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Transnational routes such as direct-entry have become a more attractive option for Chinese students, due to the pandemic-imposed travel restrictions in China. The rise of Chinese direct-entry students can potentially lead to a significant increase in demand for academic and non-academic support not only after their arrival, but also before their departure from China. By applying Schlossberg's transition theory, this paper seeks to develop a good understanding of the academic and social belonging of Chinese direct-entry students in the UK through re-analysing the portraits (written narratives) of a previous research project. The findings indicate that these students were feeling disconnected from the academic and social communities. The factors affecting their sense of belonging are described using the 4S framework, namely self, strategies, situation and support. The paper ends with recommendations to key university stakeholders on how the partner institutions in China and the UK can help enhance a sense of academic and social belongingness of Chinese direct-entry students.

Over the past two decades, there has been an increased focus on designing STEM learning experiences for primary and second-level students. We posit that for teachers to design rich learning experiences for their students, they must first have the opportunity to develop their own STEM knowledge and competences, either during their pre-service teacher education or as part of their professional learning as in-service teachers. This systematic review of literature examines programmes which offer either pre-service or in-service teachers immersive learning experiences through placements in STEM roles in business or industry. A total of nine papers were identified in this review, featuring three unique programmes--one in the UK for pre-service teachers, and two in the USA involving in-service teachers. The findings indicate a variation in motivation and structures across the three programmes. The influence on teachers' personal and professional development, and their intentions to change their classroom practices or behaviours to incorporate more 'real-world' contexts into their STEM learning activities, inspired by their experiences in industry, is discussed. This study presents recommendations for the design and implementation of immersive learning placements in industry to support STEM teacher professional learning, as well as suggestions for further studies to examine the influence on their classroom practice.

Purpose: The negative cultural bias vis-à-vis international business and cross-cultural management has been duly acknowledged, necessitating recommendations towards investigating its positive effects. Methodologically, quantitative research clearly predominates, and there have been calls for alternative approaches. Thus, this conceptual paper addresses the research gap (methodological and thematic) by investigating if multicultural teams can be an essential part of the global workforce and whether positive effects exist regarding dynamic capabilities, learning and knowledge transfer. Design/methodology/approach: The underlying ethnographic research design enabled exploring within the embedded single case study from an emic perspective, including qualitative observation and semi-structured expert interviews, and provided detailed insights into the company's multicultural work environment. Findings: The results reveal that applying a qualitative design allowed the needed exploration and show that multicultural, geographically dispersed teams are positively experienced and considered necessary in today's globalised world. They are likely to increase in the future. Moreover, dynamic capabilities (multicultural competencies) are indispensable for multicultural teamwork. Regarding learning opportunities, different viewpoints for discussion and the ability to reflect on these offer valuable insights. In line with theory, multiculturality is considered a "two-edged sword", providing simultaneous benefits and challenges. Contrary to the theory, even highly important information transfers can occur virtually, although occasional physical contact is essential for trust building. Originality/value: The multinational family business offers a unique example of a positive relationship between multiculturalism and organisational excellence and demonstrates how the application of a qualitative methodology can support theory building by delivering a revised model of dynamic capabilities in multicultural environments with geographical dispersion.

Purpose: The emergence of internet-based business models has given rise to online higher education institutions (OHEIs) that offer their undergraduate and graduate degree programs exclusively online with minimal physical presence. Research on OHEIs discusses the need for external legitimacy and resource acquisition, often ignoring the role of quality among these institutions. Hence, this study aims to investigate the role of digital quality of education on OHEIs' survival. Design/methodology/approach: Guided by four different inter-disciplinary theories, a conceptual framework is offered based on a comprehensive literature review. Findings: The role of digital quality of education in improving the survival and strategic competitiveness of institutions in the US online higher education industry is highlighted. Research limitations/implications: This conceptual paper highlights how the digital quality of education becomes increasingly important over the life cycle of OHEIs. Practical implications: The proposed framework suggests that despite the competition provided by traditional and well-entrenched players, OHEIs can improve their survival and competitiveness if they invest strategically in the digital quality of education. Originality/value: This study offers an overarching conceptual framework developed through an integration of multiple theoretical perspectives and grounded in the US online higher education industry.

As the demand for business intelligence (BI) professionals continues to grow, educators need to calibrate their instruction to accommodate the demand of practitioners for specific technical skills while also providing college students with a broader foundation that includes a general understanding of BI concepts and problem-solving skills that are applicable across disciplines. This paper describes a pedagogical method called report-oriented learning which seeks to combine the established methods of problem-based learning and case-based learning. Report-oriented learning requires students to reflect on the knowledge gained during the conceptual parts of the course and use critical thinking and storytelling skills as they prepare and present several comprehensive reports in class. We applied the report-oriented method in a business intelligence course that consists of four instructional approaches: (1) section preview, (2) lectures and quizzes on basic concepts, (3) application of concepts and development of practical skills with hands-on projects, and (4) comprehensive reflection and inquiry in the form of reports. We surveyed students with anonymous questionnaires in the report-oriented BI courses from 2021-2023. The results indicate that the method was effective and perceived by students as having improved their critical thinking and practical skills related to the application of BI techniques and the professional presentation of their findings.

The adoption of enterprise-wide systems like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems continues to grow globally. Due to the prevalence of CRM software in businesses and CRM's expected growth, Information Systems (IS) graduates will likely interact with a CRM system in their careers. However, learning enterprise systems like CRM is challenging for students due to the complexities surrounding integrating people and processes around a technology platform. This paper illustrates how an information systems course employs a CRM project using an experiential learning approach to help IS students develop functional and technical knowledge of CRM and discover creative ways to solve business problems using Salesforce. Project details, exercises, and lessons learned from previous project implementations are provided. Results of students' assessments indicate the hands-on Salesforce CRM project can lead to improved functional and technical learning outcomes.