University students’ depression : a cross-cultural investigation

Australian, Iranian and Portuguese university students (N = 967) completed University Students Depression Inventory (USDI; Khawaja & Bryden, 2006) in English, Persian, and Portuguese languages respectively. A series of MANOVA were used to examine differences in depression symptoms as an effect of the country and demographic variables. Interactions were also examined. The results indicated that country, gender, and year level had some impact on the depressive symptoms of the university students. Australian students were more depressed than the Iranian and Portuguese students, while Iranian students were more depressed than the Portuguese students. Subscales of USDI: Lethargy, Motivation, and Cognitive/Emotional were also used to compare the depressive symptoms of students. The Australian female students reported a significantly higher level of lethargy than their male counterparts. Similarly, the first year male students from Iran were significantly more lethargic than the first year Iranian female students. Iranian and Portuguese male students, compared to the female students of these countries, experienced a lower level of motivation. The Australian and Iranian students, compared to the Portuguese students, reported a significantly higher level of cognitive and affective symptoms. The scores on the Cognitive/Emotional subscale increased with the year level. Differences among students’ depression are described and implications discussed.

Parsing the Australian curriculum English : grammar, multimodality and cross-cultural texts

The release of the Australian Curriculum English (ACE) by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has revived debates about the role of grammar as English content knowledge. We consider some of the discussion circulating in the mainstream media vis-à-vis the intent of the ACE. We conclude that this curriculum draws upon the complementary tenets of traditional Latin-based grammar and systemic functional linguistics across the three strands of Language, Literature and Literacy in innovative ways. We argue that such an approach is necessary for working with contemporary multimodal and cross-cultural texts. To demonstrate the utility of this new approach, we draw out a set of learning outcomes from Year 6 and then map out a framework for relating the outcomes to the form and function of multimodal language. As a case in point, our analysis is of two online Coca-Cola advertising texts, one each from South Korea and Australia.

Cross-cultural language learning and web design complexity

Accepting the fact that culture and language are interrelated in second language learning (SLL), the web sites should be designed to integrate with the cultural aspects. Yet many SLL web sites fail to integrate with the cultural aspects and/or focus on language acquisition only. This study identified three issues: (1) anthropologists’ cultural models mostly adopted in cross-cultural web user interface have been superficially used; (2) web designers deal with culture as a fixed one which needs to be modeled into interface design elements, so (3) there is a need for a communication framework between educators and design practitioners, which can be utilized in web design processes. This paper discusses what anthropology can contribute to language learning, mediated through web design processes and suggests a cultural user experience framework for web-based SLL by presenting an exemplary matrix. To evaluate the effectiveness of the framework, the key stakeholders (learners, teachers, and designers) participated in a case scenario-based evaluation. The result shows a high possibility that the framework can enhance the effective communication and collaboration for the cultural integration.

Protocol for a randomised blocked design study using telephone and text-messaging to support cardiac patients with diabetes : a cross cultural international collaborative project

Background The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rising internationally. Patients with diabetes have a higher risk of cardiovascular events accounting for substantial premature morbidity and mortality, and health care expenditure. Given healthcare workforce limitations, there is a need to improve interventions that promote positive self-management behaviours that enable patients to manage their chronic conditions effectively, across different cultural contexts. Previous studies have evaluated the feasibility of including telephone and Short Message Service (SMS) follow up in chronic disease self-management programs, but only for single diseases or in one specific population. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and short-term efficacy of incorporating telephone and text messaging to support the care of patients with diabetes and cardiac disease, in Australia and in Taiwan. Methods/design A randomised controlled trial design will be used to evaluate a self-management program for people with diabetes and cardiac disease that incorporates the use of simple remote-access communication technologies. A sample size of 180 participants from Australia and Taiwan will be recruited and randomised in a one-to-one ratio to receive either the intervention in addition to usual care (intervention) or usual care alone (control). The intervention will consist of in-hospital education as well as follow up utilising personal telephone calls and SMS reminders. Primary short term outcomes of interest include self-care behaviours and self-efficacy assessed at baseline and four weeks. Discussion If the results of this investigation substantiate the feasibility and efficacy of the telephone and SMS intervention for promoting self management among patients with diabetes and cardiac disease in Australia and Taiwan, it will support the external validity of the intervention. It is anticipated that empirical data from this investigation will provide valuable information to inform future international collaborations, while providing a platform for further enhancements of the program, which has potential to benefit patients internationally.

