Charles Sturt University has a long-standing joint co-operation with four Chinese Universities, based in Kunming, Yangzhou, Tianjin, and Changchun respectively. Prior to COVID teaching was provided by a combination of CSU staff and local staff teaching face-to-face, with some material also provided through the CSU LMS. In response to COVID our teaching was conducted online using Zoom and supported by online material. In-country teaching recommenced in September 2023, adopting a hybrid model that combines face-to-face and online teaching characteristics. I
Aim:
Our research explored “What is the interplay of instruction (LMS/intensive lectures, culture and agency) in achieving desired student outcomes?”
That is, with respect to student engagement and progress, what has worked well, what has not worked, and what amendments could be made to enhance performance.
Methods:
University data including LMS analytics, Turnitin reports, progress rates, grade distributions, individual assessment results etc across eight final year subjects and partners have been analysed. This included temporal analysis across the period covering pre, actual and post-COVID teaching arrangements as well as preliminary analysis of results for the first teaching session of 2024.
The analysis is consistent with the subject level (smaller grain) analysis as suggested in Fryer et al (2021). It is acknowledged that this analysis is preliminary, and further research could utilise the methods of these authors, as this would like the CSU related surveys with the wider Chinese College Student Survey.
Results:
Results show that engagement and progress vary by partner, subject, and session. All subjects saw a post-COVID dip in results following the return of face-to-face classes and written exams. Furthermore, lower performing subjects were not consistent across all partners and sessions. That is, results for saw a MGT or BUS or FIN subject with one partner may not be replicated across other partners.
The better performance from an online learning environment is consistent with the findings of Asadi et al (2019). This may be due to the benefits it can provide students with English as a second language as students have time to progress through recorded material at their own pace.
Discussion:
These results provide some useful insights into future teaching strategies. While standardisation in teaching, engagement, and assessment across all four partners occurs, consideration could be given to utilising a more nuanced teaching approach that better matches student background as well as better integrate local characteristics. For example, Changchun has a strong natural resource and automobile industry background. In contrast, Yangzhou (a city of half Changchun’s population of 9m) is more maritime trade and agriculture based. Similarly, Tianjin has a large financial district as well as being a major seaport, while Kunming borders the China / Thailand border and has strong manufacturing and food processing industries. Student class sizes also vary across the four partners, with some campuses requiring multiple Charles Sturt University lecturers to deliver the subject.
While it is not proposed to amend assessment, teaching engagement and materials could be varied to account for such nuances. This could include some differentiated case study examples, varied tutorial activities, and tailored class resources. Online materials could be enhanced further as well.
Furthermore, these results suggest that further research into student engagement and teaching with the China partners is warranted.
Conclusion:
In an Australian context the issue of regionality in China may seem unusual, however when considering student demographics and local regional considerations, many of the issues overlap in the Chinese context, and a hybrid teaching model has provided some challenges.
