Reverse generative learning

Intergenerational learning for global readiness in higher education

Authors

  • Wenrui Liang Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
  • Rosya Izyanie Shamshudeen Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
  • Md Azalanshah Md Syed Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
  • Shen Hui Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/hp7sn324

Keywords:

Reverse Generative Learning, Elder Influencers, Transformative Learning, Situated Learning, International Student Mobility

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of senior influencers on Douyin and their role in shaping the educational perceptions of postgraduate students in mainland China. The paper comprises 23 semistructured interviews with students in Guangdong, exploring three themes: algorithm-driven intergenerational identity fluidity, the decentralization of knowledge authority on social platforms, and emotional algorithmizing and reflective agency. The findings include the influence of senior influencers, who provide knowledge input and participate in co-creation with students, thereby causing cognitive and emotional shifts. This paper contributes to the discourse on how technological and policy-informed environments facilitate transformative and situation-specific learning, specifically examining intergenerational interactions on social platforms. Although the paper involves local interviews, they correlate with global student mobility in terms of guidance by the ‘elder,’ which is influenced by platforms, contributing to the determination of risk factors, destinations, and time, ultimately leading to local practical applications in global higher education.

Author Biographies

  • Wenrui Liang, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

    Wenrui LIANG is a PhD student in communication in the Department of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. His major research interests lie in the areas of aging communication, digital aging, and education, with a particular focus on how older adults engage with platformized media in multilingual contexts. He is responsible for full-text manuscript drafting, data collection, and the integration of qualitative findings into the final paper. 

  • Rosya Izyanie Shamshudeen , Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

    Rosya Izyanie Shamshudeen, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. Her major research interests lie in the areas of qualitative research, media studies, and communication pedagogy, especially in applying interpretivist approaches to Asian media contexts. She is responsible for revising and polishing the manuscript, strengthening the methodological rigor, and aligning the paper with journal requirements

  • Md Azalanshah Md Syed, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

    Md Azalanshah Md Syed, Associate Professor, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. His major research interests lie in the areas of film studies, media communication, and visual culture in Southeast Asia. He is responsible for defining the research objectives, refining the research questions, and ensuring the theoretical coherence of the study. 

  • Shen Hui, Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University, China

    Shen Hui is a PhD student in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University, China. Her major research interests lie in the areas of Hanfu culture, education, and intercultural communication, with an emphasis on cross-border Chinese communities and youth cultural practices. She is responsible for revising grammatical issues, improving the academic style, and maintaining consistency between the Chinese and English versions of the manuscript

     

References

Al-Dmour, H., Al-Dmour, R., Al-Dmour, Y., & Al-Dmour, A. (2025). Transforming international student recruitment: The role of AI, personalization, and trust in Jordanian higher education. Journal of International Students, 15(8), 25-52. https://doi.org/10.32674/m2fmc286

Adiyono, A., Suwartono, T., Nurhayati, S., Dalimarta, F. F., & Wijayanti, O. (2025). Impact of artificial intelligence on student reliance for exam answers: A case study in IRCT Indonesia. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 24(3), 519-544. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.3.22

Brooks, R. (2020). Diversity and the European higher education student: Policy influencers’ narratives of difference. Studies in Higher Education, 45(7), 1507–1518. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1564263

Brooks, R. (2021). Europe as spatial imaginary? Narratives from higher education ‘policy influencers’ across the continent. Journal of Education Policy, 36(2), 159-178.https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2019.1672212

Ben Moussa, M., Khalil, E., & Zaid, B. (2024). Algorithmic experiences of Netflix’s users in the Arab world: Implications for agency and social practice. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 30(6), 2090–2108. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241301125

Boler, M., Gharib, H., Kweon, Y. J., Trigiani, A., & Perry, B. (2025). Promoting Mis/Disinformation Literacy Among Adults: A Scoping Review of Interventions and Recommendations. Communication Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502251318630

Chang, C.-Y., Panjaburee, P., Lin, H.-C., Lai, C.-L., & Hwang, G.-H. (2022). Effects of online strategies on students’ learning performance, self-efficacy, self-regulation and critical thinking in university online courses. Educational Technology Research and Development, 70(1), 185–204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-10071-y

