University lecturer creates computer game to prepare international students for a different way of life.
A senior lecturer from Portsmouth University who had a difficult time adjusting to English culture when he was a student has recently created an online game to help international students deal with the culture shocks of university life in Britain.
Nipan Maniar, who works for the creative technologies department of the university, said he experienced a culture shock in many aspects of his student life when he came to Portsmouth in 2000 to do his MSc.
“As a student and first time visitor, I went through a phase where I had to adapt to the new environment and culture in-order to excel and blend with existing cultures. Even today as an International Co-ordinator, when I travel to India for recruitment I see many students reliving my experience and going through the same phase and having similar questions and confusion about the foreign culture”.
C-Shock lets users complete a series of tasks, which an overseas student may face on their first day at university. The game will also produce messages to explain to student’s ways in which to live a healthy lifestyle or get a job as well as warn students of the cultural differences, such as human interaction, alternative clothing and alcohol consumption.