Tag: Poster 131

Is The Far East Too Far? Explore the Relationship Between Chinese International Students and University Of Oregon Career Services Offices

Presenter(s): Haozhe Li − International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Dennis Galvan

Poster 131

Research Area: Social Science

The number of Chinese international students in the US has increased dramatically. Are they using the career services, or does an American degree leads to a dream job? My initial hypothesis is small number of Chinese students use the career services because of the cultural differences and the services are on American standards. This research project assesses the career needs, job search mindset, and cultural differences the Chinese students have, and builds on this information to recommend potential service models and solutions for US universities to be more strategically and inclusively on serving this population. The study uses a quantitative research method by analyzing online survey responses from a randomized sample of University of Oregon (UO) Chinese international students. It also draws on semi-structured interviews with Chinese students, and with staff from the career services offices. The results from the survey indicated Chinese international students at the UO have different understandings of career services. Most student value and try to get US work experience, yet, many feel not career ready after obtaining the degree. More respondents would rather go to graduate school than work. The main challenges Chinese students face are language and visa/work authorization. Suggestions to the career services offices on supporting Chinese international students include exploring career options early, invoking motivation early, building experience early, intentional skills building, and knowing not all Chinese students want to work in the US after graduation; therefore, have the support system on helping with career planning globally or graduate school preparation.

Is Forgetting Good for Learning? Examining the Emergence of Abstract Rule Representations

Presenter(s): Tuong Vy Tran

Faculty Mentor(s): Ulrich Mayr & Atsushi Kikumoto

Poster 131

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Most actions are driven by abstract action rules that need to be applied to specific environmental conditions. The abstract goal to make coffee is implemented differently in your own than in your office kitchen. We examine here the degree to which improvements through practice result from (1) strengthened representations of abstract rules, from (2) better adaptation to specific environmental conditions, or from (3) representations that integrate abstract rules and specific conditions into conjunctive representations. We used a task that required the application of up to four different abstract spatial translation rules in order to respond to a given spatial stimulus. Subjects (N=46) performed an initial, 45-minute session applying two of the four rules to one of two possible stimulus configurations. During the second, 45-minute session, the two withheld abstract rules and the second stimulus configuration were introduced. To test the possibility that abstract, generalizable knowledge is fostered through consolidation or forgetting of specific conjunctive representations the second session occurred either right after the first session, or one week apart. Results showed that it was harder to apply new rules to practiced than to new stimulus configurations–– a clear indication conjunctive representations between abstract rules and stimulus settings. Importantly, this effect was substantially weakened when the new rules/stimulus settings were tested after one week. This suggests that during the 1-week delay, specific conjunctive representations were weakened (i.e., forgetting), thereby increasing the contributions of abstract rule representations. In other words, forgetting can benefit the emergence of generalizable skills.