A First-Year Seminar for International Students Maureen Andrade - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

A First-Year Seminar for International Students Maureen Andrade BYU-Hawaii

Overview The Institution – BYU Hawaii  International Students in the U.S.   Quick Facts  Adjustment: Language, Education System, Social, Financial Course Development  Needs Analysis  Curriculum Development  Course Assessment   Small Group Instructional Diagnosis  Course Evaluations Student & Faculty Surveys  Conclusions & Implications 

The Institution – BYU Hawaii  Private, religiously-affiliated, 4-year  2,400 students, 45% international  Asia, South Pacific  Admitted with a 475 TOEFL  Tested to determine need for further English language support (credit-bearing courses in EIL program)

International Students in the U.S. Quick Facts  580,000 in 2001-2002  4% of the total enrollment; 13.7% graduate student enrollment  56% Asian  Primarily concentrated in metropolitan areas  Research I, Master’s I, Community Colleges  6 year graduation rates – nonresident aliens 56.7% compared to 56% all students (NCAA)  One-year retention rate – nonresident aliens 76% (CSRDE) compared to 72% all students (ACT)

International Students in the U.S. Adjustment: Language Skills  Excellent English skills by standards of home countries  TOEFL scores do not guarantee sufficient competency  Sensitivity to language ability hinders class participation, social interaction  Vocabulary challenging; native-speaker discourse  Difficulties understanding lectures & reading materials, completing writing assignments, taking tests  Expressing opinions, asking questions  More time needed to complete assignments and tests

International Students in the U.S. Adjustment: Educational System Often best educated in home countries  Accustomed to passive learning (i.e. lectures)  Don’t engage in academic discourse; receive truth from,  agree with & respect professor American classrooms informal; freedom of expression  discourteous Unfamiliar classroom customs – attendance, frequent  testing & assignments, grading, self-directed learning, academic honesty Collectivist or individualist cultures – discomfort with  group work or independent work

International Students in the U.S. Adjustment: Social  Minority in a majority culture  Social isolation (communal living, extended families)  Less social support than American students  More lonely & homesick than American students  Focus on studies & exclude social life  Difficulties communicating in English  Views of friendship differ

International Students in the U.S. Adjustment: Financial  Fewer sources of financial support  Little or no access to welfare, loans, scholarships  Must be enrolled full-time  Pay out-of-state tuition  Financial support from home may be unstable  Pressure to graduate as soon as possible

Course Development Needs Analysis: Process  Self-study of the EIL program  Participants included EIL faculty, other faculty, administrators, support service staff, students  Weekly meetings, focus groups, surveys, retreat over one-year period  Data compiled & analyzed by a 6-member curriculum committee

Course Development Needs Analysis: Findings  Address student transition  Current orientation not meeting needs of international students  Information provided in EIL program varied & was inconsistently provided  Semester-long course; 2 credits Specific needs  Appropriate level of language  More time to interact with materials 

Course Development Needs Analysis: Themes  Policies & procedures of the EIL program  Policies & procedures of the University  Campus resources, time management, computer & study skills  American university classroom culture  American culture; appreciation for diversity  Knowledge of regional history & culture

Course Development Needs Analysis: EIL  EIL course requirement  Curriculum  Advancement & completion  Length of time to complete  Credit  Policies – absence & complaint

Course Development Needs Analysis: University Graduation requirements   General education  Major & minor Electives  Credit hours  Grading system   Letter grades Grade point average  Academic standing  Academic advising   Registration (online) Major academic plan 

Course Development Needs Analysis: Campus Resources Academic Support   Labs & Tutoring – reading, writing, listening, speaking, math, computer Computer, study, time management skills   Library Physical Well-Being   Recreation centers Health Center   Security Student Development   International Student Services Career Services   Counseling Social Interaction   Student Association Religious Activities 

Course Development Needs Analysis: Education System  Active learning  Assignments  Course syllabus  Academic honesty  Attendance, punctuality  Levels of formality

Course Development Needs Analysis: Culture  Friendship  Dating  Appropriate questions  Gestures / Body language  Stages of cultural adjustment  Cultural values

Course Development Needs Analysis: Hawaii/Community  History  Language  Customs  Places of significance  Using the bus  Getting a driver’s license

Course Development Curriculum: Materials  Reviewed available texts & materials  University catalog & website  Rotation system to develop materials  Four instructors divided up objectives  Created materials & taught to four different sections  Revised & refined

Course Development Curriculum: Activities  Pair & group work  Surveys, interviews, observations  Presentations  Guests  Orientations to support services  Learner journal – emphasize English skills  E-mail, internet sites

Course Assessment Small Group Instructional Diagnosis  Facilitator visits class mid-semester  What do you like about the class, what needs improvement, what suggestions do you have for bringing about the improvement?  Group discussion followed by whole class  Ideas recorded & given to instructor  Instructor follows up with class & facilitator

Course Assessment SGID: Findings  Too easy  Learner journal assignment introduced  Focus on language  Helped teachers identify what needed to be reviewed  Attendance important  Students liked rotation  Good for course development  Logistic problems with more sections

Course Assessment Course Evaluations  Objectives, organization, homework, content, texts & materials, exams, grading, knowledge or skills  7 point scale (strongly disagree to very strongly agree)  340 students over 5 year period  Average for all questions 5.6

Course Assessment Student Surveys  60 students; 93% response rate; administered in class  Questions What do you like about the course?   What types of information were most valuable to you as a new student? Is there anything missing from the course that you would  like to see included? What suggestions do you have for improvement of the  course? Do you feel the course will have a positive effect on you as  a student at the university?

What do you like about the course?

What types of information were most valuable to you as a new student?

Anything missing from the course that you would like to see included?

What suggestions do you have for improving the course?

Do you feel the course will have a positive effect on you as a student?

Course Assessment Faculty Survey  Do you focus on some objectives more than others? If so, which ones and why?  Briefly describe some of your most successful activities & lessons.  Summarize information from learner journals about student reactions to the course.  Do you see the course as valuable to international students? Why or why not?  What percentage of time, if any, do you spend focusing on language skills?

Do you focus on some of the objectives more than others?  Not really  EIL program  University policies & resources  Varied some depending on student needs & interests  Submitting late assignments, coming unprepared – time management, expectations

Briefly describe some of your most successful activities or lessons.  Question period – first five minutes of class  Puzzle of U. S. – diversity & size  Library tour  Media lab  Bank representative  Dating panel  Group presentations

Summarize information from learner journals about student reactions.  Similar to survey responses  Overall, students satisfied  “I expected most of the course material to be taken as officious and superfluous, but none of it was so taken. Perhaps my sparkling presentations made everything interesting, or perhaps students are simply hungry for good, accurate, reliable info - presented in a form that is simple and easy to take.”