 --- Intercultural Development --- p.167
Chapter 6.3.3 --- Linguistic Development --- p.169
Chapter 6.4 --- Guiding Question Three --- p.170
Chapter 6.4.1 --- The Japanese Home Institution --- p.170
Chapter 6.4.2 --- The Australian Host Institution --- p.173
Chapter 6.5 --- Guiding Question Four --- p.173
Chapter 6.5.1 --- Yumi --- p.173
Chapter 6.5.2 --- Hiroko --- p.175
Chapter 6.5.3 --- Chiaki --- p.175
Chapter 6.5.4 --- Kenji --- p.176
Chapter 6.6 --- Summary of Findings --- p.178
Chapter 6.7 --- Summary --- p.180
Chapter CHAPTER 7 --- CONCLUSION
Chapter 7.1 --- Introduction --- p.182
Chapter 7.2 --- Pedagogical Implications --- p.182
Chapter 7.2.1 --- Pre-Sojourn --- p.183
Chapter 7.2.1.1 --- Initial Stages and Procedures --- p.183
Chapter 7.2.1.1.1 --- Needs Analysis --- p.183
Chapter 7.2.1.1.2 --- Program Design --- p.184
Chapter 7.2.1.1.3 --- Advance Planning and Communications --- p.186
Chapter 7.2.1.2 --- Home Institution --- p.186
Chapter 7.2.1.2.1 --- Pre-Sojourn Orientation --- p.187
Chapter 7.2.1.2.2 --- Linguistic Preparation --- p.188
Chapter 7.2.1.2.3 --- Intercultural Learning Preparation --- p.190
Chapter 7.2.1.2.4 --- Intercultural Awareness Building --- p.191
Chapter 7.2.1.2.5 --- Student Goals --- p.191
Chapter 7.2.1.2.6 --- Cultural Exchange Preparation --- p.192
Chapter 7.2.1.2.7 --- Access to Past Sojourners --- p.193
Chapter 7.2.1.3 --- Host Institution --- p.193
Chapter 7.2.1.3.1 --- Selection of Buddies and Peer-matching --- p.193
Chapter 7.2.1.3.2 --- Orientation of Buddies --- p.194
Chapter 7.2.1.3.3 --- Selection of Homestay Families --- p.195
Chapter 7.2.1.3.4 --- Orientation of Homestay Families --- p.196
Chapter 7.2.2 --- Sojourn --- p.198
Chapter 7.2.2.1 --- Arrival Orientation --- p.198
Chapter 7.2.2.2 --- Program Content --- p.198
Chapter 7.2.2.3 --- Mid-Sojourn Debriefing --- p.199
Chapter 7.2.2.4 --- Reflective Learning using Diaries --- p.200
Chapter 7.2.2.5 --- Programmed Cultural Learning --- p.201
Chapter 7.2.2.6 --- Activities with Buddies --- p.202
Chapter 7.22.7 --- Support and Guidance throughout the Sojourn --- p.203
Chapter 7.2.2.8 --- Closure --- p.204
Chapter 7.2.3 --- Post-Sojourn --- p.204
Chapter 7.2.3.1 --- Home Institution --- p.204
Chapter 7.2.3.1.1 --- Reentry Shock --- p.204
Chapter 7.2.3.1.2 --- Sojourner Debriefing --- p.205
Chapter 7.2.3.2 --- Host Institution --- p.205
Chapter 7.2.3.2.1 --- Buddy Debriefing --- p.205
Chapter 7.3 --- Research Implications --- p.206
Chapter 7.3.1 --- Limitations of this Study --- p.206
Chapter 7.3.2 --- Suggestions for Further Study --- p.207
Chapter 7.4 --- Summary --- p.209
REFERENCES --- p.211
APPENDIX A Stakeholder Interviews
Chapter A.1 --- Mr Oda (JTB) --- p.227
Chapter A.2 --- Mr French --- p.228
Chapter A.3 --- Mr Cressing --- p.229
Chapter A.4 --- Mrs Farmer --- p.230
APPENDIX B Pilot Study - Questionnaires (Japanese & English)
Chapter B.1 --- Pre-Study Abroad Language Contact Profile --- p.231
Chapter B.2 --- Pre-Study Abroad Questionnaire - Students --- p.236
Chapter B.3 --- Pre-Study Abroad Questionnaire - Teachers --- p.239
Chapter B.4 --- Pre-Study Abroad Questionnaire - Parents --- p.241
Chapter B.5 --- Adapted SES Survey 1 --- p.243
Chapter B.6 --- Adapted SES Survey 2 --- p.247
APPENDIX C Main Study - Questionnaires (Japanese & English)
Chapter C.1 --- Pre-Study Abroad Language Contact Profile - Students --- p.251
Chapter C.2 --- Pre-Study Abroad Questionnaire for Students --- p.257
Chapter C.3 --- Pre-Study Abroad Questionnaire for Parents --- p.261
Chapter C.4 --- Pre-Study Abroad Questionnaire for Teachers --- p.265
Chapter C.5 --- Adapted SES Survey 1 --- p.268
Chapter C.6 --- Adapted SES Survey 2 --- p.272
Chapter C.7 --- Homestay Family Questionnaire --- p.276
Chapter C.8 --- Post-Study Abroad Language Contact Profile --- p.278
Chapter C.9 --- Post-Study Abroad Questionnaire for Students --- p.282
Chapter C.10 --- Post Study-Abroad Questionnaire for Parents --- p.286
Chapter C.11 --- Post SA Questionnaire for Teachers --- p.289
APPENDIX D Four Month Post-Sojourn Interviews (Semi-structured)
Chapter D.1 --- Group Interview Session --- p.291
Chapter D.2 --- Individual Interview - Hiroko --- p.292
Chapter D.3 --- Individual Interview - Kenji --- p.293
Chapter D.4 --- Individual Interview - Chiaki --- p.294
Chapter D.5 --- Individual Interview - Yumi --- p.295
APPENDIX E Nisshi Diary (Japanese & English) --- p.296
APPENDIX F Consent Form --- p.302