A conceptual framework for the cultural integration of cooperative learning : a Thai primary mathematics education perspective

The Thailand education reform adopted cooperative learning to improve the quality of education. However, it has been reported that the introduction and maintenance of cooperative learning has been difficult and uncertain because of the cultural differences. The study proposed a conceptual framework developed based on making a connection between Thai cultures and cooperative learning elements, and implemented a small-scale research project in a Thai primary mathematics class with a teacher and thirty-two Grade 4 students. The results uncovered that the three components including preparation of teachers, instructional strategies and preparation of students can be vehicles for the culture integration in cooperative learning.

Cross-cultural web user interface design for Indigenous internet users

This project investigated 1) Australian web designers’ cultural perceptions towards Australian Indigenous users and 2) Australian Indigenous cultural features in terms of user interface design. In doing so, it reviews the literature of cross-cultural user interface design by focusing on feasible models and arguments to articulate and integrate Australian Indigenous Internet users’ cultural needs of web user interface. The online survey results collected from 101 Indigenous users and 126 Web designers showed a distinctive difference between them on the integration of Indigenous users' cultural in Web sites. The interview data collected from 14 Indigenous users and 14 web designers suggested practical approaches to the design implications of Indigenous culture.

Transnational distance education : cultural and quality considerations

There have now been two decades of rhetoric on the need for culturally and contextually appropriate perspectives in international education. However, the extent to which courses, provision and pedagogy have truly reflected differences in cultural characteristics and learning preferences is still open to question. Little attention has been paid to these matters in quality assurance frameworks. This chapter discusses these issues and draws upon Hofstede’s cultural dimensions framework and studies into Asian pedagogy and uses of educational technology. It proposes a benchmark and performance indicators for assuring cultural, contextual, educational and technological appropriateness in the provision of transnational distance education in Asia by Australian universities.

Developing a Cross-cultural Law Curriculum

This work makes the case that cross cultural issues are central to the purposes of legal education, and no longer can such issues be seen as an add-on to the traditional curriculum. The authors argue instead for a critical multiculturalism that is attuned to questions of gender, class, sexuality and social justice, and that must inform the whole law school curriculum.

Cross cultural similarities in using mobile technologies to engage and connect with students

The access to mobile technologies is growing at an exponential rate in developed and developing countries, with some developing countries surpassing developed countries in terms of device ownership. It is both the demand for, and high usage of mobile technologies that have driven new and emerging pedagogical practices in higher education. These technologies have also exponentially increased access to information in a knowledge economy. While differences are often drawn between developing and developed countries in terms of the access and use of information and communication technologies (ICT), this paper will report on a study detailing how higher education students use mobile technologies and social media in their studies and in their personal lives. It will contrast the similarities in how students from an Australian and Vietnamese university access and use mobile and social media technologies while also highlighting ways in which these technologies can be embraced by academics to connect and engage with students.

Collaborative writing to enhance cross-cultural understanding within the academy

This paper describes the design and implementation of a research writing workshop for postgraduate students. The workshop was developed to respond to two key issues currently on the agenda in Australia’s universities: a push to embed Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum, and a desire to develop creative works as quality research outputs. The workshop was carefully designed to provide opportunities for participants to practise and improve their writing; develop transferable writing skills; develop a culturally safe environment where Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians could work together; provide a place to practise collaborative writing and collaborative facilitating; and provide an opportunity to develop a publication-ready, creative writing piece that was co-developed by participants. In this paper, the authors provide an overview of the literature relevant to Indigenizing a workshop curriculum and reflect on the genre of Indigenous writing in Australia. They also discuss the literature relevant to their collaboration as both writers and facilitators. They conclude that the workshop processes contributed to building a relationship of collaboration and trust between the facilitators and participants, and that these processes directly contributed to the successful workshop outcomes.

