Trialing project-based learning in a new EAP ESP course: A collaborative reflective practice of three college English teachers

Currently in many Chinese universities, the traditional College English course is facing the risk of being ‘marginalized’, replaced or even removed, and many hours previously allocated to the course are now being taken by EAP or ESP. At X University in northern China, a curriculum reform as such is taking place, as a result of which a new course has been created called ‘xue ke’ English. Despite the fact that ‘xue ke’ means subject literally, the course designer has made it clear that subject content is not the target, nor is the course the same as EAP or ESP. This curriculum initiative, while possibly having been justified with a rationale of some kind (e.g. to meet with changing social and/or academic needs of students and/or institutions), this is posing a great challenge for, as well as considerable pressure on, a number of College English teachers who have taught this single course for almost their entire teaching career. In such a context, three teachers formed a peer support group in Semester One this year, to work collaboratively co-tackling the challenge, and they chose Project-Based Learning (PBL) for the new course. This presentation will report on the implementation of this project, including the overall designing, operational procedure, and the teachers’ reflections. Based on discussion, pre-agreement was reached on the purpose and manner of collaboration as offering peer support for more effective teaching and learning and fulfilling and pleasant professional development. A WeChat group was set up as the chief platform for messaging, idea-sharing, and resource-exchanging. Physical meetings were supplementary, with sound agenda but flexible time, and venues. Mosoteach cloud class (lan mo yun ban ke) was established as a tool for virtual learning, employed both in and after class. Discussions were held at the beginning of the semester which determined only brief outlines for PBL implementation and allowed space for everyone to autonomously explore in their own way. Constant further discussions followed, which generated a great deal of opportunities for peer learning and lesson plan modifications. A reflective journal, in a greater or lesser detailed manner, was also kept by each teacher to record the journey of the collaboration. At the end of the semester, it was commonly recognized that, although challenges existed, the collaboration was overall a success and they were all willing to continue with it and endeavor to refine it to be a more professional and productive approach

Using an Embedded Researcher Approach to Explore Student Outcomes and Relationship Development during an Intensive Engineering Apprenticeship Program

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the emotions, outcomes, and interpersonal relationship development of high school aged students who participated in a three-week intensive engineering apprenticeship program (EAP) during the summer of 2019. This EAP introduces students to engineering by placing them in teams and asking them to build an underwater vehicle that can complete a timed obstacle course. Program mentors provide minimal lecture based instruction and focus on encouraging each team to create their own unique design. The primary purpose of the EAP is to increase student interest in engineering by improving student understanding of the engineering profession and student exposure to discipline specific mentors. This exploratory study was conducted to gain insights into how informal engineering outreach programs affect high school age students’ interest in pursuing engineering in college. Engineering outreach programs are implemented for a variety of reasons including: (1) encouraging young students to select an engineering career, thereby building a pipeline of competent students and workers, (2) engaging community members in engineering as a way to foster positive feelings towards an institution, and (3) introducing a diverse range of young students to engineering disciplines as a way to improve diversity within the field. Methods to assess outreach programs commonly rely on self-reported measures through immediate and/or delayed self-reported surveys, short interviews, teacher and mentor interviews and surveys, and program enrollment data. While these assessment methods likely provide sufficient quantitative data to justify an outreach program to financial stakeholders, we believe that more in-depth assessment of student outcomes is needed to inform the design and development of engineering outreach programs that are culturally transformative. In this study we examined how students participated in and built intra-team working relationships within the three week EAP using an approach informed by ethnographic research methods. Data consisted of daily reflective journal entries that were documented by a graduate student researcher embedded in a student team, as well as research notes detailing written materials produced by students and images of the underwater vehicles. In accordance with an approved IRB protocol, de-identified data were segmented, coded using in vivo codes, and then recombined during multiple successive coding passes to develop themes that describe common threads relating student experiences in the program. The findings provide insights into how students (a) engaged with the outreach program tasks, (b) developed relationships with other members of their assigned teams and program mentors, (c) worked through the engineering design process both individually and as a team, and (d) worked to achieve stated outreach program goals and outcomes. The findings of this study are important for developing deeper understandings about how high school age students experience intensive engineering outreach programs that are designed to introduce them to real-world engineering design and development. Findings can be used to inform new approaches for assessing engineering outreach programs effectiveness

A Needs Analysis of the Assessed Writing Genres of a 1st Year Undergraduate Engineering Programme

Increasing numbers of non-native English speakers (NNES) are studying at English-medium universities. This increase of students has stimulated the need for EAP instruction, so students can become competent in the discourse conventions of their chosen academic community. The purpose of this research was to carry out a needs analysis (NA) of a 1st year Engineering programme at an English-medium university. A case study approach was used to gain a deeper understanding of the writing requirements of 1st year Engineers and to influence teaching and learning within the School of Engineering (SOE). The methodology used to carry out the NA included genre analysis of institutional artefacts, and interviews and focus groups with faculty and students