碩士
東海大學
管理碩士在職專班
99
As the advanced education in Taiwan has been immensely affected by low birth rate and internationalization, with which the global competition accelerated by WTO goes hand in hand in bonding the cross-straits relations even tighter and closer. In the past research literature regarding the visits from the Mainland’s university students to Taiwan, there has seen a lack of first-hand questionnaire surveys targeting short-term exchanges or enrollment of the Mainland’s university students at the universities in Taiwan, not to mention that very few theses have addressed the visits from these students to Taiwan. Presently the Mainland China has become the largest country of origin in the world (CAN, 2011). With Taiwan’s policies loosening in the Mainland’s higher education certification and enrollment of students from the Mainland, the short-term exchange program may well attract better students from the Mainland and hence broaden the horizon and increase the competitive edge of Taiwanese students. Such issues are worth further discussion and exploration. Understanding Behavioral Intention to Participate in Short-term Exchange Student Programs in Taiwan among Chinese college students with Theories of Planned Behavior and Technology Acceptance Model and further scrutinizes the correlations of the “constructs” such as the intentions of exchange, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, application, facility, innovativeness, attraction and policy acceptance. The study hopes to provide resources for the authorities concerned and enterprises in devising more complete educational policies regarding exchange programs. The current study adopts sampling questionnaires and selects first to fourth year university students from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Fuzhou as subjects. Number of effective returned questionnaires was 210 (32 on-line questionnaires and 178 paper copies). The study based its analysis and investigation upon the returned questionnaires and, according to the research results, provides conclusion as follows: 1.Understanding Behavioral Intention to Participate in Short-term Exchange Student Programs in Taiwan among Chinese college students from the mainland was affected by Attitude, only. And not affected by subjective norms and perceived behavior. 2.In the Technology Acceptance Model, T.A.M. The exploration of the intentions of short-term exchange students from the mainland attraction have affect on innovativeness, application but not on facility. 3.Location attraction and policy acceptance have affect on that, also.

