Transcript Supporting Learning and Teaching in Engineering

Working with international students:
- group- and project-based activities on engineering
degree programmes
Richard Dales - Consultant
Andrew McLaren - Centre Associate
Simon Steiner - Academic Advisor
TIS Project Conference, Warwick
[16-06-11]
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An overview of this workshop
• The TIS Project
• The Centre’s prior work in internationalisation:
– Teaching Guide: Working with International Students
– Centre workshops and resources
– Webpage: Teaching International Students (TIS)
http://www.engsc.ac.uk/international-students
• Research report funded under TIS:
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– group- and project-based work
Where to next….
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The “Teaching International Students”
(TIS) Project
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Run by the Higher Education Academy
Funded through the Academy, UKCISA & PMI2
2 year project (2009/11)
TIS Project team:
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Janette Ryan, Jude Carroll, Fiona Hyland (ESCalate);
Inna Pomerina (Economics), Melodee Beals (History,
Classics & Archaeology) , Simon Steiner (Engineering) ,
Malcolm Todd (C-SAP), Ali Dickens (LLAS), Andrea Frank
(CEBE), Caprice Lantz (Psychology), Richard Atfield
(BMAF);
– Adam Child & Katherine Lagar (HEA)
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The Centre’s prior work in
internationalisation
• Teaching Guide: Working with International Students
– Commissioned in 2007, written in 2009, published 2010
www.engsc.ac.uk/guides/working-with-international-students
• Centre workshops
– Nottingham (June ‘10); online (March ‘11)
with resources to view/download from each
• Webpage: Teaching International Students (TIS)
– Brings together TIS Project, Teaching Guide, Centre events,
and resources
www.engsc.ac.uk/international-students
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Research report funded under TIS:
group- and project-based work
http://www.engsc.ac.uk/downloads/scholarart/TISresearchreport.pdf
• The opening premise that engineering degree
programmes predominantly include group- and
project-based work
• The complementary premise that engineering
programmes are attracting higher proportions of
international students
• The real-life challenges for staff who facilitate groupand project-based work with students
meets
• The differences in cultural and ethical values of home
to international students
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Methodology of the research - 1
• The use of HESA data (2008/9) to identify
concentrations of international students in engineering
• The selection of HEIs/discipline departments showing
high concentrations of international students
• The choice of HEIs/departments from across the
“mission groups” of HEIs
• The use of a pre-determined and structured
questionnaire, to undertake one-to-one interviews
• Interviews with academic staff in 11 departments
across 8 universities
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Methodology of the research - 2
• Covered disciplines in Mech, Civil, Chem, Elec (using
JACS codes)
• Interviews transcribed and written-up in full, as case
stories
• Shared back with the staff for factual adjustments
• Report structured under evolved headings, with
conclusions and recommendations for further work
• Added bibliography (text and web sources)
• Appendices added, to give HESA stats and case
stories
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Workshop session 1 [10 mins.]
Working in groups of 5, discuss the following:
• What do you do for your international students on
their arrival?
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Research Project Report Findings – 1
• On arrival:
– Support for staff to increase awareness
– Early intervention to minimise clique formation
– Special care when large cohorts from one country entering
later years of course
– Reciprocal appreciation of cultural differences important
• Derive mutual benefit from cultural diversity/capital
• Learning experience for “home” students too
– Sporting clubs and societies: opportunities
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Workshop session 2 [10 mins.]
Working in groups of 5, discuss the following:
• How do you introduce your students to, and support
them in, group- and project-based working?
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Research Project Report Findings – 2
• Group and project-based working
– Group formation can be an issue
– Lack of prior experience of group working
• some students recognise this and have chosen the UK in order
to address the deficiency
– Communication within group
• Reticence, marginalised, menial tasks
• Dismissive of UK students’ work ethic, maths, etc.
• Different ways of critical thinking
– Ongoing support from staff throughout
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Research Project Report Recommendations
• The need for enhanced support
– Staff: resources, training/development
– Students: clubs/societies, peer and buddy mentor groups
– Institution: facilities (language, pastoral)
• The recognition of cultural capital
– Benefits to both home and international students
• Special circumstances
– Placements
– Graduation  Employment
Recognition and acceptance of cultural and ethical value sets
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Plenary discussion – Where to next? [10 mins.]
• What support would you like to see?
[for you, for the students…]
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