Chankseliani, M., & Kwak, J. (2025). The Ripple Effect: Understanding the Societal Implications of International Student Mobility. International Journal of Educational Research, 129, 102520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102520

Chen, H. (2025). When the ‘Old’Attend to the ‘Old’: Female Direct Care Workers Doing Gendered and Classed Age in the Chinese Elder Care Industry. The British Journal of Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.13211

Chen, X., Yu, T., Dai, J., Jing, Y., & Wang, C. (2025). Unveiling learners’ intentions toward influencer-led education: An integration of qualitative and quantitative analysis. Interactive Learning Environments. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2024.2444533

Chiang, T. H.-C. (2021). Investigating Effects of Interactive Virtual Reality Games and Gender on Immersion, Empathy and Behavior Into Environmental Education. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.608407

Chan, C. S., & Shek, K. F. (2021). Are Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay area cities attractive to university students in Hong Kong? Leading the potential human capital from image perception to locational decisions. Journal of Place Management and Development, 14(4), 404–429. https://doi.org/10.1108/jpmd-04-2020-0032

Canagarajah, S. (2024). Decolonizing academic writing pedagogies for multilingual students. TESOL quarterly, 58(1), 280-306.https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3231

Du, J., & Alm, A. (2024). The impact of ChatGPT on English for academic purpose(EAP) students’ language learning experience: A self-determination theory perspctive. Education sciences, 14(7), 726. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070726

Dai, Y., Liang, W., Xv, W., Wu, Y., & Wang, Y. (2023, September). Exploring the Continuance Intention of Young Chinese Females to Use Social Media: The Case of Xiaohongshu. In 2023 9th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2023) (pp. 1715-1732). Atlantis Press.

Dehmel, L., & Meister, D. M. (2025). Shaping opportunity spaces in deep mediatization at school: principals’ strategies for dealing with unbounded digital communication. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2025.2536062

Farinosi, M. (2023). Deconstructing the stigma of aging: The rise of the mature female influencers. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 26(3), 313–335. https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494221102188

Fryer, L. K., & Oga-Baldwin, W. L. Q. (2019). Succeeding at junior high school: Students’ reasons, their reach, and the teaching that h(inders)elps their grasp. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 59, 101778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101778

Ghosh, M. (2023). Female Instagram elderly influencers countering the aging narratives. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02323-4

Gil-Quintana, J., León, E. V. de, Osuna-Acedo, S., & Marta-Lazo, C. (2022). Nano-Influencers Edutubers: Perspective of Centennial Generation Families in Spain | Article | Media and Communication.

Gil-Quintana, J., & Vida de León, E. (2021). Educational Influencers on Instagram: Analysis of Educational Channels, Audiences, and Economic Performance. Publications, 9(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9040043

Guo, X., Mohd Adnan, H., & Zainal Abidin, M. Z. (2025). Behind the screen: Exploring perceptions, attitudes, and coping behaviors toward cyberbullying on Douyin among Chinese undergraduates. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2025.2525342

Hoggan, C., & Hoggan-Kloubert, T. (Eds.). (2021). Adult learning in a migration society. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003124412

Hardie, P., O’Donovan, R., Jarvis, S., & Redmond, C. (2022). Key tips to providing a psychologically safe learning environment in the clinical setting. BMC Medical Education, 22(1), 816. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03892-9

Hyde, B. (2021). Critical discourse and critical reflection in Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning: A dialectic between ontology and epistemology (and a subtext of reflexivity mirroring my own onto-epistemological movement). Adult Education Quarterly, 71(4), 373-388. https://doi.org/10.1177/07417136211003612

Hargittai, E., & Palfrey, J. (2025). Wired Wisdom: How to Age Better Online. University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226823461

Istenič, A. (2021). Online learning under COVID-19: Re-examining the prominence of video-based and text-based feedback. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(1), 117–121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-09955-w

Junnier, F. (2024). Action and understanding in the semistructured research interview: Using CA to analyze European research scientists’ attitudes to linguistic (dis)advantage. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 68, 101355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2024.101355

Liang, W., Li, J., Wei, J., Min, Y., & Lam, A. T. Z. (2025). Interdisciplinary situational teaching for postgraduate connotative development: An integrated perspective of scaffolding theory and symbolic interactionism. Journal of International Students, 15(10), 153-176.

