The Intersection of Ideas across Space: Snapshot of Lecture 7

On July 15, the 2021 International Summer University in Social Work (ISUSW 2021) entered the fourth day. After friendly interaction and communication with the students, Dr. Hong-Jae Park of the Western Sydney University in Australia started Lecture Six entitled “A Fluid Contact Zone:The HyFlex Teaching Mode Experienced by International Social Work Students in Australia”. The lecture presented vital issues and challenges in implementing the HyFlex (flexible hybrid teaching and learning) approach in social work training in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided insights into the internationalization of social work education during the pandemic.

Dr. Park mentioned the ravages of the pandemic in Australia, which inspired Australian universities to adopt highly innovative communication technologies and various e-learning tools. Universities transitioned from campus-based teaching and learning to fully or partially online delivery. He explained the connotation of HyFlex. Students can choose to participate in classroom courses, online participation, or both in social work training. This HyFlex delivery model better enhances students’ competencies to embrace ICTs for social work practice in this digital era. At the same time, the teaching method of HyFlex also faces some problems and challenges. Dr. Park summarized the experience of international students from different countries and pointed out the following issues: some students cannot afford the network fees, overall lack of ICT competencies, inconsistent time zones, and sickness and stress due to language barriers and the pandemic.

In the discussion session of the lecture, Dr. Hong-Jae Park explained the meaning of “Fluid contact zone” and the internationalization of social work education. He pointed out that Internationalization is a double-edged sword as it can promote the enrichment of intercultural links with students and faculty while also increasing the influence of dominant cultures and traditions. Finally, Dr. Park concluded that he believes that international students are “change agents” for the internationalization of universities worldwide. Some international students, onshore or offshore, have experienced a range of challenges and difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although online learning has been seen as the panacea to improving the delivery and quality of student learning, it has also created ongoing issues associated with the digital divide and exclusion for, particularly, international students. Social work education must confront the reality of systemic racism in online learning and promote educational equity for all students.

During the teacher-student interaction session, Dr. Park patiently answered the students’ questions “What is the main problem of systemic racism in social work or social environment?” and “What effect will online learning have on students in social work program for their future job search or employment?” The students said that they had gained a lot.

This summer school was conducted on the Microsoft Team Tool platform.Teachers and students in different time zones were divided into two groups (Group A and Group B), to participate in or watch the recorded courses in real-time. The workshops of the two groups were divided into several subgroups for discussion. In the lecture process, the teachers and students on the screen can exchange each others’ experience of the lecture through the video chat and message function; the relatively silent students can gain their insights by listening to the information provided by others. However, due to the difference in time zone, the two groups of courses cannot be watched in real-time at the same time. Instead, the students of Group A or Group B have to watch the recorded videos of lectures in real-time of the other group. This also causes communication barriers; Different groups of students and teachers cannot communicate in real-time, causing some students to be unable to ask questions and get answers in time.

So far, the lecture ended successfully. The connotation of Dr. Park’s lecture is consistent with the theme of the ISUSW 2021. Thousands of miles, you and I share, with an inclusive and open mind. Let us look forward to the following lectures together!

Written by Zhao Xiaotong (MSW student, SDU)

July 15, 2021