Supporting International Students in
Their Learning
A reflection on International student learning at Glamorgan University
David Jenkins
Student
Numbers1
1 At 19th October 2010, excluding research students
Student
Experience
NSS
The
teachin
g on
my
course
Assessme
nt and
feedback
Academ
ic
support
Organisati
on and
managem
ent
Learnin
g
resourc
es
Personal
developm
ent
Overall
satisfacti
on
80
67
75
68
75
78
78
Domicile
: UK
% Agree
% Agree:
previous
year
79
66
75
68
76
77
79
Domicile
: EU
excl UK
% Agree
75
70
80
83
89
79
80
Domicile
: EU
excl UK
% Agree:
previous
year
78
65
77
65
88
74
88
86
80
86
88
83
90
91
69
69
65
76
72
77
76
Measure
Domicile
: UK
Domicile
: Other
Domicile
: Other
% Agree
% Agree:
previous
year
•Visa issues
•Syndicated
assessments
•High
expectations
•
•
•
•
•
Too many
Poor language skills
Passive
Plagiarism et cetera
•
The horror stories...
I had a quick look at your Proposal. It appears that the
entire 'Introduction' part is copied from this web site:
http://*****.html
From the sentence "It is noted that the outcome of the
work undertaken was successful and useful" I have the
strong suspicion that you are trying to do a project where
a solution already exists, i.e. that the source code,
implementation guidelines and accompanying
documentation exist somewhere on the internet.
No smoke without fire
I would like to discuss this matter with you as soon as
possible. Please come and see me...
•
dear ****,
In fact, i not even dont know the ****,just i know upto
****.,Since i had no enough time i just looked over this
topic in the internet and make it my proposal.I had
searched on internet many times this project had no
source code r anydetails as u specified if so, i may not
keep it as my proposal.But, i consult u on saturday
.Really, i not even know that there is source code exists
untill u specified it.
thanking you,
Messages we received
Some selection done via Skype to
examine language skills
• A virtuous circle of excellent
student experience and
enhancement of the brand starts
with rigorously enforced
recruitment criteria...
• Lack of academic control or input
in recruitment
• Some students are not ready and
it is in their interest to delay
Tiswg
TISWG
• Focus on the learning and teaching experience
of international students.
• The Group comprised 16 staff volunteers from
faculties and support departments and took
responsibility to provide views from their
respective constituencies.
• Supported by CELT
• We met on five occasions and heard many
reports.
Tiswg
Remit
• ...to look at learning, teaching and
assessment issues in relation to
international students and provide
recommendations for the
implementation of good practice
• ... to consider how to deal with
misconceptions that arise when inclusive
practice is wanting
Report
Themes
• Cross –cultural
knowledge and impact on
learning
• Inclusive learning,
teaching and assessment
practice
• Internationalising the
curriculum
Click image to link
Culture shock
Development days in non
teaching weeks for all staff
provided by external specialists
with practice related to the
concept of cultural explicitness,
embracing teaching cultures,
and multi-cultural group work.
Cultural advice is normally
focused at visiting students.
This addresses only part of the
audience and domestic students
could usefully engage at
induction. No substitute for
interactions and relationships.
Low cost or higher
cost
Implement a buddy system
Domestic students that
volunteer for this could gain
employability credits.
A dedicated link tutor eg
where there are strong cohorts
from Partner Institutions or in
new markets, or for populations
with known vulnerabilities
Language shock
Ten week pre-sessional courses
offered for Autumn and
February intakes have high
uptakes.
Introduce an element of genre
specific teaching in the
programmes based on
partnerships between discipline
and literacy specialists.
Monitor basic good practice (for
example, are subject specific
glossaries actually provided?)
Inclusive
L,T & A
Show
Respect
Be explicit
Internationalise
L,T & A
Develop a research culture and agenda
– Helen Stacey’s work on plagiarism
– Heather Skinner’s Questionnaire to
international business postgrads
– Sue Stocking on Block delivery after focus
groups with international students
– Annie McCartney’s work experimenting with
MCQ’s
Present and Proposed Delivery Modes
CURRENT MODE
d
ge
n
lo ery
o
r
p liv
nd f de
a
o
in
Th
de
o
m
Module Six
co Six m
nc
urr odu
en les
tly
r
for unn
24 ing
we
ek
s
Module Five
Module Four
Module Three
Module Two
Module One
24 WEEKS TEMPORAL SCALE (excludes holidays)
Te
mp
mo oral
Module One de ly in
of
t
de ensi
liv
f
ery ied
Module Two
Module Three
Module Four
c
PROPOSED MODE
Built Environment MSc
ing eek
n
run 8 w
s
h
ule eac
d
t
mo tly a val Module Five
o
r
Tw rren inte
cu
Module Six
on
MCQ’s
Internationalise the curriculum
• “It has been clear from the
consultations that there is
already a wide range of very
experienced staff at the
University of Glamorgan who
in their own right are already
engaged in international
issues.”
• “There were a number of other
areas where students held
expectations that we wouldn’t
necessarily have predicted.
These included an expectation
that curricula would include
international content and case
studies...”
• Internationalisation: Enriching
the educational & social
experience for all, Glamorgan
2005, P112
• Student Expectation Report,
Glamorgan 2008, P10
Guidelines for the internationalising
of curriculum should be considered
in order to develop good practice.
These will benefit from discussion
about the internationalisation of
research and the development of
research themes.
Colleagues from across the
academy are concerned with
different aspects of the
internationalisation agenda. The
Working Group is aware of
engagement in the WAG ESDGC
project; in the RCE Wales project
and HEFCW’s internationalisation
project. It would be useful for
colleagues to pool experience from
these different perspectives in order
to assist in the development of
curriculum.
.
Community to Community
There is no substitute for real engagement in global issues as
research or...
Land economics final year students
Makerere University
teaching
Process
• We wanted to identify
risks and problems
that would require
sustained attention
and creativity beyond
our means and remit
as a group.
• Faculties via Board
and T&L Committees
• At a corporate level in
various committees,
starting from Learning
And Teaching
Enhancement
Committee
• Re-convene
Corporate stuff
The University has a focal point for the support of
international students; we now need a focal point that
sustains international students in their learning and
assists in the internationalisation of curriculum. Several
of our recommendations point to the need for corporate
level interventions, especially in view of the expansion in
student numbers. These might find expression in an
International Learning Centre, perhaps within CELT.
Corporate stuff
We would envisage close collaboration between such a
centre and the Centre for Commercial & International
Activities. A mechanism to engage representatives of
international students in sustained dialogue is also
needed, perhaps International Student Voice
Representatives.
Corporate stuff
A proportion of the revenue generated by international students
might be taken for re-investment in enhancing pedagogy for
international students.
This might also allow for a modest number of scholarships for
students from emerging nations where Glamorgan can be
conspicuous in capacity building as part of the UN development
agenda.
It might also feed in to a Corporate Social Responsibility agenda that
facilitates investing in countries typified by extreme poverty or
devastated by disaster.
The most recent good practice suggests the development of
institutional research and teaching capacity building in such
countries.