How language limitations affect conceptual thresholds among Chinese design students in the United Kingdom

Hilton, Clive

doi:10.1386/adch.15.2.135_1

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Much western academic writing on the Chinese learner emphasises the passive nature of their behaviour within learning spaces and the common explanation for this is that this has its origins in cultural norms (Chan and Rao 2009;Hofstede, 2010;Sit 2013). This author is somewhat sceptical of an uncritical acceptance of this position, having empirically observed that outside of the traditional classroom in social informal and relaxed contexts Chinese students are every bit as dynamic, extrovert, fun-loving and uninhibited as their western counterparts (Hilton 2016). This strongly suggests that their classroom behaviour is a habituated response to the classroom environment in which the student-teacher power-distance relationship triggers a deep-seated behavioural role expectation that manifests itself as introverted passivity.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching and Learning Excellence: The Coventry Way

2019

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching and Learning Excellence: The Coventry Way

2019

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“…Uniformly, they [UK students] retreated to a collectivist, passive attitude…uncannily like the behaviour of newlyarrived Chinese…students in UK classrooms…The implication seems clear; if students from differing cultures exhibit similar situated behaviour when exposed to culturally alien learning environments, then these observed responses cannot be explained in terms of cultural difference alone. (Hilton, 2016).…”

Section: The Importance Of Participationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Evolution of the Design Studio: Hybrid Learning Spaces

Hilton¹

2019

Insider Knowledge - Proceedings of the Design Research Society Learn X Design Conference, 2019

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This paper discusses an innovative pedagogical initiative that is currently the subject of ongoing development at Coventry University in the School of Art & Design-the Hybrid Learning Space (HLS) project. The HLS delivery paradigm originated in response to recent shifts in the tertiary education landscape: The need to meet the challenges of growth in student numbers; and the growing emphasis on international recruitment and the development of internationalised curricula. Fundamental questions need to be asked that challenge entrenched notions of what constitutes a learning space, and, the future role for the traditional design studio in internationalised design course frameworks. The imperative is to design integrated mechanisms of design course delivery that can meet these challenges without compromising the academic integrity and quality of the student learning experience. Methodologically, the paper draws upon thematic analyses of student survey and interview responses to uncover common pedagogically-relevant themes in the context of student participation and attainment. These analyses are correlated with direct observations of student behaviour within conventional and disrupted learning spaces. A case study review illustrates the HLS model in action. It draws upon active research initiatives, interventions and delivery practices from several institutions in the UK and in China. The objective is to explore the effects of learning space topologies on design student participation and to propose a conceptually alternative notion of the design studio as praxis-based learning environment. The paper concludes by summarising the potential benefits of the case study while pointing the way forward to the ongoing evolutionary development of the HLS experiment.

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“…Previous educational practices and ways of doing things in the design classroom resulted in a misalignment of New Zealand teacher and Chinese student motives. Within their conventional courses the students were confident and capable, but when it came to the transnational courses, students had to contend with linguistic and cultural challenges, and were asked to set aside what had worked for them before design learning (Hilton, 2016).…”

Section: Chapter 9 Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A growing body of literature is now challenging the creativity deficit belief (Heng, 2018;Hilton, 2016;Li & Wegerif, 2014). Language limitations are argued to accentuate the creativity deficit belief.…”

Section: The Creativity Deficit Belief and Stereotypes About Students From Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Language limitations are argued to accentuate the creativity deficit belief. In one study the influence of language proficiency compromised conceptual thresholds for Chinese design students in the United Kingdom (Hilton, 2016). Heng's (2018) study adds weight to Hilton's argument by pointing out that Chinese students have to adjust to very different sociocultural contexts when they leave China, they are challenged by student-centred teaching, and have to think like a "westerner" (p. 22).…”

Section: The Creativity Deficit Belief and Stereotypes About Students From Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Students crossing cultural boundaries within a transnational design course in China: An activity theory analysis

Saris-Brandon¹

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<p>The focus of this thesis is on visual communication design (VCD) students’ engagement with creative design process learning within a transnational context. The context is an international partnership between a higher education institution in New Zealand and Hunan City University (HNCU) in China. The Chinese government is currently positioned in a third wave of an internationalisation strategy which encourages cooperative agreements with foreign or overseas institutional partners situated within Chinese universities. For design institutions in particular, the Made in China government initiative has led universities to actively engage with design education approaches imported from the west. The aim for Chinese institutions is to encourage student creativity in order to build on government aspirations to move China from a manufacturing, to an innovation and design led economy. Cultural historic activity theory (CHAT) was used to analyse data from a VCD studio classroom at HNCU in China. A three-level hierarchy of artefacts model was developed for the analysis, which by extention offers a CHAT approach for creative design scenarios. The study had two phases. The first comprised two project-based case studies exploring how creative design process learning occurred when the students were exposed to design thinking. Students were organised into dyads to foster collaborative work for the projects, a branding project, and a cultural project involving illustration design. Data gathered through video stimulated recall interviews with eight dyad participants (sixteen VCD students) and 200 written reflections were analysed. The second phase of the research focused on understanding the cultural and historic pedagogical context. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with local teachers at HNCU, and observations were undertaken in Chinese language medium classrooms. Underpinning the findings, are the ways in which Chinese design education practices at HNCU are shaped by an interweaving of Confucian thought within contemporary social and political tenets (e.g., striving for perfection). The analysis revealed that familiar and unfamiliar learning practices, including previous models encountered by students in the classroom, together with an adjustment to new practices, directly impacted student actions. Imported educational practices resulted in tensions and contradictions between step-by-step and iterative design thinking processes, and collaboration within the division of labour. Non-creative and creative activity outcome conclusions were drawn, and it is argued that a fresh perspective emerged. A creative craft practice situated within its historic and cultural context exists at HNCU. Key to the idea of creative craft practice is that historic and current sociocultural contexts participate in the creative process and contextual elements such as materiality, and teaching practices which use imitation, repetition and precedents, are assembled. The practice contained deeply intertwined student object-oriented motives of product over process, and productions of excellence or perfection. Over time, the efficacy of these motives, alongside drawing from examples for conceptual development, led to enhanced student agency and engagement. This overall finding challenges the creativity deficit belief about students from China, and the originality syndrome imposed on VCD students. The contribution is timely owing to a dearth of studies about graphic or VCD education in general and the potential influence of transnational teaching on creative design process learning in China.</p>

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How language limitations affect conceptual thresholds among Chinese design students in the United Kingdom

Abstract: This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it.

Cited by 4 publications

References 3 publications

Teaching and Learning Excellence: The Coventry Way

Teaching and Learning Excellence: The Coventry Way

The Evolution of the Design Studio: Hybrid Learning Spaces

Students crossing cultural boundaries within a transnational design course in China: An activity theory analysis

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