Teaching in the International Classroom
Never Partly Always
Your preparation
I know what the cultural profile of the student group is in the
modules I teach.
I make an active effort to find out about and understand the
cultural background of my students.
Your knowledge
I am aware of the status of the professional area in which I
teach in other educational systems and traditions.
I am familiar with the different theoretical approaches to my
discipline within different systems and traditions.
I understand the international context of my professional area
and how it has developed in other countries.
I am familiar with international literature in my field.
I can discuss concepts and theories in my professional area
from the point of view of other traditions, as well as my own.
I regularly consult with international colleagues.
I know the general features of my professional area in other
countries.
Your presentation in lectures and tutorials
I am clear about the difference between a lecture and a tutorial
and what I expect in each, and I communicate that to students
at the beginning of each semester.
I provide an outline of the lecture topics, tutorial topics and
assessment tasks and their sequence for my course before or
during the first lecture.
I structure my presentations clearly and effectively.
I provide a handout outlining the content, structure and the aims
of each teaching session.
I use clear and concise visual aids to support my teaching.
I ensure that all students can see my face and hear me clearly
whenever I teach.
I always try not to speak too quickly and to pause when I have
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made an important point that requires noting.
I permit/encourage students to tape my lectures.
I routinely introduce myself and require my students to do the
same in tutorials and other small group settings.
I model appropriate cultural awareness and interpersonal
behaviour with all students, particularly in small group settings.
I demonstrate that I value diversity of language and culture by
my actions and interactions with others.
I regularly talk to my students about what forms of written
information they find most useful.
I regularly invite and obtain feedback on my teaching from a
representative sample of my students.
Presentation of materials
I structure and format my written material so that it is readable
and accessible.
Where appropriate I use a variety of forms of representation
such as illustrations, diagrams, tables and charts.
I use short, clear sentences and address my students directly.
I rarely use idiom or colloquialism in my writing, and if ever I do
use them, I put them into ‘inverted commas’.
I provide definitions and glossaries for all specialist vocabulary,
abbreviations and acronyms.
I often use headings and sub-headings to signal the structure
and plan of written texts.
I use dot points and lists to break down complex and
interrelated ideas.
I routinely ask other people to critique and comment on my
drafts.
Assessment practices
I provide frequent formative feedback to students early in the
study program.
I provide students with choices and options in relation to types
of assessment task.
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I analyse patterns of student assessment completions and
results for signs of any difficulties for particular groups of
students
I require students to seek information from culturally-different
others and use this information to complete assessment tasks
I encourage students to work in multi-cultural and multi-national
groups
I include module assessment criteria which specifically reward
international perspectives/international sources of information
I use a variety of assessment methods to allow students to
demonstrate their range of abilities.
I ensure that the assessment requirements are explicit, with
details being clearly explained to students, bearing in mind
students’ diverse educational backgrounds and previous
experience of assessment methods.
I schedule assessment activities to allow some formative
feedback to be provided to students during the unit, not just
feedback at the end of the unit.
I avoid assessment tasks/criteria which disadvantage particular
groups of students (for example oral presentations).
Based on Farkas-Teekens, H (1997) 'A profile of the 'ideal lecturer' for the international
classroom' in Teaching in the International Classroom Nuffic papers 8, edited by FarkasTeekens, H and van der Wende M Amsterdam: Nuffic
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