Sandra Seno-Alday and Amanda Budde-Sung
This paper aims to explore the impact of differences in educational traditions on conventions of teaching and learning, and on the measurement of learning outcomes. These are…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the impact of differences in educational traditions on conventions of teaching and learning, and on the measurement of learning outcomes. These are critical issues within the context of business schools that are steeped in one dominant tradition but have a large population of international students previously educated in other traditions. The paper argues that international students face the challenge of satisfactorily demonstrating learning according to foreign conventions that are different from what they would have been accustomed to within the framework of their home educational tradition.
Design/methodology/approach
This study draws on a bilingual literature review to capture differences in educational traditions between Australia and China. It then uses logistic regression to analyze the performance of 800 domestic and international Chinese students across a range of different assessment formats at a large Australian business school.
Findings
The study finds statistically significant differences in the performance of these two student groups on different assessment types. It concludes that the conventions on approaches to the assessment of learning shaped by a specific educational tradition can hamper the effective demonstration of learning among students from other educational traditions.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on issues related to the assessment of learning in multicultural higher education contexts, which has received less attention in the literature compared to issues on teaching approaches in multicultural contexts. The paper also highlights important implications on the validity of the measurement of learning outcomes and on the subsequent impact on graduate recruitment.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of regional macroeconomic risk by examining the trade networks formed by regional multinational enterprise (MNE) activity at the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of regional macroeconomic risk by examining the trade networks formed by regional multinational enterprise (MNE) activity at the aggregate level, and exploring the subsequent implications on the vulnerability of those networks to economic shocks.
Design/methodology/approach
The study draws on contemporary developments in graph theory to revisit the nature and dynamics of complex trade networks in the Southeast Asian region from 1990 to 2012.
Findings
Findings indicate that the topology of the regional trade network has changed significantly in the period examined, in that it has become denser, more connected and more clustered. Analysis further indicates that disruptions to the trade network during periods of shock have exhibited decreasing levels of magnitude, pointing to greater robustness over time.
Research limitations/implications
The results show that intra-regional MNE activity has the effect of reducing risk in the region. If MNEs aim to reduce their risk exposure, they must first deepen their commitment to the regional market.
Originality/value
This paper enriches current understanding of the changing nature of regional risk, and represents one of the first efforts to examine international trade networks in light of recent developments in the understanding of networks beyond the conventional random graph.