Morning sessions (11:40 - 12:50)

Workshop Title
Convener
Presentations

Intercultural competence: are we doing enough to develop it in our students? 

The learning and social environment at Exeter is becoming increasingly international. The diverse range of cultural backgrounds now represented offers and excellent opportunity to develop all students' intercultural skills. This workshop will explore the extent to which we are making the most of this opportunity and open up a discussion to identify what more we can be doing.
Nel Boswood (Skills Advisor),
Nicky Davies (INTO) &
Carol McCullough (INTO)

Strategies for encouraging students to mix with and learn from each other

This session addresses practical ways to help students move out of cultural and language 'silos' and thereby start to benefit from studying in culturally diverse cohorts.

 

Jude Caroll (TIS)

Diversity and opportunity: embedding students experience into the curriculum

In an attempt to enhance the employability of law graduates at Exeter the Law School has developed innovative projects within the curriculum to take advantage of the diverse backgrounds of our students.  This session will be an interactive exploration of some of the strategies used to create opportunities; utilise student experience and value diversity.

Sue Prince (Law) Sue Prince

Resolving the challenge of large student numbers through technology

This workshop session will address some of the practicalities (outputs, challenges and solutions) that have arisen from a JISC funded Integrative Technologies project delivered within the University of Exeter Business School over the last two years.  Key challenges have been to enhance the learning experiences of the large student intake, in particular with first year undergraduates, where the current cohort numbers 720 students with about a third of these being international. A specific focus of the workshop will be on how technology can be used to address student engagement and motivation, especially in face-to-face teaching contexts with such diverse groups, and how technology can provide a more integrative learning experience for students. Participants will gain hands-on experience of using a range of technologies and, we hope, leave inspired and more confident to use them in their own contexts.

 

 Juliette Stephenson & Carlos Cortinhas (Business School)

The international experience of PhD students

There are an increasing number of international students studying PhDs in the UK. International students make up 50% of full-time research degree students and 43% of all research postgraduates in the UK (UKCISA, 2006-07). Consequently, students and supervisors are faced with the challenge of engaging effectively and positively with issues of multiculturalism and diversity (Cortazzi & Jin, 1997).  The understanding of ‘cultural diversity’ and the specific experiences and challenges that they may face is therefore of importance. Many international doctoral students can competently make ‘adjustments’ once it appears that they understand and get a feel for the ‘rules of the game’ within UK higher education. It is, however, debatable as to whether some students experience much longer and more painful processes than is necessary, which could lead to ‘disempowerment’ (Goode, 2007).  In this session, I will present and open up discussion about this small-scale qualitative project, which intends to examine the social processes, potential challenges, development and experiences that these students adjust to and undergo when gaining admission to an institutional and disciplinary ‘habitus’.

Helen Owton (PhD Student)

I'm having my lunch actually: the transition to a new Educational culture on INTO English Language courses.

Many aspects of the educational culture that are the norm in Higher Education here may seem very strange and confusing when you come from another country. On INTO English Language and academic preparatory programmes, international students not only learn the language knowledge and skills that they will need on their degree courses, but they also experience and have explained to them ways of studying and relating to staff and peers that may be very unfamiliar to them.  We can provide a transition period, where, with our guidance, International students can become aware, practise, make mistakes and learn to adapt to the new academic culture. In this mostly anecdotal session I will present and discuss some ideas and insights I have gained over many years working with International students at this University, with examples from students – what they have told me and how they have behaved and reacted in my lessons – as well as from my discussions with teachers from other countries.  

 

 Rebecca Michel (INTO) Rebecca Michel