transition experiences of international students joining undergraduate studies in second year gayle...

Transition Experiences of International Students Joining Undergraduate Studies in

Second Year

Gayle Pringle and Fred Cartmel

Outline

• Background to project

• The student experience

• Measures implemented to support transition

Student background

• International students• Attend 2 or 3 terms at a partner institution

– Subject specialisms– Academic and language support – Based in Glasgow

• Join GU in second year:– Social Sciences– Science– Engineering

• Cohorts:– 25 - 28 students– Majority in MA Social Sciences

MA Social Sciences: Three Degrees

Second Year Years 3 and 4

Subject 1

Level 2

40 Credits

Single Honours

Subject 2

Level 2

40 Credits

Joint Honours

Subject 3

Level 1

40 Credits

Social Sciences

Aims of the project

Aims:• To explore international students’

experiences of joining undergraduate courses in second year

• To implement appropriate measures to support the transition of this group

Supported by the University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Development Fund

Research into the student experience

• Semi-structured interviews• 2008-9

– 9 individual interviews with new 2nd years (7 students)

• 2009-10– 2 group interviews with new 2nd years in

semester one (3 and 6 students)– 1 group interview with new 2nd years in

semester two (6 students)– 1 group interview with 3rd years (2 students)

Transition to GU

• Feelings before starting at GU:– Positive– Some nerves– Some practical problems receiving offers

• Information before arriving– Gaps in 2008-9 – MA Soc Sci course choices– Unproblematic in 2009-10

• Registration and enrolment– Potentially complex process– Enrolment tiring and confusing– Possibility of missing first class meeting

Experience of classes

• Lectures– Enjoyment of academic level– Language could be a barrier– Good awareness of value of preparation– Strong desire for lecture outlines on slides

• Tutorials– Language could be a barrier to participation– Casual references to unfamiliar

British/European context challenging

• Challenges less intense by semester two

Independent study

• Time management– Major adjustment issue

• Reading– Time-consuming but no major challenges

• Assessment– Exams more challenging than essays for some

students

• English language support– Difficult to prioritise English language

development in busy schedule

Extra-curricular activities

• Social life:– Very mixed experiences– Initially difficult in large lectures– Concerns over English language

• Clubs and societies– Enjoyable, good way of meeting people– Volunteering a good option– Concerns over time

Addressing the pre-arrival “information gap”

Increased contact between LBSS staff and pre-arrival students

• Enhanced information on course choices for students and partner institution staff

• Emphasis on updating postal address• Pre-arrival visit to Faculty

– Chat with earlier cohort and current 1st year students

– Attending a lecture– Chance to discuss lecture and impressions

Supporting the transition

Booklet: ‘What’s it really like to study at the University of Glasgow?’

• Based on views of students who have made the transition– Discussion meeting to suggest key

areas– Student contributions of written

materials– ‘What I wish I’d known when I started”

Booklet: sample student comments

“please do as much as you can to prepare for the lectures. You’ll find that you can easily get more from classes if you do this kind of preparation than just by coming to class and listening.”

“Lecture notes are not enough to deal with exams and you can’t avoid reading books.”

“The biggest challenge I have had since starting at GU is time management and self-organising.”

“I’m now teaching Chinese in Hillhead High School. It’s a really fantastic experience.”

Overall themes

• Need for ongoing information delivery:– Pre-arrival– On arrival

• Support with classes– Provision of outlines in lectures– Clarification of culturally-specific references

• Negotiating time constraints:– Language support– Extra-curricular activities

Project contacts

Gayle Pringle• Faculty International Officer, LBSS• G.Pringle@lbss.gla.ac.uk

Fred Cartmel• Chief Adviser, MA Social Sciences• F.Cartmel@lbss.gla.ac.uk