Abstract
Students often find it difficult to collaborate on assignments, projects, etc., but we require that they do so for a number of reasons, e.g. to learn how to work in teams or take advantage of the diversity represented by team members. In programmes accepting international students, these difficulties seem to increase. Home students are often reluctant to enter into collaboration with their international peers, whereas the international students tend to be much more open towards intercultural collaboration. This paper reports on and discusses a study of student responses to intercultural collaboration (in English) in two programmes at Aarhus University, Denmark. One conclusion is that the international students are more prepared to work in multicultural teams than their Danish peers. Another one tells us that once students have experience with the diversity of these teams, at least some of them become more open towards working in such teams in the future.
Location
Room 1220
Recommended Citation
Lauridson, Karen and Madsen, Henning, "Team Work in International Programs: Why Is It So Difficult?" (2013). SoTL Commons Conference. 89.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2013/89
Team Work in International Programs: Why Is It So Difficult?
Room 1220
Students often find it difficult to collaborate on assignments, projects, etc., but we require that they do so for a number of reasons, e.g. to learn how to work in teams or take advantage of the diversity represented by team members. In programmes accepting international students, these difficulties seem to increase. Home students are often reluctant to enter into collaboration with their international peers, whereas the international students tend to be much more open towards intercultural collaboration. This paper reports on and discusses a study of student responses to intercultural collaboration (in English) in two programmes at Aarhus University, Denmark. One conclusion is that the international students are more prepared to work in multicultural teams than their Danish peers. Another one tells us that once students have experience with the diversity of these teams, at least some of them become more open towards working in such teams in the future.
