1. Preparing International Students for Assessment
Ingrid Kanuga, University of West London
Zabin Visram, University of West London
International Students
Results: Student Needs.
Pilot: Phased Assessment
Results: Lecturer Needs.
“Interesting and possibly challenging”
Senior faculty staff .
Figure 2: Transition into learning environment.
“They have different cultural needs and I would like a better understanding of these .”
S Lecturer
“ Naveen (1999) asserted that the transition to university is often associated with stress, anxiety and tension that can lead to students failing or withdrawing from university…”
According to the HESA, there were 124,545 non-UK domiciled postgraduate students who studied in British universities in 2005/2006. In 2009/2010 this number has increased to 156,820 (just under 26% increase), (HESA, 2011).
Figure one shows this trend reflected in postgraduate students at the University of West London. These students have often completed a degree in their home country, within in the Asia-Pacific region, and come from a different educational culture then ours.
With this trend set to continue as part of the Universities strategy, we felt it was needed to review our teaching, learning and assessment strategies with the needs of the students and lecturers in mind.
“The majority of students said relationship problems, feelings of isolation, homesickness, academic pressures, finance and accommodation were likely to contribute to difficulties” (Bradley, 2000)
“Twice the support!”
“I've also had students (both genders) say to me "You understand, you're a mother" (I'm not, as it happens ... but it's generally to do with wanting more marks so their parents don't get upset)”
Senior Lecturer UWL
“It is [therefore] likely assumed that psychological factors such as homesickness and loneliness might be related to the level of activities”
Using pebblepad as a technology platform, we introduced a phased assessment within a blended learning strategy. During this 7 week, level 6 module all 48 international students, most of whom had only arrived into the country several weeks before, past the module.
One aspect of the Laurillards model points to practical forms of assessment where the teacher sets up something in the “real” world for the student to examine, interact and reflect upon (Gibbs model of reflection, 1988)
Our research found that international students learning will benefit from becoming and belonging in a community.
“er..Mam, a very long time.. Six months’’
“How long was it before you felt settled…that you knew how everything worked and who everyone was..?”
Figure 1.
Literature and Methods
Our research was , amongst others, was informed by:
Vgotsky (Social Constructivism) (1978)
Maslow Hierarchy of Needs (1987)
Salmon E-moderation 5-stage model (2003)
Laurillard conversational framework (2002)
Lave and Wenger (1991)
“Identity is not just a category – identity is a becoming”
(Wenger 1998:168)
Removes the pathology of differences between the international students and home students
Focuses on the international student as a member of the COFP
Reduces identifying the international student as ‘the other’
Reduces the culture shock
Visit this link for a demonstration video:
Vary teaching approaches to accommodate diverse learning styles and language proficiency
Initiate cooperative learning groups (Padron, Waxman &, Rivera 2002)
Use student-directed discussion groups ( Brisk & Harrington 2000)
Speak in ways that meet the comprehension and language development needs ( Yedlin 2004)
For further information
For further information on the assessment pilot, to see student views and reflections on this strategy or to obtain a full copy of the bibliography contact:
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We interviewed lecturers and students on their experiences and needs. We then used this research to pilot a phased assessment strategy.