Browsing by Author "Wu, Xueqin"

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    Adult Beginning Learners’ Engagement in Learning Mandarin as An Additional Language at a Canadian Post-secondary Institute
    (2017) Wu, Xueqin; Guo, Yan; Becket, Gulbahar; Xie, Shaobo; Cai, Wei; Roy, Sylvie
    This research investigates the Mandarin learning experience of both heritage and non-heritage beginners in a Canadian post-secondary institution to understand students’ engagement in learning Mandarin as an additional language (MAL). It integrates the complexity theory with an ecological perspective on second language education to capture the dynamic relationship between the learning context and the learners’ engagement in learning MAL. The case study methodology was chosen for the research purpose, and data were collected through classroom observations, focused group conversations and individual interviews. Research findings are presented from two perspectives: the learning experience and the classroom teaching and learning practices. Issues related to student engagement were discussed, including motivation, identity, curriculum, and teaching practice. Analysis on the findings reveals the complexity and ambivalence of Chineseness to heritage and non-heritage MAL learners, which must be understood in their particular socio-cultural context. It also advocates for promoting learner agency through the development of their own “Chinese voice”. In addition, in order to encourage students’ long-term engagement in learning MAL, it is important for the curriculum designers to allocate more time for students to practice Mandarin, make the teaching content more relevant to students’ knowledge and experiences, and develop an assessment system that values learner difference while remaining fair to both heritage and non-heritage students. Implications for MAL education are discussed at the end of the thesis.
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    Critical Thinking in International Contexts: Poly-Ethnographic Accounts of Multicultural Research Collaboration
    (University of Calgary, 2016-05) Woodend, Jon; Fedoruk, Lisa; Beek, Avis; Wu, Xueqin; Roy, Sylvie; Groen, Janet; Li, Xiang; Werklund School of Education
    In December 2015, selected doctoral students and faculty from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the University of Calgary (U of C) participated in a seminar hosted by Beijing Normal University (BNU) for interdisciplinary/international collaboration. In this paper the U of C participants outlined their reflections of this experience through a poly-ethnographic approach, with consideration for the Twelfth Dimension Framework for School Systems Success. The main themes that emerged included the role of culture and the impact of power dynamics when working academically on an international level.
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    Development of a Novel Reclaiming Process for Degraded Formulated Solvents from Industrial Gas Processing and Purification
    (2020-01-31) Wu, Xueqin; Mahinpey, Nader; Mahinpey, Nader; Dong, Mingzhe; Hassanzadeh, Hassan
    Recently mixed amines become the preferred formulated solvents for CO2 capture from flue gases to meet the cleanup targets at minimum energy consumptions in many commercial large CO2 capture operations, such as Boundary Dam and Parish Petra Nova CO2 Capture Plants. These amine solutions are degraded by reaction with O2, SOx, NOx, and other gas impurities to form heat stable salts and degradation products. A laboratory thermal reclaimer was designed to study the solvent separation from these degradation products and recovered solvent purity for both the singular and mixed. Industrial degraded samples were collected and processed using this facile reclaimer apparatus. A detailed analysis of the feed stream and the recovered product stream showed that this facile reclamation process can remove most of the undesirable impurities and restore the solvent to almost its original purity. These obtained technical data could be useful for scaling-up and designing of the commercial solvent reclaimers, especially for the CO2 capture plants.