Kareem, J., Patrick, H. A., Prabakaran, N., B, V., Tantia, V., MPM, P. K., & Mukherjee, U. (2023, May). Transformational educational leaders inspire school educators’ commitment. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 8, p. 1171513). Frontiers Media SA.https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1171513

Korthagen, F. A. J. (2010). Situated learning theory and the pedagogy of teacher education: Toward an integrative view of teacher behavior and teacher learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(1), 98–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.05.001

Khalil, M., Prinsloo, P., & Slade, S. (2023). The use and application of learning theory in learning analytics: A scoping review. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 35(3), 573-594. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-022-09340-3

Kandiko Howson, C., & Kingsbury, M. (2023). Curriculum change as transformational learning. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(8), 1847-1866.https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.1940923

Kasherwa, A., Lenette, C., & Fernandez, E. (2025). Adverse childhood experiences, social networks and help-seeking experiences of African-background refugee children: Toward a refugee children’s Network-Episode Model. Children and Youth Services Review, 170, 108146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108146

Lee, A. R., Liu, D., & Yue, Y. (2025). Empowering China’s older adults through online learning: Media literacy and its influence on well-being. Educational Gerontology, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2025.2481923

Liu, C., & Wu, Y. (2025). The role of family in Chinese international student mobility under the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Family Studies, 31(1), 161–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2024.2429546

Mills, N. (2011). Situated Learning through Social Networking Communities. Calico Journal, 28(2), 345-368.https://doi.org/10.11139/cj.28.2.345-368

Miller, E. M., Jolly, J. L., Latz, J. N., & Listman, K. (2022). Influencers and Major Themes in a Gifted Education Community of Practice on Twitter. Journal of Advanced Academics, 33(3), 469–504. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X221099590

Miranda, S., Antunes, A. C. A., & Gama, A. (2022). A Different type of Influencer? Examining Senior Instagram Influencers Communication. European Conference on Social Media, 9(1), 130–136. https://doi.org/10.34190/ecsm.9.1.337

Murimi, M. (2017). Targeting Influencers of Behavior in Nutrition Education. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49(7), 533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2017.05.358

Ngubane, N., & Makua, M. (2021). Ubuntu pedagogy – transforming educational practices in South Africa through an African philosophy: From theory to practice. Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 13(1), Article 1.https://doi.org/10.10520/ejc-uz_inka-v13-n1-a2

Nahar, S., Karim, M. S., & Sena, V. (2025). How do unexpected networks help female entrepreneurs in the Global South survive in adverse contexts? A case study of Bangladesh. Gender, Work & Organization. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.70030

Nieminen, J. H., Tai, J., Boud, D., & Henderson, M. (2022). Student agency in feedback: beyond the individual. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 47(1), 95-108. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2021.1887080

Okungbowa, E. (2022). Refuge and Life Overseas: Influences of Gender, Culture, and Migration on Parenting Practices of African Refugees in Canada (Master's thesis, University of Alberta). https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-pfq2-xv50

Qian, Z., Fu, J., & Zhou, Y. (2025). Seeking a Sense of Meaning and Companionship in Life: Informal Learning on Douyin Among Chinese Older Adults. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 9(2), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1145/3711062

Raaper, R., Hardey, M., & Aad, S. (2025). #Studytalk in marketised higher education: Student influencers as emerging support providers. Studies in Higher Education, 50(7), 1501–1513. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2385614

Recio Moreno, D., Gil Quintana, J., & Romero Riaño, E. (2023). Impact and engagement of sport & fitness influencers: A challenge for health education media literacy. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14468/24341

Revaz, S. (2025). Are interest groups effective public action influencers in the field of education? Case studies of two school reforms in Switzerland. Journal Name. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041231221468

Sun, L., Zhou, K., Li, L., Cheung, W. M., & Lin, C.-H. (2025). From Teachers to Influencers: Exploring EdU-influencers’ Social Media Practices through Uses and Gratification Theory. System, 103774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103774

Schellewald, A. (2022). Theorizing “stories about algorithms” as a mechanism in the formation and maintenance of algorithmic imaginaries. Social Media + Society, 8(1), 20563051221077025. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221077025

