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

A First-Year Seminar for International Students

Maureen Andrade BYU-Hawaii

Overview

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The Institution – BYU Hawaii

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International Students in the U.S.

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Quick Facts

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Adjustment: Language, Education System, Social, Financial

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Course Development

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Needs Analysis

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Curriculum Development

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Course Assessment

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Small Group Instructional Diagnosis

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Course Evaluations

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Student & Faculty Surveys

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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

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Often best educated in home countries

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Accustomed to passive learning (i.e. lectures)

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Don’t engage in academic discourse; receive truth from, agree with & respect professor

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American classrooms informal; freedom of expression discourteous

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Unfamiliar classroom customs – attendance, frequent testing & assignments, grading, self-directed learning, academic honesty

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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

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Specific needs

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Appropriate level of language

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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

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Graduation requirements

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General education

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Major & minor

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Electives

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Credit hours

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Grading system

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Letter grades

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Grade point average

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Academic standing

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Academic advising

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Registration (online)

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Major academic plan

Course Development Needs Analysis: Campus Resources

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Academic Support

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Labs & Tutoring – reading, writing, listening, speaking, math, computer

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Computer, study, time management skills

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Library

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Physical Well-Being

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Recreation centers

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Health Center

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Security

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Student Development

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International Student Services

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Career Services

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Counseling

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Social Interaction

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Student Association

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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

• r 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

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What do you like about the course?

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

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Is there anything missing from the course that you would like to see included?

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What suggestions do you have for improvement of the course?

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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

• bjectives 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.”

Do you see the course as valuable to international students?

 “As a former international student, I teach

things that I wish someone had told me

• before. Students understand that and they are

appreciative of what I teach in this class.”

 “As I see it, [name of course] is a useful

venue for students to relax a bit and talk about real, new-student issues with a semi- authoritative information source.”

How does the course need improvement?

 Standardized & updated materials  Class excursions

What percentage of time do you spend focusing on language skills?

 Language not taught explicitly but learned

through course activities

 Reading skills  Presentations  Summaries  New vocabulary  Class participation  Listening to lectures & presentations

Conclusions & Implications

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Initiative is successful in aiding transition

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More thorough treatment of orientation materials; appropriate to audience

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Involvement behaviors identified

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Limitations:

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Data self-reported but students not self-selected

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No control group; actual adjustment not measured

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No measures of academic achievement or persistence

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Objective is adjustment, not persistence

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Further research:

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Determine if benefits long-lasting (involvement, active learning)

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Investigate ways to provide further support after first semester