Cross-cultural active learning: Qualitative results from Americans teaching in China

What are the experiences of Chinese students taking engineering courses taught in English by American professors using active learning techniques? Case studies of three such courses are explored in this work. Specifically, two American professors taught courses in English to about 100 students whose native language was Chinese. These courses included a required Electronics course for electrical engineering sophomores, a seminar on Medical Device New Product Development within a required Biomedical Instrumentation course for juniors in biomedical engineering, and a lecture series on New Product Development for first year honors students. All courses included homework teams and active learning techniques in the classroom. Focus groups were conducted near the end of the courses to examine students' experiences. Results and analyses of this qualitative data are presented here. Themes which emerged include the importance of teamwork, challenges with and comfort gained using English, conflicting attitudes toward teaching style, and exposure to practical applications.