AbstractThe number of Indigenous higher degree by research (HDR) students has increased steadily over the past decade. Support for Indigenous students from the Australian government, universities and Indigenous Support Units has been documented in Australian higher education. Unfortunately, a range of barriers continue to hinder Indigenous HDR students to completion in their research journey. Presented in this book chapter is the literature review of barriers, including lack of academic skill set and research skills to pursue a research degree program, lack of social and academic support for Indigenous HDR students, the student—supervisor relationship issues and challenges relating to health, family and community responsibilities. Simultaneously, our review identified current strategies and initiatives to retain Indigenous HDR students in their research degree programs and to support them to completion, highlighting the roles of the Indigenous Postgraduate Support Officer and the National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network. This review, we suggest, should move further to analyse the effectiveness of current strategies and initiatives provided for Indigenous HDR students in detail to inform Indigenous students of the available support resources and how to access to these resources.

AbstractThe concept of Virtual Internationalization systematizes the many possible uses of digital technology in the internationalization of higher education. It is rooted in a comprehensive understanding of internationalization that encompasses the entire institution. Virtual Internationalization includes, but is not limited to, curricular concepts such as virtual mobility, virtual exchange, and virtual study abroad. Beyond the curriculum, it also involves the internationalization of management and administration, academic and teaching staff, and the role of digital technology in physical student mobility, international partnerships, collaboration, and transnational education. Moreover, Virtual Internationalization systematically integrates online and distance education. Study programs that are offered fully online or at a distance are thus brought out of the blind spot of internationalization.

AbstractThe concept of Virtual Internationalization systematizes the many possible uses of digital technology in the internationalization of higher education. It is rooted in a comprehensive understanding of internationalization that encompasses the entire institution. Virtual Internationalization includes, but is not limited to, curricular concepts such as virtual mobility, virtual exchange, and virtual study abroad. Beyond the curriculum, it also involves the internationalization of management and administration, academic and teaching staff, and the role of digital technology in physical student mobility, international partnerships, collaboration, and transnational education. Moreover, Virtual Internationalization systematically integrates online and distance education. Study programs that are offered fully online or at a distance are thus brought out of the blind spot of internationalization.

Although student international exchange programs commonly claim to facilitate participants' intercultural competence, questions remain as to how this competence might be adequately and validly assessed. In this article, the notion of Cultural Responsiveness is used to assist in interpreting and categorizing students' experiences and intercultural learning through study abroad programs. Data on the Australian undergraduate student participants' unique backgrounds, experiences and perceptions was collected after they had completed an exchange program in Switzerland or France. Using the Cultural Responsiveness categorization developed through this study, three parameters of students' intercultural experiences emerged: Awareness, Engagement and Bringing Knowledge Home. Using these three parameters, this article proposes that the notion of Cultural Responsiveness provides a useful method for identification of students' responses to the experiences of study abroad programs.

Information technology (IT), computer science, and other related disciplines have become significant both in society and within the field of education. Resulting from the last decades’ considerable developments towards a global information society, the demand for a qualified IT workforce has increased. The integration of information technology into the different sectors of every day life is increasing the need for large numbers of IT professionals. Additionally, the need for nearly all workers to have general computing skills suggests possibilities for an individual to face inequality or suffer from displacement in modern society if they lack these skills, further contributing to the digital divide. Thus, the importance of IT education has a greater importance than ever for the whole of society. Despite the advances and mass adoption of new technologies, IT and computing education continually suffers from low participant numbers, and high dropout and transfer rates. This problem has been somewhat addressed by introducing mentoring programs (von Hellens, Nielsen, Doyle, & Greenhill, 1999) where a student is given a support person, a mentor, who has a similar education background but has graduated and is employed in industry. Although the majority of these programs have been considered successful, it is important to note that it is difficult to easily measure success in this context. In this article, we introduce a novel approach to mentoring which was adopted as part of an ongoing, traditional-type mentoring program in a large Australian university. The approach involved introducing modern communications technology, specifically mobile phones having an integrated camera and the capability to make use of multimedia messaging services (MMS). As mobile phones have become an integrated part of our everyday life (with high adoption rates) and are an especially common media of communication among young people, it was expected that the use of the phones could be easily employed to the mentoring program (phones were provided for the participants). Short message service (SMS), for example text messaging, has become a frequently used communication channel (Grinter & Eldridge 2003). In addition to text, photo sharing has also quickly taken off with MMS capable mobile phones becoming more widespread. The ability to exchange photos increases the feeling of presence (Counts & Fellheimer, 2004), and the possibility to send multimedia messages with mobile phones has created a new form of interactive storytelling (Kurvinen, 2003). Cole and Stanton (2003) found the pictorial information exchange as a potential tool for children’s collaboration during their activities in story telling, adventure gaming and for field trip tasks. Encouraged by these experiences, we introduced mobile mentoring as part of a traditional mentoring program, and present the experiences. It is hoped that these experiences can affirm the legitimacy of phone mentoring as a credible approach to mentoring. The positive and negative experiences presented in this article can help to shape the development of future phone mentoring programs.

