Sharing Student Projects

What was this research about? Imagine being a student in a new country, trying to work on a group project using an online board called Padlet. You’re still building your confidence in English, and you’re unsure how your ideas will be received by your classmates. This research project focused on understanding the real experiences of Chinese students in UK universities who find themselves in exactly this situation. I wanted to know what using a tool like Padlet feels like for them, what makes it easier or harder to participate, and what strategies they use to cope with the challenges of cross-cultural group work. What did I do? I spoke in depth with six Chinese postgraduate students from different UK universities who had used Padlet for graded group work. I asked them about their experiences, their feelings, and the reasons behind their choices. For example, why they might choose to post anonymously or why they might first discuss ideas in a private WeChat group with other Chinese classmates before posting a final version on Padlet. What did I find out? The study found that students are very strategic in how they use digital tools to protect themselves and succeed. They often use the anonymous posting feature to share ideas without the fear of being judged on their language skills. While this helps them get involved, it can also mean their contributions are kept brief and simple. A major challenge is the mental effort needed to translate complex, subject-specific terms from Chinese to English. This cognitive load often interrupts their creative flow and leads them to avoid using nuanced concepts, watering down their academic contribution. Perhaps the most interesting finding was the common use of a dual-track system: students would have the real, detailed discussions in Chinese on WeChat, where they felt comfortable and quick, and then only post the final, polished conclusions on Padlet for the tutor and international peers to see. This kept their process hidden and made true integration with non-Chinese teammates very difficult. Finally, and most importantly, the research discovered that the way a teacher grades the work has the biggest impact on how students behave. If grades are based on how many times you post, students will post frequently but without much depth. They will game the system to get the marks rather than focus on having genuine discussions.

Why does it matter? This research matters because it shows that simply giving students a digital tool like Padlet is not enough to create successful cross-cultural collaboration. Universities and lecturers need to be aware of the hidden struggles and smart strategies international students use. The study suggests that teachers should design tasks and grading systems that encourage deep interaction rather than just counting posts. They should provide support like glossaries of key terms to reduce translation pressure and find ways to make the entire collaborative process more visible and inclusive for everyone. Ultimately, it’s not about the technology itself, but about how we use it thoughtfully to create a fair and engaging learning environment for all students, regardless of their cultural or linguistic background