Learning Cultures:

1
Learning Cultures The Impact of Culture on
Learning Tim Buttress and Katja Durkin
qualifications are better understood
2
Culture

• No culture can live, if it attempts to be
  exclusive
• Mahatma Gandhi
• It is not the biggest, the brightest or the best
  that will survive, but those who adapt the
  quickest
• Charles Darwin

3
Culture another view!

• Culture is roughly anything we do and the
  monkeys don't
• Lord Raglan

4
What we are going to do

• Concept of credential evaluation and why it is
  important
• Education systems and education models
• Cultural impact on communications
• Impact of Bologna

5
Credential Evaluation

• Credential evaluation is the process of
  converting foreign academic credentials into
  educational equivalents.
• Best way to understand the competencies, skills
  and abilities of an individual from overseas.
• Used by universities, colleges, employers,
  professional bodies, central and local
  government, careers advisory services, charities

6
Why is it important

• Understanding the abilities of an individual
• Entry to regulated professions
• Immigration
• Combating fraud

7
Credential Evaluation and Combating Fraud

• Some estimates suggest that up to 25 of CVs
  contain false claims about qualifications
• Under qualified professionals working as
  teachers, engineers
• Students losing their entire family income on a
  bogus institution
• Undermining the image and quality of UK higher
  education
• Entering the UK illegally

8
Education worldwide
9
Education models

• Anglo-Scottish Model
• Humboldt Model
• Napoleon Model

10
In sum

• Anglo-American model students from the UK would
  be used to
• Some independent study, focused and modular
  study, specialised
• Humboldt model students would be used to
• Independent study, specialised but not modular
  studies, considerable freedom of subject choice
• Napoleon model students would be used to
• Taught and guided studies, lots of examinations,
  not much independent study experience, very
  focused but not necessarily modular.

11
Question Time

• What could be the issues facing student from each
  model?

12
Question Time - answers

• Humboldt Napoleonic
• 1 Wider academic base in degrees 1 Less freedom
  than in UK system
• 2 No professional rights with UK quals 2 More
  teaching contact
• 3 UK degrees shorter 3 Less research
• 4 More teaching contact than in UK
• 5 Practical aspects?

13
What is Culture
Language
Religion
Values and attitudes
Culture
Aesthetics
Education
Social organisation
Law and politics
Technology and material culture
Terpstra and Sarathy 2000
14
Impact of Culture on Communication

• What is more important, rules or relationships?
• Do we function in a group or as individuals?
• Do we display our emotions?
• Is responsibility specifically assigned or
  diffusely accepted?
• Do we have to prove ourselves to receive status
  or is it given to us?
• Do we do things one at a time or several things
  at once?
• Do we control our environment or are we
  controlled by it?

Alfons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner
15
Emotional -v- Neutral
Anglo-American Humboldt Napoleon
Emotional
Neutral
USA
China
Singapore
Mexico
Germany
Italy
Brazil
Spain
Netherlands
Hong Kong
Australia
UK
Russia
Sweden
Indonesia
Switzerland
Based on Alfons Trompenaars and Charles
Hampden-Turner
16
What does this mean?

• Japan indirect style of verbal communication
• messages are implicit and indirect
• voice intonation, timing and facial
  expressions
• UK and Germany exacting style
• too many words is considered an exaggeration
• too few words is perceived as ambiguous
• USA and Canada direct style of verbal
  communication
• accomplish objectives

17
What does this mean?

• So what does this mean?
• In the USA an Administrative Assistant might call
  a Senior Executive Bob or Dan or Barak!
• Would this happen in Japan? Or other parts of
  Asia?
• What about mobility across Europe?

18
Implications of Bologna Process
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Features of Bologna

• 2 cycle degrees (undergraduate and postgraduate)
• ECTS
• Diploma Supplement
• Mutual recognition

20
Bologna Agreement
Doctoral Cycle of minimum 3 years
Masters Cycle 60 120 ECTS
Bachelor Degree Cycle minimum of 180 ECTS
Secondary school leaving certificate required for
university entrance
21
Bologna Changes on Study Style?

• Overall more modularised
• Overall more focused
• This might mean that students are
• More prepared for labour market
• Study less long and are more focused on a
  particular learning outcome
• Less academic/independent

22
Bologna Changes on Study Style?

• Will Bologna remove the cultural issues
  associated with education?

23
Conclusion

• Credential Evaluation plays a vital role is
  selection
• Awareness of culture and the learning styles
  within those culture uis a vital aspect of
  improving student welfare
• HSBC effect (self-reference criteria)