EduSci lesson plan

Lesson title: 

Overcoming obstacles of intercultural communication between Finns and Asians

Subject: International business studies and intercultural communication

Class / age group: 18-20

Number of students: 6-15

Theorist and Concept Chosen as Lesson Foundation: David Kolb

Learning objectives: Gaining basic understanding on cultural differences between the Finns and Asians

Prior knowledge of students necessary: None required, but any knowledge is beneficial

Forms of assessment: Group work (scale 1-3), written work (scale 1-3)

Lesson structure (table below)

Activity	Key outcome (e.g. students should...	Class structure (e.g. students in groups, seated individually)	Time (min.)
Introduction	Video with Finns and Asians encountering	Normal classroom setting	5 min
Main section	Teaching about cultural differences between Finns and Asians	Large circle to allow discussion	25 min
Conclusion	2 presentations, each 5 min, and discussion 5 min	All sit in a large circle, performances in the middle	15 min
Additional later work (if applicable)	Written assignment, 2 pages on teaching, own research and application, return by next week	At home	2 hours

Content:

The lesson is aimed for the international business students. In the future they are likely to work in international business, and therefore it is very imporant for them to be able to interact and communicate in a way that is culturally acceptable, in order to succeed in their projects and closing the deals. This series of lessons will focus on aspects of intercultural communication among different cultures and countries, such as Russia (a major and nearby business partner), Asia (general knowledge can later be specified), the United States, Africa, France, and Italy.

The theoretic framework applied for this lesson is Kolb's learning cycle (Wankat & Oreovicz: Teaching Engineering, ch. 15). According to David Kolb, learning requires application of several mediums, which are: active experimentation in contrast with reflective observation (transforming experience into knowledge), and abstract conceptualization and concrete exeperience (p. 292). These last two refer to how a student receives and understands information. This cycle represents steps of learning for complete understading. When all the stages are employed, a total of 90% learning efficiency is achieved (ibid.). Learning is improved when more active participation and involvement is integrated (p. 293).

The lesson displays several activities so that students with different learning styles and tendencies will gain as much as possible. There are four learner types according to Kolb: diverger, assimilator, converger, and accomodator. The first prefers motivation, stories, and journals, which will be provided by the skit, video, and blogging. Assimilator learns best when employing facts, lecturing, reading, and problem-solving, and these also also provided for. The converger enjoys simulations, experiments, (the skit will do for those), and homework with problem-solving and reporting. The last one likes self-selected projects (provided), simulations and think tank, which is covered in feedback discussion about how the performed situations could have been avoided or solved in a different way.

The lesson about cultural differences applying these principles in in many formats so that people who learn differently will be able to take home a good learning experience. First, the lesson will open with a 5-minute video on cultural miscommunication between a Finn or Scandinavian and an Asian person in a funny or dramatic way in a business setting. This simulates concrete experience, since the student can easily relate to this. Those students who typically learn from abstract ideas, will gain a lot from the main teaching and further using that as a reference, when the final task will be writing a reflection in a blog and 2-page application. The principles in the lesson content must be referred to in the written work. The teacher will bring up real-life experiences and examples of how a business venture succeeded, when appropriate cultural approach was followed, and also how some efforts failed due to lack of understanding or grave mistakes.

Then the student will independently seach information in pair and perform a short, 5-minute skit of cultural conflicts with a Finn and a selected target culture, and how to solve that conflict. This is the concrete experience part, and a deep object lesson. All these different approaches combine the learning outcomes, which are increased awareness of the cultural differences, and how to solve them in practical life, and how they affect international business.

The class in divided into small groups, which in turn will create a five-minute performance about Finns meeting a foreign business partner. The idea is to demonstrate typical differences and mistakes that may occur. After the presentation other students will comment and analyze the performance and a short discussion will follow. The students will also write a blog entry about the lesson. The teacher will summarize the main point of today's lesson, give the home work and readings for the next session (interacting with Russians).

In addition, at the end of the unit, each student will pick a country or culture that has not been taugh about in a class, they will find out about its culture from Internet, travel guides etc., and they will create a five-minute presentation (with one hour for preparation at home) to display the cultural differences and clashes. They will also think what kind of business partnerships would thrive between Finland and the selected country.