The Global Student Experience at the Australian Catholic University - Research Paper Example

Analysis and Research Presentation Name: Institution: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Abstract 4 Introduction 5 Task 2 6 RESEARCH PLAN 6 Specific aim 6 Background 7 Research design and method 8 Data collection methods 9 Participation and observation 9 Free listing 9 Interview 9 Sampling 10 Data analysis 10 Free list 10 Participation and observation 10 Interview 11 Significance 11 Research Timetable 11 Task 3 12 RESEARCH REPORT 12 Summary 12 Result 13 Task 4 14 THE PRESENTATION INSTRUCTION 14 Choice of the method used 14 Issues raised by the individuals 14 Findings 15 Recommendation 15 Conclusion 15 References 16 Abstract The main aim of this project is to find out if the introduction of the Global Student Experience (GSE) at the Australian Catholic University might work. This program is aimed at providing the students who are abroad or away from the Australian University that is based in Sydney to have the ability to enroll in a curriculum that is full (Adler, 1999). GSE also offers the students a chance to transfer more than a hundred courses that are optional. The objective of the project is to find out whether it is possible for the students to welcome the move that will help them be able to assimilate to the Australian culture. These cultures include tour all over Australia, the Australian cultural events and also may include housing. According to the directors, the introduction of the GSE will make the students who come from abroad to have a chance to mix freely with the students who are from the area (Adler, 1999). There are various ways that the university administration has confirmed to the new students that they will be safe. Each and every student is going to be provided with a cell phone that is computerized in a way that incase of emergency they will be found easily. The students’ passports are like there identity cards whereby they will not be treated as aliens in the country. The houses or hostel that the students are accommodated is fully secured with alarm doors that will make sure that the students together with their properties are safe inside. It is also believed that the students will be provided part-time employment that will take care of their financial needs even if they are in the foreign country. Introduction Australian Catholic University is a public university that has five campuses in Australia namely Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Ballarat and Brisbane. The GSE system is intended to be used at the campuses that are located in Sydney. The university offers a wide range of courses that is why it is aiming at foreign students that are interested in joining the University for their Degree Studies (Adler, 1999). There are quite a number of advantages of choosing the GSE. One of the advantages is the availability of security for the foreign students. The university has managed to convince the new students that they are provided security from both the staff of the university and the local police. The other advantage is the availability of intern studies whereby a student can choose from a wide range of courses which they can take part time. The system is even committed to eradicating the cases of having their student asking for loans since it is committed to giving the student work not only as students and also after graduating. The system has got no higher qualification since it takes students so long as one has graduated from high school, after one joins the GSE system of education, he will have two types of learning systems. One will have choose one that is suited to his desired time of learning, the first system is the intern type of learning whereby a student will have to choose from more that a hundred courses that are offered in the curriculum. The student will also learn English as a language then from there he will have to pick one subject from the fifty subjects that are being taught at the campus (Adler, 1999). After payment of the fees, the student is entitled to pre-departure information; the student is also entitled to the tuition fee that is included in the fees. The course enrollment fee is also inclusive in the fees therefore the student will not be asked for extra money after enrollment and paying fees. The certificate that is always awarded after completion of the courses is an official transcript that is accepted in any accredited institution all over the world. Task 2 RESEARCH PLAN Specific aim The main aim of this study is to determine whether the application of the GSE system is going to be applicable in the Australian Catholic University. The system has been used in many of the universities across the world but it has never been used by the ACU. One of the key puzzles that should be looked at is; is the foreign students are going to feel welcomed in the school and if they will feel secure as the institution anticipates. The institution interprets security as taking care of the student from the hostel to the school compound and back to the hostel and as they are indoors but what about the period when they are not in the visibility of the university premises, are they safe? The other aim is to look at how it is going to be easy for the foreign students to be able to be assimilated by the Australian culture, and how they are going to deal with culture shock. One of the hypotheses that we are going to form is the fact that the student has come to this country to learn, therefore, we should not be worried about him adopting the culture or not. But if we look at this from another angle, we will agree that adopting the culture is important to the student. This is because the student must feel welcomed in the community that he is living with. The main aim of the institution’s administration is to see to it that the students get a favorable environment that will be helpful for the student. The project is just favorable to the foreign students, what about the students that are from the host country are they welcoming the move? If they are, what is there take on the system of education? We have noticed that the foreign students do not have minimum qualification but what about the students from Australia? Are they being bias to them? Background In the world all over, people are very hungry for education and they will do anything in their power to get the education that they want in order to be successful. They do not only want education so as to be successful but also to be competent in the job market. Therefore, we are going to find out if all the people around the area will welcome the move of having foreign student learning their education system, we are also going to look at what they think and what is their take on the whole process. It is always difficult for someone to adapt quickly to the new culture that he is introduced to. The first thing is that he will find himself confused that he wont be able to concentrate on his learning at first. There are also some individuals who are always afraid that they will be discriminated because of their skin color or there culture. These students will tend to stay