Saldaña, C. M., Welner, K., Malcolm, S., & Tisch, E. (2021). Teachers as market influencers: Toward a policy framework for teacher brand ambassador programs in K-12 schools. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 29(August-December). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.29.5654

Schroeder, S., Shelton, C., & Curcio, R. (2024). Crafting the consumer teacher: Education influencers and the figured world of K-12 teaching. Learning, Media and Technology, 49(3), 442-455.https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2023.2207140

Singer-Brodowski, M., Förster, R., Eschenbacher, S., Biberhofer, P., & Getzin, S. (2022, March). Facing crises of unsustainability: Creating and holding safe enough spaces for transformative learning in higher education for sustainable development. In Frontiers in education (Vol. 7, p. 787490). Frontiers Media SA.https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.787490

Tang, C., Thyer, L., Bye, R., Kenny, B., Tulliani, N., Peel, N., Gordon, R., Penkala, S., Tannous, C., Sun, Y.-T., & Dark, L. (2023). Impact of online learning on sense of belonging among first year clinical health students during COVID-19: Student and academic perspectives. BMC Medical Education, 23(1), 100. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04061-2

Taddeo, G. (2023). Life long/Insta-learning: the use of influencers as informal educators. Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 15(Italian Journal of Sociology of Education 15/2), 147-167.https://ijse.padovauniversitypress.it/2023/2/8

Thomas, J. R. (2025). The Gendered Ways Families Reduce International Migration and Mobility. International Migration Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/0197918325132905010.1177/019

Xu, Y., Wang, J., & Chen, Z. (2025). Riding the short video wave: Sense of agency in motion among young users on Douyin. New Media & Society. https://doi.org/14614448251338515.

Yu, Y., & Zhao, B. (2022). Can TikTok promote a healthier aging paradigm? A case study of older digital celebrities from China. Area, 54(2), 322–329. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12777

Yangzi, Z., Cheah, K. S., & Shaharom, M. S. N. B. (2023). Enhancing self-leadership in online fitness education and training: Exploring strategies and addressing challenges among social media influencers in Henan province, China. SAGE Open, 13(4), 21582440231219325.https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231219325

Wong, J. L. (2006). Control and professional development: Are teachers being deskilled or reskilled within the context of decentralization? Educational Studies, 32(1), 17–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055690500415910

Wen, J., Tong, S., Liang, W., He, H., & Shen, H. (2025). Is the emotional and cultural need satisfied or not?–A qualitative study based on youth users learning dance through Douyin. Research in Dance Education, 1-22.

Wadhwa, R. (2016). Students on move: Understanding decision-making process and destination choice of Indian students. Higher Education for the Future, 3(1), 54–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/2347631115610221

Zhang, K., Cheng, X., Li, D., & Meng, X. (2025). The Digital Divide of Older People in Communities: Urban‐Rural, Gender, and Health Disparities and Inequities. Health & Social Care in the Community, 2025(1), 1361214. https://doi.org/10.1155/hsc/1361214

Zhang, Y. (2024). Elderly Engagement in the Digital Marketplace: A Study of Douyin’s Silver-haired Fashion Influencers through Two-step Flow and Multistep Flow Models. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4865619/v1

Zhu W., Hua Y., & Wang L. (2024, January 1). “I felt like I was on campus” creating a situated learning environment through Instagram. | EBSCOhost. https://doi.org/10.58459/rptel.2024.19024

Zheng, H. (2025). Queer milestones: Intergenerational relations and youth transitions of Chinese queer female students residing overseas. The Sociological Review, 73(4), 844–862. https://doi.org/10.1177/00380261251347751

Zhao, Q., & Gao, H. (2025). Vaccinating despite limited understanding: influenza vaccination behaviors among older adults in rural China under communication infrastructure theory. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05668-0

Downloads

Published

2025-11-27

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 12 (2025): Journal of International Students

Section

Research Articles (English, regular edition)

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of International Students

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) [year] [author]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

How to Cite

Liang, W., Shamshudeen , R. I. . ., Md Syed, M. A., & Hui, S. (2025). Reverse generative learning: Intergenerational learning for global readiness in higher education. Journal of International Students, 15(12), 119-140. https://doi.org/10.32674/hp7sn324