More than 45,000 international students are now studying for bachelor programs in the Netherlands. The number of Asian students increased dramatically in the past decade. The current research aims at examining the differences between Western European and Asian students’ perceptual learning styles, and exploring the relationships between students’ learning styles and their academic achievements in international business (IB) study. One hundred and seventy-two students from a Dutch university participated in the survey research. Western European students significantly outperformed Asian studentsin academic performances. Significant differences in learning styles were also found between Western Europeans and Asian students in English, second language, business subjects, and group project learning. Besides, in comparison with Asian students, Western European students preferredto learn from hearing words, taking notes of lectures, and getting involved in some classroom experiences such as role-playing. They may benefit more from lecture-based subjects than Asian students.Based on the findings, practical recommendations are offered for instructors in international higher education
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Although previous research programs have yielded valuable knowledge that can help sugar beet growers to innovate farming processes, actual transfer of this knowledge to the growers so far is lacking. Currents ways of knowledge transfer do not match learning styles, personal traits or the social environment of previously identified groups of growers. The current research was designed to asses to which level new means of knowledge transfer are suitable: using both digital means, e.g., decision support systems, and other means, e.g. study groups, knowledge transfer can be re-assessed to form specific inspiring learning environments.A survey study assessed learning styles, attitudes toward innovation, personality traits related to entrepreneurship and the social network growers use to obtain new knowledge. These data were linked to the crop yield data over the previous five years, to be able to compare the influence of learning styles, attitudes, network and individual differences on the occurrence and effectiveness of certain types of innovative behaviour. Results indicate that different learning styles correlate with different ways of using one's knowledge network: for instance, people who are more prone to seek help, have significantly more contacts and exchange more knowledge within their networks. Growers whom significantly participate more in meetings and interactions with colleagues, produce an above average crop yield, as compared to other groups. The innovation attitude appeared to predict the innovation intention of growers; people with more positive attitudes are more willing to try new ideas and implement not fully tested techniques than growers with less positive attitudes toward innovation. Knowledge networks are comprised of fellow growers, friends, family, but mostly the growers receive their knowledge from advisors, suppliers and study groups. Preferences for learning and innovating correlate with the size of the network, and how intensively it is used.
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A major challenge for disaster scholars and policymakers is to understand the power dimension in response networks, particularly relating to collaboration and coordination. We propose a conceptual framework to study interests and negotiations in and between various civic and professional, response networks drawing on the concepts of “programming” and “switching” proposed by Manuel Castells in his work on the network society. Programming in disaster response refers to the ability to constitute response networks and to program/reprogram them in terms of the goals assigned to the network. Switching is the ability to connect different net-works by sharing common goals and combining resources. We employ these concepts to understand how the US Federal Emergency Management Agency organized its response in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Our conceptual framework can be used both by disaster scholars and policymakers to understand how networked power is constructed and utilized.
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