away from people as much as possible. They will always avoid many social gathering and these may make them feel isolated from all the fun in the new country. There are also some individuals that are always being judged because of there racial backgrounds that really make them feel uncomfortable. A perfect example is an individual who has an Arab background. The individual will always feel uncomfortable in a new country since he will always be suspected of being a terrorist. Most of the residence in the host country will always be afraid of him and this will make him feel unwanted in the country. There are also some cultures that do not allow certain moral behaviors that are practiced in some countries so it can be very difficult for some individuals to adopt easily. In this study we are going to find out from both the foreign students and the residents if they are going to welcome the move. Research design and method To come up with an exclusive conclusion, we are going to use both explanatory and exploratory components of research. in the exploratory method we are going to take the combination of quantitative and qualitative ethnographic method. One of the specific goal is to find out more about the cultures of the Australian community and whether it will be easy to adopt and adopt by the foreign students. Secondly we are going to find out whether the residents in Sydney are going to be hospitable to the guest students. Thirdly, we are also going to find out if the students are going to be safe from where they are going to be located then finally, we are going to find out from both the students and the residents if they are going to welcome the move. In the explanatory method we are going to identify the specific areas that must be adjusted in order to come up with a reasonable hypothesis for the administration. There are some hypotheses that can be brought forward, first we must see if the cultures of the foreign students are going to be blended with that one of the host country. The second hypothesis is how the administration is going to take care of the foreign students and if the students are guaranteed of their safety. The final hypothesis will be to determine whether the move is going to be accepted by the nationals. The research is going to take six months of fieldwork at the campuses that are located in northern and southern parts of Sydney. The reasons why we have chosen to look at the southern and the northern campuses are that they are the branches of the university that are going to accommodate the foreign students. Moreover, the campuses are flocked with students that are from every part of the country. There are various method of data collection that is going to be used in both explanatory and exploratory methods. Data collection methods Participation and observation In the six months of the field work most of the work will be based on observing and participating in various projects of the institution so as to get access to both the administration and the student body. As an observer and a participant, it will be easy for me to set camp at both the northern and southern campuses in Sydney. This will give me time to intermingle with the residents to know what their take in regard to the GSE system is. This will also make me know whether the residents are ready to share their culture with the foreigners. The main task will be to collect data and note the day to day findings in the field. Free listing The main aim is to subsequently list a number of foreigners to the residence to determine whether they will be welcomed. This will help in noting down the reaction of the residents towards certain people in regards to their race. This technique does not require random listing therefore I will have to identify twenty to twenty five candidates so as to come up with accurate information. Interview In this system of data collection there will be the use of unstructured and structured questioners that are aimed at giving me accurate answers. The specific goal the method is to identify relevant areas that are not welcomed by the residents and the students. There are some areas that the administration never looked at but they were proposed to be implemented. From talking to the informant I will be able to identify these areas. With the permission of the informants, the interviews will be tape recorded so as to make sure that the information is not lost. The questions will be based on cultures and beliefs of the informants who in this case are the students and the residents. Sampling This is the final stage whereby I will sample various individuals to see if the outcome from the residents will be positive or negative. From the security point of view, it will be necessary to find out whether the houses of the individuals that have been sampled were broken into in a span of six months. Data analysis Free list From interacting with the residents, the information that is acquired is very confidential and anonymous where by there will be no use of names in the listing. There is no participant that we know the other participant or informant so as to be sure that the in formation that is received is not bias (Kahneman, 2005). Participation and observation For the six months that I will be in the field, I will make sure that the information that is acquired is used for the benefit of both the students and the administration. Since I will personally be in the field it will be easy to identify the areas that are hostile to the new people and also it will be easy to determine whether the residents are willing to share their culture with the foreigners. Interview Most of the informants that I will have identified as participants in my project must be able share information with me without fear and the information must be accurate and up to date, this will make me be able to come up with the information that is valid and safe for use. This information must have been given to me willingly thus this will make the information acquired to be accurate (Brown, 2000). Significance This project is important for very many reasons both to the administration and to the students that are joining the institution. To the institution the information is very important to them since they will be able to notice the default of the system early before implementing it. This will also make them know the challenges that they are going to encounter and this will make them be able to know the measures that they should take so as to succumb the predicaments. If there are some cases of insecurity they will be tackled by both the institution and the diplomatic police so as to be sure of the safety of the student that are from the foreign countries. As a matter of fact, the foreign students can be warned in advance so that they can keep off from specific areas and social gatherings (Brown, 2000). The students may also be warned of various practices and cultures that they should not adopt so that they can manage to avoid being prone to trouble. Research Timetable This research is scheduled to take place six months prior to the implementation of the system. This is because it will be able to give time for report writing