Information technology (IT), computer science, and other related disciplines have become signifi- cant both in society and within the field of education. Resulting from the last decades’ considerable developments towards a global information society, the demand for a qualified IT workforce has increased. The integration of information technology into the different sectors of every day life is increasing the need for large numbers of IT professionals. Additionally, the need for nearly all workers to have general computing skills suggests possibilities for an individual to face inequality or suffer from displacement in modern society if they lack these skills, further contributing to the digital divide. Thus, the importance of IT education has a greater importance than ever for the whole of society. Despite the advances and mass adoption of new technologies, IT and computing education continually suffers from low participant numbers, and high dropout and transfer rates. This problem has been somewhat addressed by introducing mentoring programs (von Hellens, Nielsen, Doyle, & Greenhill, 1999) where a student is given a support person, a mentor, who has a similar education background but has graduated and is employed in industry. Although the majority of these programs have been considered successful, it is important to note that it is difficult to easily measure success in this context. In this article, we introduce a novel approach to mentoring which was adopted as part of an ongoing, traditional-type mentoring program in a large Australian university. The approach involved introducing modern communications technology, specifically mobile phones having an integrated camera and the capability to make use of multimedia messaging services (MMS). As mobile phones have become an integrated part of our everyday life (with high adoption rates) and are an especially common media of communication among young people, it was expected that the use of the phones could be easily employed to the mentoring program (phones were provided for the participants). Short message service (SMS), for example text messaging, has become a frequently used communication channel (Grinter & Eldridge 2003). In addition to text, photo sharing has also quickly taken off with MMS capable mobile phones becoming more widespread. The ability to exchange photos increases the feeling of presence (Counts & Fellheimer, 2004), and the possibility to send multimedia messages with mobile phones has created a new form of interactive storytelling (Kurvinen, 2003). Cole and Stanton (2003) found the pictorial information exchange as a potential tool for children’s collaboration during their activities in story telling, adventure gaming and for field trip tasks. Encouraged by these experiences, we introduced mobile mentoring as part of a traditional mentoring program, and present the experiences. It is hoped that these experiences can affirm the legitimacy of phone mentoring as a credible approach to mentoring. The positive and negative experiences presented in this article can help to shape the development of future phone mentoring programs.

This chapter outlines the history and development of an international distance learning relationship, which was established between an Australian and Japanese university. In 2002, the University of Sydney, Australia and Gifu University in Japan established a lecture exchange program whereby live lectures would be transmitted through Web-based video conferencing. Further development of the relationship resulted in an additional three-year program whereby an entire course, consisting of weekly live lectures transmitted from Australia, was offered not only to local university students but citizens of Gifu city. An empirical account outlines the origin and purpose of this course, analyzes its success, discusses pedagogical and cultural issues and challenges that arose, and makes recommendations for further development. The final section of the chapter suggests possible future directions, including a theoretical model for worldwide international distance education.