Maine Perspective, v 6, i 26

The Maine Perspective, a publication for the University of Maine, was a campus newsletter produced by the Department of Public Affairs which eventually transformed into the Division of Marketing and Communication. Regular features include listings of newly released titles by UMaine authors, Look Who\u27s On Campus, Along the Mall, In Focus, and Classified Ads. Articles include national recognition of UMaine\u27s Community Policing Survey, the announcement of a visit from a delegation from L\u27Université d\u27Angers, and Civil Engineering students drawing up plans for a university fitness center

Collaborative interdisciplinary publication skills education: implementation and implications in international science research contexts.

This portfolio of three research projects addresses at an educational level the increasing pressure on scientists internationally to publish research in highly-ranked, peer-reviewed journals, and thus in English. Building on a tradition of collaboration between language- and content-based expertise in English for Specific/Academic Purposes, the portfolio examines the contribution of a pedagogical approach dubbed Collaborative Interdisciplinary Publication Skills Education (CIPSE) for teaching novice scientist authors who use English as a first or additional language. Project 1 examines CIPSE development from its antecedents in content-based learning and genre analysis, culminating in the production of a teaching text/website package Writing Scientific Research Articles: Strategy and Steps (WSRA) by a collaborative team of the candidate, an applied linguist, and a publishing, refereeing scientist. The aim was to redress the incomplete coverage of existing approaches to produce a resource accessible to novice authors of all language backgrounds and to teachers/mentors within both science and language contexts. The research questions driving Projects 2 and 3 emerged from initial implementation of CIPSE, and were addressed by analyzing evaluative data from selected implementation sites. Project 2 investigates interdisciplinary teams for publication skills development. Part A, framed within the constructs of interdisciplinary higher education, demonstrates that the CIPSE structure, led by an applied linguist working with interdisciplinary collaborators as appropriate/available in each presentation context, was effective at all levels of collaboration. It was important that CIPSE outcomes were 'core business' for collaborators, and a need was identified for terminology that intersects with the agendas of those with power to implement. Part B, framed within English for Specific Purposes, focuses on challenges to interdisciplinary collaboration in China. Recommended strategies for developing collaboration between Chinese scientists and English-language professionals, rather than foreign visitors, include institutional support for collaboration, and training to enhance the ability of English professionals to present themselves as bringing valuable expertise to publication skills education. Project 3 investigates CIPSE effectiveness for Chinese scientists at different career stages. Part A, addressing academic writing instruction, highlights challenges to publication success for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) science researchers as identified by CIPSE workshop participants. Introducing the WSRA package to Chinese scientists who train/mentor students resulted in significantly increased confidence both to write/publish their own articles and to teach others, and a shift in the training methods deemed appropriate. Part B analyses a 4-cycle action research study at the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 2006-9, to investigate use of CIPSE in an EFL university with early-candidature students from mixed disciplines. The resulting adapted, CIPSE-based course shows potential for use by Chinese teachers. Taken together, the three projects provide a theorised basis and practical steps for building effective training regimes for publication skill development in a wide range of science research contexts. Overall findings are summarised as a matrix of descriptor scales for analysing training contexts to identify cost-effective levels of collaboration: client training goals, trainee research experience, training program type, and English language context. The portfolio findings thus contribute to knowledge of interdisciplinary collaboration in education and context-sensitive implementation of educational innovation.Thesis (D.Ed.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Education, 201

A study of needs, problems and wants of using English of Engineering students at Quaid-e-Awam university of Engineering, Science and Technology, Pakistan

English language is considered as an official language in Pakistan and is medium of instructions within schools, colleges and universities. However, no study has been conducted to analyse the current situations, needs, problems, and wants of students who study engineering programs. Therefore, this review study is conducted to fill this gap. The purposes of this research were: (1) to investigate needs of engineering students to use English, (2) to find problems of engineering students in using English in their academic and professional studies, and (3) to explore the students’ wants regarding the purpose, content and methodology of engineering students to use English at QUEST Pakistan. This research theoretically tends to develop ESP courses regarding different engineering fields. The literature review directs that the needs of the learners can be fulfilled if the ESP courses in different engineering fields will be completely successful. It also discusses the important principles related to the engineering learners’ needs within teaching learning methods that include curriculum development, its implementation and evaluation. ESP courses are underway to be developed if the learners’ needs are to be fulfilled. This research will be useful in ESP, ESL, ELT and EFL context and will offer different ways to carry out more research in this genre. Keywords: Needs analysis, Engineering programs, problems of engineering student