154 research outputs found
A consideration of the problems faced by international students in English Language acquisition
In my ten years of dealing with international students in the role of study support lecturer, one of the major preoccupations among students is over their level of English language. Although all students enter their course with a minimum level of IELTS 6, many feel disadvantaged by particularly poor spoken English, and suffer feelings of anxiety, shame and inferiority. Low self-confidence means that many feel ill-equipped to engage in class discussion and in social interaction with the host community. A common reaction to stress caused by communication problems is to retreat into communication with conational students, further inhibiting progress in language. Whilst linguistic progress is made by nearly all students, support systems nevertheless must be put in place to alleviate the shock experienced by international students at the start of the academic sojourn. If British universities are to continue to recruit international students with the minimum qualification of IELTS 6, the author strongly suggests that academic and language support should be provided
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The Experience of International Students With English L2 in a Scottish Further Education College
In the early years of the twenty-first century, Scottish Further Education Colleges experienced a decline in student intake as a result of demographic changes and competition within the tertiary education sector. As a result, one such college actively sought new students from outside its core student base, specifically targeting both international students and migrant workers, most of whom speak English as a second language. Subsequently, these students have often been perceived by the academic staff as not achieving their full academic potential because of issues around English language competence. This thesis takes a case study approach, drawing on sociocultural theory, to examine the experiences of five such students and their lecturers in the college, in order to explore factors contributing to this perceived lack of success. The research used semi-structured interviews, as well as learning centre observations, college marketing and policy documentation and an analysis of statistical data on student academic attainment. The interviews gave five students an opportunity to talk about their experiences of the college as well as allowing eight staff members to relate their perceptions of the students. Staff were also asked about the challenges they faced as professionals in meeting the required learning outcomes of the curriculum, while balancing the needs of students with those of the college. Both thematic and discourse analysis were applied to the data to explore structural themes suggested by the research questions around language competence, language support, educational expectations and both staff/student and student/student relationships. This analysis also exposed specific emergent themes for each group: for the students, conflicting identities as they try to balance the opportunity costs of their investment in their education against other aspects of their life: and, for the lecturers, perceptions of the âideal studentâ and their own professional identity
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A Review of Work Based Learning in Higher Education
The idea of work based learning in higher education might sound like a contradiction in terms. Work based learning is surely in the the workplace. The senses in which it might also, under certain conditions, be in higher education are explored in this review. There are increasing arrangements whereby people can obtain academic recognition for learning which has taken place outside of educational institutions. In addition to traditional forms of professional education and sandwich courses, one can add a host of relationships between employers and higher education institutions which involve quite fundamental questioning of the roles and responsibilities of each in the continuing education and training of adults. Such developments can be related to broader themes concerning the organisation of knowledge in society, the changing nature of work and career, the learning society and the implications they hold for individual workers, their employers and educational providers.
The Department for Education and Employment sponsored the study to produce a substantial literature review of progress and issues raised in the field of work based learning in higher education. The first part of the book provides a contextual and conceptual backdrop against which more practical aspects of work based learning are then considered in part two. The final part considers strategic issues of implementation for higher education institutions, employers and individuals, before turning to more wide ranging issues of policy
Customer satisfaction within education â the application of an integrated curriculum design method
The post-16 stage of education is critical in securing and developing people entering engineering professions and related occupations. Engineering employers and employees alike have however highlighted problems regarding poorly designed curricula failing to prepare employees for industrial and commercial roles.
The premise of this thesis is that the issue confronting education is one of quality management. Curriculum designers must know how to anticipate and understand customer requirements and practically translate these requirements into a deliverable curriculum package. The aim of this research is to realise the synergy of curriculum design and TQM by developing a theoretical integrated curriculum design method. Synergies between TQM and traditional curriculum design methods are investigated and an integrated curriculum design method based on the use of PDCA and incorporating a two-phase modified use of QFD is hypothesised and justified.
Subsequently, application of the curriculum design method is completed in relation to a number of selected engineering companies within the South Wales region and an appropriate curriculum proposal, for the provision of engineering education within the 16-18 year age group is produced. The proposal has been constructed with characteristics complementary to the competencies required by these companies and incorporates the most suitable teaching, learning and assessment methods to maximise the development of the students. This is valuable information for those concerned
How to Teach Mechanical Engineering Design Using Industry Methods While Still Assessing to University Criteria
There is a growing demand from industry for qualified design engineers. Many design engineers are trained in industry at vast expense in time and money, while many more are trained at universities and colleges. This thesis will explore how to maintain the training by universities and colleges to be as up to date and relevant as possible. It will look at the modern techniques and methods such as design teams, use of computer software, communication, use of the internet, and methods to solve design problems. All these techniques and methods are used by world-leading industries during the 21st century; this century, known also as the Third Industrial Revolution, or the Information Technology Revolution. It will show how appropriate techniques and methods can be applied in academia. A challenge is highlighted, and a solution found, how to get students to design to modern industry standards but at the same time make it possible to assess their work to satisfy the needs of academia and achieve the awarding criteria. Modern techniques and methods will be applied to university students and an assessment made of the results. Use of group working will be explored, and an algorithm developed to grade the completed work. What do students need now, to equip them to become competent designers, and how do lecturers support these students in these new methods?
A knowledge gap between full-time students and part-time students in their final year of a degree programme was identified. This gap was reduced by reviewing the curriculum from earlier years and specifically targeting improving the studentâs knowledge. To reduce the gap further, the development of a new teaching theory based on reverse engineering and a reversed application of Bloomâs Taxonomy was developed. This new teaching theory was applied to engineering student in their final year of a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering Degree.
The above methods and theories were validated by experienced industry design engineers from world leading companies
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