An investigative study of English vocabulary acquisition patterns in adult L2 tertiary learners with Chinese/Malay L1

This study investigates patterns of second language (L2) learners’ vocabulary acquisition of English in pedagogical contexts, and develops a vocabulary acquisition model, specifically a pre-receptive to productive vocabulary (PR-PV) model which analyses the patterns of inferencing strategies, the role of context on the strategies, and the influence of teaching explicit strategies on vocabulary development. Research in the area of vocabulary development is unclear on the interrelationships among various aspects of lexical competence, learning, and production processes in second language lexical acquisition. Models of vocabulary acquisition in English as a second language are scarce and the lack often prompts L2 researchers to draw from first language vocabulary study models to correlate vocabulary developmental patterns. Research is also uncertain about how L2 learners respond to reading texts however, it is quite clear that the receptive vocabulary of L2 learners is larger than productive vocabulary.The study employed a mixed-method research approach and the findings suggest that both content and context play significant roles in the extent to which L2 learners interact efficiently with reading texts. The findings from the study may have pedagogical and theoretical implications for curriculum developers, instructors and policy makers in second language tertiary English learning contexts

Recognising and Rewarding Leadership Roles in Transnational Education

Program coordinators and unit convenors involved in transnational education (TNE) represent a distributed group of leaders who often take on TNE coordination roles that can be challenging in cross-cultural settings. In their roles they are involved with colleagues from offshore branch campuses or partner institutions in the curriculum, delivery, and assessment and moderation of programmes. Both parties are concerned with achieving the course learning outcomes of the course while negotiating cultural and social contexts of learning in different campuses and countries. Therefore, the issue of recognition and reward for academics in TNE roles at home campuses and branch campuses is integral to the pedagogical and managerial success of the courses offered. This panel presentation highlights the broad outcomes and recommendations from an Australian Learning and Teaching ( ALTC) funded project entitled “Learning Without Borders: Linking Development of transnational leadership roles to international and cross-cultural teaching excellence” undertaken by a project team from two Australian universities with a branch campus each in Sarawak, Malaysia. TNE is defined in this Learning Without Borders project as an arrangement for provision of higher education where students in one country acquire an award which has been issued by a higher education institution based in another country

The use of verbal protocol analysis in L2 vocabulary acquisition patterns

This paper reports on a study employing Verbal Protocol Analysis (VPA) to investigate patterns of English vocabulary inferencing strategies used by second language (L2) learners between Pre-receptive and Productive processes stages for vocabulary development in pedagogical contexts. Verbal report data from 41 (n=41) tertiary-level students were gathered to deduce the processes involved in selecting inferencing strategies by L2 learners during reading. The use of verbalisations or Think Aloud Protocol provided rich data in terms of quality and content. Using a grounded approach (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Strauss & Corbin, 1998) to data analysis, themes were teased out from the data which provide a look at how and what strategies are employed by L2 learners while reading. The study employed a mixed- method design applying a multi-dimensional approach for data gathering specifically for addressing different issues through a case study. Both concurrent and retrospective verbal protocols were gathered and were consequently transcribed, coded and evaluated for levels of understanding and strategy categorisation. These verbalisations offered insights into the cognitive learning processes of the L2 learners. The paper highlights how verbalisations inform strategy use. The study’s significance lies in its ability to raise awareness in learners to be aware of their own learning with regard to vocabulary development in tertiary L2 learning contexts

Identifying Gaps in Academic Writing of ESL students

There is growing evidence that the lack of competence of university ESL students in academic writing affects their overall academic performance. Olivas and Li (2006) connected low second-language proficiency levels in English to poor academic performance of international students studying at both university and college levels in the United States. Although, many ESL students at university have a general understanding of grammar rules, not many are able to write academically at levels expected of them. This is further exacerbated by a lack of awareness of students’ own ability in academic writing. The paper reports on a case study conducted to identify critical gaps in academic writing standards among ESL students in a foundation studies programme. The study employed a pragmatic case study approach, drawing on qualitative methods as deemed appropriate. In this project, four essential criteria for developing good academic writing skills were investigated; attitudes towards academic writing tasks, planning, writing paragraphs and essays, and evaluating one’s own writing. The study examined the challenges faced by students (n=206) in academic writing and identified common grammatical, structural and syntactic errors made in writing tasks. Data from the study show that most students enjoyed writing tasks and drafting essays and working with peers to brainstorm ideas and opinions for their drafts. A majority of respondents agreed that they were well aware of referencing systems and the need to substantiate their ideas with supportive evidence. However many respondents were unable to evaluate their own work and admitted that often their evaluation did not match that of their instructors. The project aims to propose interventions and techniques to support student academic writing practices in the foundation year

Transnational education in Malaysia: does it prepare graduates for a globalized world?