that will be forwarded to the workplace legislatures so that they can be able to come up with the appropriate measures before having the students in place and making them suffer (Brown, 2000). This time is also appropriate since there are some students that are available for volunteering to help with the research and at the same time the administration is not busy. Task 3 RESEARCH REPORT Summary The main aim of this paper was to determine if the introduction of GSE system at the Australian Catholic University was intended to be successful. From the data collected from the individuals, both students and staff, it was noticed that the system will have to take time before it is determined to be successful. The idea according to the scholar’s point of view is great and will really help those students who have potential and are in foreign countries to have a chance to get education in a national university. The result indicates that most of the residents are afraid that the foreigners might come to their country and take their position in the work places leaving them jobless (Argryis, 2002). There were also some foreigners that were afraid that the residents were going to be hostile to them and some were even afraid of being confused for terrorists. Most of the staff members that were interviewed were really anxious for the system to be implemented since according to them they were going to benefit from the foreigners visit. The benefits according to them were, first, the introduction of new jobs such as tour guides for the visitors. Secondly, the staff members were going to have a chance to interact with the foreigners as they teach the Australian culture and in turn they will also learn foreign cultures that may be beneficial to them (Argryis, 2002). The local students that were interviewed in regard to the system had mixed reactions towards the idea, some of the students who were for the idea commented that they wanted the foreigners to come so that they could also have a chance to share in the cultural change. Others thought that since the foreign students were going to have security, the local students will in turn take the advantage and also have a chance to be protected. The students that were against the idea of the system had one point in common, they maintained that most of the foreign students that coming to the institution were not fully qualified since they just had to graduate from high school even if they never attained the pass mark that was required to join the institution. According to them this was unfair for them since they had worked hard to be in the position. They also thought that the foreigners would bring new cultures that do not go along with their beliefs. Result From the result, it was noticed that eighty five percent of the individuals that were interviewed responded. Five percent of the remaining had no idea of what we were talking about and the ten percent were not willing to answer the questioner. Among the eighty five percent that answered, sixty percent answered positively and the remaining twenty five percent responded negatively. From the number that was positive, most of them knew that if the foreign students come to their city they would benefit both economically and educationally. Others thought that the foreign students would bring insecurity in their locality since a place that has foreigners will always attract criminals. Most of the people who were against the idea, did not know the benefit of the system since they thought that it was just another way of the university to gain popularity and money and popularity. The other point is that they were not for the idea because of their own selfish needs. From the result we realize that if the idea is put into practice and there is proper management, then the University will gain publicity and benefit from different cultures. The best thing is that the university should cast a blind eye to the people who do not want the university to develop. Task 4 THE PRESENTATION INSTRUCTION Choice of the method used The method of data collection was very appropriate since I had to meet the participants first hand (Kahneman, 2005). Most of them did not seem friendly but it was good that they provided me with the information that was necessary for the investigation. The method also made it easy for me to find and keep the information easily without fearing loses of data or information that I had acquired. The other advantage is that the information that was recorded was kept safe and nobody had chance of altering with the information acquired. when look at the processes that was used, it is realized that it was easy to get information from the students since they thought that I was one of them because I interacted and intermingled with them making them feel confident and free to talk to me. Issues raised by the individuals There were very many issues that were raised by the students but there was one issue that out shone all of them, the issue that they raised was the issue of insecurity. They all agreed that in as much as they are going to benefit but they also feared that the foreign students were going to make the criminals have a reason to invade their premises. They thought that the criminals may think that the students have money and the same time they will also be victims of robbery attacks. All in all they also described that the visit by the foreigners will make them benefit in a big way that is to say that they will benefit from tourism and culture. Findings One of the things that stood out was the idea of the culture exchange that the students were going to benefit from both the local and foreign students. The GSE system is not a bad system and if it is implemented the country will gain as the university and the country gains popularity and this system should be adopted by all of the international universities. Recommendation Conclusion I would like to recommend all of the international universities to adopt the GSE system so as to help their students benefit socially and culturally. It has been realized that the system gives the students the freedom to study since the student do not have to worry about the security and the place to sleep since the university has already provided. From the assessment above we can commend that the GSE system in the institution is very beneficial and should be applied in majority of the universities since it is both beneficial to the foreign students and the local students. This is because the local students are going to have the chance to exchange views and ideas with the other students. The students do not only benefit culturally but also socially and also the country benefits economically through tourism. The foreign students will also have a chance to have a certificate that is accepted worldwide. References Adler, N. (1999). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, Belmont, CA: Kent Publishing. Argryis, C. (2002). Management and Organizational Development, New York: Mc Graw-Hill. Brown, L. (2000). Your Public Best, New market Press, New York. Kahneman, D & Tversky, A. (2005), Conflict Resolution: A cognitive Perspective, New York: Norton. Read More