The impact of a peer-facilitated discussion initiative on international students’ learning experience in the context of internationalisation at home

Abstract

Fostering skills development is one of the tenets of education. For a long time, the traditional binary teacher-student interaction was used as the sole approach to teaching and learning but it is now overwhelmingly regarded as insufficient. The present paper reports on an initiative based on the principles of peer learning. The discussion groups and one-to-one sessions in languages, facilitated by native speakers (NS) who are international students in the institution, were set-up to enable language learners to develop their oral skills. While the advantages of the activity for language learners are clear, it is not as easy to determine the benefits for the NS peer-facilitators. The study presents findings from questionnaires and interviews conducted with some of these NS peer-facilitators and discuss the reported impact of the initiative on these students. While personal growth and development of intercultural awareness feature strongly in the data analysis, an enhanced language learning experience and an influential factor in some participants’ educational and career paths are also revealed. These findings are explained with reference to relevant developments in the study abroad, volunteering and peer learning literature. We will conclude that the initiative is a positive tool for international students’ integration into the host institution and offers a novel way for them to socialise and engage in their new learning environment.

An Exploratory Examination of Student-Led, Asynchronous Collaborative Online Discussions in Fostering Higher-Order Cognitive Skills and Ethical Leadership Learning

“…Digital collaboration-defined as occurrences in which "individuals are responsible for their actions, including learning and respecting the abilities and contribution of their peers" (Laal & Ghodsi, 2012, p. 486) -is a valuable instructional approach that can help students make deeper meaning of content. Student-student interaction in asynchronous, online discussions and, specifically, in student-led discussions, can foster collaborative knowledge construction because active facilitation requires a stronger focus on building upon others' contributions and offering new ideas (De Wever et al, 2010;Jeanneau & O'Riordan, 2020). Contrary to instructor-led discussion, student-led discussion is based on lateral relationships (peer-to-peer), not on a hierarchical relationship (e.g., expert-novice) (Hew, 2005), and when students facilitate discussions, they usually engage in leadership by taking on meaningful facilitation roles (Baran & Correia, 2009).…”

Beyond borders: The integration of foreign students in the distance learning educational process at the Russian university

“…Socio-cultural integration is also promoted by events that stimulate intercultural exchange, organized by the university, where students can learn about the culture of the language being studied, share their knowledge and experience, and expand their social circle. Other studies also highlight the importance of the role of social interaction in the process of integrating students into the university's educational process under the conditions of distance learning-communication with classmates and teachers, the opportunity to ask for help or advice is extremely important for foreign students, otherwise, isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness and anxiety [46,58] . Thus, our findings are consistent with the recommendations of Dursun and Sevim on the need to assist foreign students in integrating into a new environment [59] .…”