A Preliminary Investigation into Theory-Practice Barriers in Sino-New Zealand Undergraduate Computing Education

TL;DR

The study investigates barriers hindering the translation of computing theory into practice within a Sino-New Zealand double-degree program conducted on a Chinese campus with joint NZ-China courses. It uses a structured questionnaire (20 Likert-item questions plus 2 open-ended items) administered to 76 valid respondents from the 2021 cohort, analyzed through quantitative and qualitative methods to identify barriers such as insufficient prior knowledge, language barriers, and differences between NZ and Chinese educational systems, and to assess their impact on performance, engagement, and skill development. The authors propose a comprehensive suite of interventions, including bridging courses, enhanced language support, refined teaching methods, and improved resource allocation, complemented by orientation, mentorship, and workload balancing strategies. These findings offer practical guidance for cross-cultural computing education initiatives, highlighting the need to integrate language, pedagogy, and content to support diverse student backgrounds in joint international degree programs. The work provides a roadmap for policymakers and educators to improve theory-to-practice transitions in similar cross-cultural, bilingual computing curricula.

Abstract

This paper investigates the barriers hindering the effective transition from theoretical knowledge to practical application in a Sino-New Zealand double-degree undergraduate computing program. In this unique educational setting, students study at a campus in China but complete both Chinese and New Zealand courses taught jointly by lecturers from both countries. Through a questionnaire administered to these students, we identify critical obstacles such as insufficient foundational knowledge, language barriers, cultural and pedagogical differences, and difficulties adapting to distinct educational systems. Our analysis reveals that these barriers significantly affect students' academic performance, engagement, and skill development. Based on the findings, we propose targeted interventions, including specialized bridging courses, enhanced language support, refined teaching methods, and improved resource allocation.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Barriers Distribution in Theory-to-practice Transition by Participants
• Figure 2: Impact Distribution of Barriers