The establishment of higher educational hubs in Malaysia and Singapore has spurred the growth of transnational education offerings in Asia, and attracted foreign higher education providers to set up branch campuses in these countries. In this paper we ask whether transnational education as practiced in Malaysia has a particular contribution to one aspect of the student experience – preparing graduates for an increasingly globalized world (Urry 2002). We considered the contribution that internationalisation of curriculum and the international experience of students and staff bring to the development of graduate capabilities suited to a globalized world. The opportunities that transnational education bring to the learning experiences of students were studied. The paper reports on an empirical study conducted in Australia and on transnational campuses in Malaysia to illustrate the extent to which current educational practice equips students to operate beyond national boundaries and suggest what needs to happen in order to realize the potential of transnational education for preparing students to operate in a globalized environment

Australian Transnational Educational Leadership Roles: Challenges, Opportunities and Experiences

The establishment of higher educational hubs in Malaysia and Singapore has spurred the growth of transnational education (TNE) offerings in Asia, and attracted several Australian higher education providers to set up branch campuses in these countries. In Malaysia, TNE is seen as contributing to economic targets by helping to decrease the outflow of students and currency, and by attracting international students to Malaysian shores (British Council 2012). The provision of higher education through TNE raises issues somewhat distinct from those arising with local provision of higher education. These include the balance of local and foreign educational decision making and its implications for academic staff and for the learning experiences of students. This paper is informed by ‘Learning without Borders: Leadership in transnational education and internationalization of curriculum’, an Australian Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) funded project undertaken at Curtin University and Swinburne University of Technology, involving Australian campuses and branch campuses. The project investigated staff experiences, expectations and preferences on TNE issues including career path opportunities, teaching and learning implications. The project focused particularly on the development of recognition and support for leadership roles in transnational education and on internationalization of curriculum. The paper highlights some of the TNE and internationalization measures that might enhance staff experiences and student learning

Postdegree intentions of female international undergraduate students studying in Malaysia: A qualitative study

Higher education has been positively linked with increased opportunity for women, including enhanced employability, increased migration, enriched cultural capital, and improved language skills. With the number of international students rising, understanding postdegree intentions is increasingly important for institutions, policy makers, and administrators. This qualitative study explored the postdegree intentions of female international undergraduate students at the Malaysian campus of an Australian university. In-depth interviews were conducted with students from a range of degree programs and data was studied using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that postdegree intentions were substantially influenced by other people and policies; a common aspiration was to balance career and family; postdegree intentions were not solely career-focused; and the students anticipated discrimination and inequality but were determined to successfully navigate these

Art for climate change response of adolescents: Methodology adopted for the transformational individual sphere study

The investigative study attempts to elicit how art-based science experiences on the topic of climate crisis may shape young participants’ reactions to climate change and demonstrates the potential of transformational pathways created through art-integrated science communication activities at the level of the subjects’ sphere. The study applied Solomon’s four-group experimental design using two control and two treatment groups to study the transformation between groups. This research design allows researchers to assess the fundamental revision of testing, treatment/intervention and the remarkable correlation between testing and treatment (Daily, 2017). Although this research is a small-scale exploratory study, the results are validated using multiple data collection and analysis methods. At the core of the study, it aims to make an in-depth and critical interpretation based on the data analysis through a set of codes. The codes are various in the length of the text, from which group (control or experimental groups) to highly conceptual answers (given by four groups). The study advocates that science communication to the lay society through art-informed collaboration should be considered to achieve sustainability outcomes. The findings are expected to show how art can influence and effectively tell young people, as the future generation, creative and attractive narratives with proper knowledge of climate change adaptation

Implementing Industry Site Visits in Physics & Chemistry Units - Foundation Engineering Course

Site visits are implemented in science and engineering units to provide students with opportunities to observe and experience important scientific concepts introduced to them in the classrooms. Classrooms and laboratories have been widely used as formal learning environments in science related curriculums (Orion and Hofstein 1994; Rudmann 1994). While laboratories help to ascertain findings related to specific experiments in Chemistry and Physics, they do not provide opportunities for students to observe how engineering and scientific principles are applied in real-life contexts. A team project was conducted to understand attitudes of students and staff towards including site visits as part of experiential learning in the foundation engineering course. The project also aimed to contribute to information that will assist in further developing the curriculum and embedding coherent learning outcomes for the Foundation Engineering and Science course. Three site visit projects were organised for the Chemistry and Physics units under the course and data collected from students’ reports as well as online feedback sheets, and observations recorded by the teaching staff. Based on the analysis of the experiences gained by the students and staff, it is concluded that site visits have positive impacts in bridging the gap between theories introduced in classroom with the practical application of the knowledge in the industry. Furthermore, it has also provided an insight towards improvements to be made to the curriculum and learning outcomes of the course

The effects of fish protein hydrolysate as supplementation on growth performance, feed utilization and immunological response in fish: A review

Aquaculture has rapidly developed and expanded, leading to high demand on fishmeal, which is the main protein source for aqua-feed production. Some alternative protein sources have been evaluated to replace fishmeal in aquaculture. Fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) are prepared by enzymatic hydrolyzing fish protein in fish wastes discarded from the fish processing industry. FPH are promising alternative protein sources because they not only contain high protein level, balanced amino acid profile, and antioxidants; but also possess desirable functional and bioactive peptides. The review summarized the potential effects of fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) as supplementation on the growth performance, feed utilization, and physiological and immunological response of fish species. Moderate dietary FPH levels could improve growth, feed utilization and disease resistance in fish. However, excessive FPH inclusion levels led to the depression of growth and health of fish. The data suggested that supplementation of optimum FPH levels in diets may take their full effective utilization in the enhancement of growth and health of fish