Cross-cultural partnerships must talk to build trust

Academic partnerships bring knowledge and drive economic growth, but success depends on good communications that build trust, says Tim Gore.

‘Doing school’: cross cultural encounters

In this paper, a series of vignettes is used to explore important current challenges in TESOL. These vignettes are drawn from many different settings, including Bengali-, Pahari- and Chinese-speaking children in UK primary schools, speakers of Aboriginal English in Australia and Chinese teachers of English on courses in Higher Education. A number of themes run through these different contexts: What counts as literacy and learning? What are the expectations of the students and, in the case of school children, their parents? How do these differ from those of their teachers? What power issues shape these expectations? In answering these questions, emphasis will be placed on the dangers of ‘othering’ and the importance of syncretic approaches that recognize and build on student experience.

'Aussies' and 'wogs' and the `group in-between': year 10 students' constructions of cross-cultural friendships

This paper reports on an aspect of a small, empirical study that explored how cross-category friendships were constructed among an ethnically diverse cohort of Year 10 students in an Australian school. The students, who self-identified as having friendships across gender and ethnic boundaries, were interviewed in focus groups. Young men and young women, in speaking of their cross-cultural friendships, generally stressed commonalities among rather than differences between groups of friends. Nevertheless, students identified two predominant peer groups and used the terms 'aussie' and 'wog' to name them. Some of the male students appeared to be more keen than many of the females to mark themselves out as belonging to one or the other of these groups. This paper will discuss how these terms are utilised among these students to construct particular identities. On one level, this naming signified differences of choice, with reference to styles of music, clothing, jewellery, hair and entertainment. Is this an attempt to reclaim and rework previously racist descriptors into more egalitarian terms by young people? The meanings and sense that students make of such traditionally racist terms and how their use reflects and challenges wider cultural discourses of difference are discussed. How 'sameness' is constituted around shared experiences rather than common cultural backgrounds is also considered.

Cross cultural engagement: teaching African music to Australian students

This paper reports on research that examined the effectiveness of introducing rhythmic concepts through an unfamiliar musical genre to Australian generalist prim my teacher education students. The genre selected was African music, in particular action songs, dance and instrumental improvisation. The methodologies of Orff, Kodaly and Dalcroze were taught through the repertoire of African music in order to foster a closer relationship between pedagogical theory and practice and to teach rhythm through cross-cultural engagement. Through analyses of questionnaire and interview data, it was demonstrated that African music had a positive effect on students' conjidence as non-specialists music teachers and enhanced their skills in staff, sol-fa, hand notation and performance. Also students were not only highly motivated to engage with this new musical genre, but also gained an increased understanding of African culture. It is argued that African music was perceived by students not so much as a "novelty", but as a source of genuine motivation, interest and enjoyment. Its potential for extending student understanding of rhythm as well as taking a significant step towards internationalizing the curriculum for a cohort of predominantly Anglo-Celtic, pre-service teachers is also explored.

Blended learning for cross-cultural e-learning

The emergence of cross-cultural classrooms has been steadily increasing in Australian tertiary institutions, thus signifying a change in the student demographics. This change has acknowledged that a more flexible approach is needed in the way that the unit content is conveyed to the learner. Studies have indicated that students from different cultures responded variably in different learning environments, the two most clearly identifiable learning environments being instructor-centered and student centered. Students from various cultures have shown their levels of compatibility to these learning environments through their interaction and participation. However tertiary institutions are now expanding towards the online forum for delivery of units. Therefore to ensure that all students are able to participate in this new learning domain, preparations have to be made to accommodate all cultural types. Therefore with the importance on creating flexible learning environments for all students the blended learning approach has been selected for application.