Cross cultural experiences of Chinese students studying food science in Ireland

Abstract

This study focuses on the specific needs of Chinese students studying food science in UCC in order to provide better teaching and learning tools for students. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to establish the pros and cons of their learning experiences. The students interviewed showed consensus, such as: it is essential that they receive lecture notes with an adequate lead time so that they can pre-read and translate sections. They must have good WIFI access to facilitate real-time online translation. In order to speed and ease their transition into the Irish higher education system it is necessary to provide tutorials to Chinese students for the unfamiliar essay exam question format.