The focus of this workshop was to discuss, debate and generate practical examples to support and engage (international) students.
Issues faced by new students:
- Induction overwhelming
- Induction timing and Visa issues
- New pedagogy/teaching style
- Little or no tailoring of delivery
- Too much free time
- How to address Academics
- Disadvantages in debate etc. with English as a second language
- When and how to ask questions
- Having to work in groups
- Being expected to challenge others thoughts, opinions, belief or research
- Assessment types are new
- Grading – what is needed for a distinction?
- What does being critical mean?
- Not understanding transparent nature of UK HE – marks not finalised etc.
- Understanding UK culture/language
- Understanding UK students culture/language
- Living in the city called Coventry
- Transport and accommodation in Coventry
- UK food, not being able to get familiar foods.
Issues faced by staff teaching international students
- Students not attending induction
- Students not attending pre-sessional/ in-sessional English when they need to
- Students understanding of the rules/regulations
- Language/communication issues with students especially at start of course
- International students not understanding British approach and culture
- Staff not aware of the impact of “culture shock”
- International students not mixing generally
- International students not mixing in class/group work
- Gender/age based issues from certain cultures in reaction to staff
- Student cultural biases regarding acceptable academic debate (being critical)
- International students not understanding plagiarism
- Dealing with students unhappy with progress – threats/bribery
An international student feels like: language capability, cultural distance’ travelled, far from support, far from family, far from help. The needs of international students may include support to develop language proficiency, to learn about living in a new culture and to understand the academic discourse of their discipline. Possible sites of conflict are student-teacher relationships, teaching and learning methods (lecture, seminar, placement?), writing (what is the next level?) (what is the difference between explain, discuss, contrast?), reading (which textbook, why?), assessment (examination?).
Some international students’ key learning issues:
- Language (learning in English)
- Appropriate academic skills
- To engage, participate, collaborate and mix
- Relevance
- Transition to a new culture
- Learning Styles
Teaching technique adopted to match individual learning styles:
- Active learning style: group projects; brainstorming; learn-by-doing and problem-solving exercises
- Reflective learning style: reflective statements; ‘functional pauses’ for reflection and evaluation
- Sensing learning style: case studies; examples and explicit links to the real world of business
- Intuitive learning style: theories and models; space for abstraction and conceptualization
- Visual learning style: trigger videos and visual organizers such as charts, maps, Venn diagrams, etc.
- Verbal learning style: traditional lecture; oral presentation
- Sequential learning style: integrated progression of topics; breaking information down into smaller parts
- Global learning style: a two- step approach combining specific-to-general and general-to-specific elements
Key learning issues: Language; Transition to a new culture; Appropriate academic skills; To engage, participate, collaborate and mix; Relevance