Different Cultures and Learning Styles Matter in a Canadian University with Middle Eastern Students

The research project at the University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ) focused on the learning style differences and cultural differences of faculty from Canada teaching in Qatar and students from the Middle-East (ME). Such transnational education opportunities have increased abroad as branch campuses or as inclusions of foreign students on home campuses, and involve unique challenges arising from differences in academic expectations, teaching and learning styles, and cultural settings [3]. Therefore, this project used several international learning style assessments and interviews to uncover differences between faculty and students which may impede or aid pedagogical effectiveness and academic success.