Research findings suggest that teaching experiences abroad have a significant impact on participant outcomes and perceptions; however, findings have also indicated that short-term experiences in particular, may not have the same impact as long-term study abroad experiences. This chapter highlights the facilitators and challenges of planning and developing a short-term, faculty-led experience abroad to Australia for preservice teachers. This three-week study abroad experience included immersive experiences and a commitment to critically examining issues surrounding diversity. The authors also describe a research study that was embedded in the study abroad program, known as Photovoice. Photovoice was employed as a means to document the preservice teachers' experiences and perceptions related to diversity. Participant photos and descriptions represent student perceptions of how diversity is represented in Australian schools and society.

As a second chance for prospective students who do not meet initial Australian Higher Education (HE) entrance requirements, “pathway” providers attract (international) students early in their tertiary lifecycle to secure their destination. The pathway model that evolved in the 1980s-90s was developed to address the issue of attrition. This innovative model tailored a learning solution that enhanced student transition (i.e., cultural and social integration and academic support). Increasingly, “pathway” institutions offer valuable partnerships for the Australian HE sector, and it is beneficial to conduct research into this division to strengthen and improve the overall teaching and learning experience. There appears to be scant literature on pre-university pathway offerings within and beyond Australia; thus, the contents of this chapter explicates three diploma programs delivered at one particular institute during the period 2013-2015 in Australia.

The importance of international engineering student exchange programs in today’s increasingly global marketplace is well accepted. This report describes aspects of the experience of the University of Waterloo with such a program which involves 26 institutions in 14 countries. A major element in a successful link is close collaboration between faculty coordinators at the two institutions.

Export education forms a major part of the Australian economy. Australian universities are now not only accepting overseas students into Australian campuses; they are setting up overseas-based campuses. This is often through an arrangement with a local educational institution or organisation. Subjects in these institutions are delivered by a combination of Victoria University Australian-based staff and local faculty. One of the primary programs being delivered overseas by many Australian institutions is the Master of Business Administration (MBA). This paper examines the delivery of the core information technology units, Management Information Systems (MIS), by Victoria University in Australia and overseas (in Bangladesh). The structure of the MBA at Victoria University in Australia and overseas is examined and the MIS subject explained. Results of a survey of MBA students’ views of the content of MIS, conducted in Australia (1997-2000) and Bangladesh (2001) are reported. There is little difference in the attitudes of students of both countries in relation to the topics covered in the subject, nor on the breakdown of the subject between ‘hands-on’ applications and more formal instruction. There are some differences in relation to the level of Internet and e-mail usage, with Australian students tending to use these technologies on a greater basis as a proportion of their overall computer usage.

Introducing XERO Accounting software into a core accounting unit can have many benefits for students, including improving their professional skills and enhancing their employability. However, it is important that students gain knowledge and skills in all aspects of the software as well as understanding the accounting processes that underlie the software’s operations. This paper presents an overview of implementation of Xero software, in a core accounting course, at a regional university in Australia. Student numbers ranged from 24-63 across the semesters studied. We highlight and discuss the processes adopted to appropriately scaffold students’ learning and assessment. We assess the effectiveness of the intervention by observing student engagement with specially developed videos and measuring student results in associated assessment tasks over three offerings of the course. The provision of a suite of learning opportunities, (training and use of excel and Xero accounting software) translated to improved student outcomes on the technologyrelated assessment items. Few students who viewed the learning videos contacted the course teaching team for further assistance, suggesting the videos were an effective resource that provided enhanced learning opportunities for students. These findings provide advice and information regarding the issues associated with integrating accounting software for other teaching teams or institutions considering similar applications in their courses or programs.

Engineering programs in Australian Universities are accredited by Engineers Australia (EA) based on certain strict guidelines. This paper discusses the undergraduate SE curriculum and accreditation effort undertaken over the last ten years at Monash University in order to achieve a successful outcome. The paper describes how the SE curriculum has evolved over this period at Monash and maintained its product quality by benchmarking against various international efforts such as the CMU-SEI effort in early 1990s, ACM/IEEE efforts on Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK, versions 2001-2004) and the curriculum guidelines for each major area of computing in Computing Curricula (CC2001) such as a Software Engineering volume (SE2004). Currently at Monash, student-centric evaluations are used to determine the teach-ing/learning outcome and in-form the world through the web to support the University’s quality assurance and improvement strategies. We discuss our effort in providing an aligned, evidence-based approach to quality assurance for continued accreditation of MUSE.

