 Teaching International Students BMEC masterclass Aim To provide some tips and guidance for more effective teaching of a diverse student cohort Outcomes To have considered your own teaching in relation to the needs of international students in particular, and to have identified some simple strategies to integrate into your teaching practice

Session outline 1. Introduction to Chinese education: presentation by Ziaoziang Zhang 2. International students as an asset: brainstorm 3. Teaching in seminars: team analysis and planning 4. Teaching in lectures: individual reflection and response Break for refreshments around 3.15

Chinese education  Ziaoziang Zhang, Lecturer in Finance  Further reading  Swee-Hoon Chua, Teaching East-Asian Students: some observations (2010). rnational rnational

International students as an asset  What are the positive characteristics and values of the international students you teach?  What opportunities does a diverse student group present for teaching and learning? Discuss in small groups, then key points on whiteboards

Principles of an effective approach 1. Avoid seeing international students as deficient 2. Effective teaching starts from where the student IS 3. All students learn through active engagement Further reading:  John Biggs, Demythologising the Teaching of International Students (1997)

Learning in seminars  Benefits  Challenges

Seminar strategies: activity  In Module teams, discuss the seminar series in terms of the benefits and challenges identified that are relevant to you.  Consider:  What are the aims or purpose of the seminars in this module?  Do these aims actually align with the module outcomes?  What are the most effective strategies for achieving these purposes in your seminars, taking into account the diversity of your student group, and the strengths they bring?  How will you put these strategies into action?  Share your plans with the whole group

Flat-pack lectures  What are you delivering in your lecture?  All the pieces, but nothing else?  The content of the lecture  All the elements AND the assembly instructions?  Considering how to make the lecture content and its purpose really clear  All the elements, the instructions AND some time to start on assembly?  Some simple activities to help students construct their understanding effectively

Reviewing your lectures  Looking at one module in particular  What do students find most challenging about your lectures?  How will you address that challenge/those challenges?  Time for some individual activity, or work with a colleague if you prefer.  Reflect on your approach to lectures and the habits you may have developed; the feedback you have had, etc.  Identify some changes you could make, or simple activities you could introduce in the lecture you have brought notes for.

Plenary: next steps  What are your KPIs for the changes you make?  Do you need any more information or CPD?  CLICKERS – an announcement  Study direct: lt for information about training lt

Resources  lifecycle lifecycle    nalisation nalisation  for information on clicker use

References General teaching  Huibert de Man, Teaching Management to Chinese Students: a few notes from theory and practice. a.pdf a.pdf  Viv Edwards and An Ran, Meeting the needs of Chinese students in British Higher Education eetingTheNeeds.pdf‎

References On critical thinking  Rong Huang, Critical Thinking: discussion from Chinese Postgraduate International Students and their Lecturers (2008) ations/Case_studies/huang.pdf  Kathy Durkin, The Middle Way: East Asian Master’s Students’ Perceptions of Critical Argumentation in U.K. Universities