Fractals are fascinating geometric structures of nature which appear in more and more field of science, ranging from heartbeat characterization through, cancer research, stock exchange trends, meteorology, and computer graphics, up to digital image processing. Fractals can be created by simple algorithms that can be manifested with also simple computer programs. The necessary programs are available in the literature and they are easy to understand and manage for first-year undergraduate students too. Therefore fractals are suitable to attract student interest and improve their attitudes toward learning physics. Our main goal was that students work independently and gain experience on fractals with applying simple algorithm and making pictures of the weird formations of fractals. In this paper, a teaching material that is freely available on the internet is described. The material was originally intended for college students, but is suitable for anyone to become familiar with fractals.

The international exchange for undergraduate students is a life-changing experience, an opportunity to interact with others and develop intercultural skills while learning. Nevertheless, the deficit in student participation in internationalization activities demands new formats that offer this academic practice in a virtual environment. Adjacent to this scenario, the greatest impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education was face-to-face exchanges. Therefore, academic programs as Global Classroom was the only way for an international exchange amid the pandemic. The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions of the students about an implementation of a virtual international exchange shared with students from Mexico and Ecuador, focused on this contribution as an educational innovation to promote learning in multicultural and interdisciplinary skills. The study considered a quantitative approach to analyze a student's perception of the experience, and the design was descriptive and cross-sectional. The sample were 44 students enrolled in the experience in the August-December semester in 2020, 22 from Mexico and 22 from Ecuador. The instrument was made of 5 items in which the participants shared their experience regarding the different tools and activities, and their contribution to the educational objectives. Results show that the students valued the intercultural experience positively and the contribution of the different free-access educational technology tools to develop synchronous and asynchronous activities. Other disciplines and institutions can learn from this implementation to design remote educational environments that offer this internationalization experience for learners even after the pandemic. Keywords: higher education, educational innovation, interdisciplinary education, intercultural education, pandemic adaptations, global exchange.

This rapid evaluation of core Life Education programs conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in June 2021 is an independent investigation that demonstrates the evidence base underpinning Life Education programs in primary schools Australia-wide. It presents a national snapshot by drawing upon existing Life Education-specific evaluation data, existing ACER student wellbeing data, and accepted best practice in the field of student health and wellbeing education. The project addressed the key evaluation questions: How are core Life Education programs underpinned by evidence-based best practice, and how are core Life Education programs impacting primary-aged student wellbeing outcomes that align to the health and physical education Australian and State Curriculums?

Review question / Objective: To explore the attrition problems, influencing factors and barriers to retention among regional and remote nursing students who enrolled in the undergraduate programs in Australia. Condition being studied: Student retention concerns an individual’s commitment to an learning goal. Low student retention has been a long-standing issue for nursing programs and it is an important threat to the future nursing workforce. Attrition is measured by the number of students enrolled in the first year who do not complete their study in the following year. With the growth of online programs, the issue of high attrition raises concern for students enrolled in these programs. Moreover, the social context of students may influence positive motivation and affect their decision to stay in their nursing programs.

This paper summarizes a research project, titled “Long-term outcomes of bilateral student exchange program between Mexico and Japan: 50 years of governmental cultural diplomacy”. The project provides an analysis of the youth exchange program that was implemented in 1971 between Mexico and Japan. In this way, paper describes the negotiation process between the Mexican government and the Japanese government to implement exchange programs. Apart from this, the author analysis the quantitative and qualitative results of the youth exchange program between Mexico and Japan through decades. To obtain the quantitative information, it considers how many students have participated in this program; for obtaining quantitative results, it considers the students’ personal experience for knowing the effects of studying in Mexico or Japan in their lives. Finally, the author believes that studying the exchange program between Mexico and Japan is a means of achieving development through cooperation.