Teaching International
Students
Teaching Development | Wāhanga Whakapakari Ako
Teaching Development| Wāhanga Whakapakari Ako
February 2011
Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………..……………….…3
Building effective relationships within the classroom…...……..………5
Course design…………………………………………………………………………..…..9
Teaching and learning in large classes…………………………………….….13
Group work……………………………………………………………………….……….17
Teaching Strategies…………………………………….…………………………..….18
Integrating learning strategies into teaching…………………………..….24
Assessment (and plagiarism)………………………………………………………29
Further assistance for international students……………………..……...36
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
•2•
Introduction
This resource offers strategies for academic staff
who teach students from a wide range of cultural
backgrounds, in particular, students whose first
language is not English. Although the ideas and
suggestions in the resource are focused on the
teaching of international students, the pedagogy
and strategies are equally pertinent for teaching
all students.
The aim of this resource is to help staff to engage
international students in their learning and to
develop students‟ personal and intellectual
confidence so they may progress towards the goal
of independent learning.
Underpinning many of the suggested teaching
strategies is the view that new and
not so new international students
require additional patience and
coaching from teachers to help
them adjust to the different culture
of university study in New
Zealand.
It is widely recognised that in
addition to the usual intellectual,
social and financial challenges of
tertiary education, many new
international students must also
deal with culture shock and
language problems which can
negatively impact on their
capacity to engage in their work.
Furthermore, the learning context
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
and teaching approaches may be radically
different to what the students have previously
experienced and mastered.
Working with international students can provide
opportunities for wonderfully enriching teaching
experiences. We hope this resource will help you
make the most of these opportunities.
Andrea Haines, Doreen Hartnall, Dorothy
Spiller, Grant Harris and Peter Denham
N.B. References
All references cited in this resource are held by
the Teaching Development Unit and may be
borrowed by academic staff. Please contact
Dorothy Spiller (ext. 8697) for further
information.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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Building effective relationships within
the classroom
Challenges for international students
International students may:
 Lack language and social confidence to
participate effectively in the classroom;
 Experience negativity or indifference from
local students;
 Not understand local culture and social norms;
 Not understand learning expectations and
teacher-student relationships in the New
Zealand classroom;
 Generally, feel isolated, alienated and
uncertain.
Teaching strategies
 Learn the correct pronunciation of your
students‟ names.
 Provide opportunities for students to learn
about each other. Ask students to write a brief
pen portrait of themselves in one of the early
sessions; ask students to interview each other
for a few minutes and then report back to the
whole group – set three or four specific
questions such as where they have come from,
what courses they are taking, what other
commitments they have in their week, what
leisure interests they have.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Provide some background information about
yourself.
 Be available to your students out of class at
particular times – provide office hours or email availability if that suits the way you
work.
 Provide a positive “model” within the class
e.g. punctuality, preparedness, respect for
difference, asking questions rather than giving
answers.
 Invite examples from other cultures.
 Be open-minded.
 Model thinking
skills such as
grouping, ranking
or critiquing
ideas.
 Build a positive
learning
environment by
allowing time at the
beginning of semester for
students within the class to meet
and mingle.
 Use icebreakers to create a positive
environment.
 Plan regular smaller group activities.
 Mix groups and rotate tasks such as recording
or reporting ideas.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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 Build in small paired tasks in early sessions
related to course work.
 Encourage students to sit in a different place
each time or to work with different classmates.
 Explain objectives clearly and their connection
with the course.
 Take time at the beginning of the course (and
some time later) to go over the course outline,
objectives, assessment requirements and set
readings.
 Make time to review key language and
concepts.
 Remind students of how new topics/modules
relate to what they have previously learnt.
 Examine assumptions that underpin the course
– shared values, common terms and concepts,
and background knowledge that we might
easily take for granted.
 Clarify expectations at the beginning of the
course and revisit these later on – the
expectations of the course and your own
expectations (e.g. that people are expected to
be punctual, participate in all activities,
prepare reading ahead, listen to each other
without interruption).
 Give opportunities for articulation of ideas;
this is a chance to practise the terms in the
discourse and to move towards fuller
understanding by putting thoughts into words.
This can be done through small group work,
reporting back or tasks such as small
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
presentations. This reduces the pressure of
being called on to contribute in front of the
whole class.
 Check understanding – watch pace of delivery,
phrasing and accent.
 Repeat and rephrase ideas and comments –
examples help you to slow down and explain
the main idea.
 Reinforce the spoken word with the written
form where it is likely to be helpful.
 Check for ambiguity and confusion.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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Course Design
Challenges for international students
International students may:
 Not understand culturally-based readings,
examples and assessments;
 Not understand language and jargon;
 Be uncertain about expectations of markers;
 Have difficulty dealing with large volumes of
English-language material and readings;
 Not understand the
nature of independent
learning.
Teaching strategies
 Incorporate a range of
approaches into your
teaching to cater for student diversity.
 Explain your teaching approach to your
students and your reasons for using it.
 Explain the skills required for the course, such
as critical thinking and reviewing literature.
 Allow time for students to become accustomed
to your teaching approach and to practise the
required skills.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Keep course outcomes realistic and articulate
them clearly and precisely.
 Provide process outcomes as well as content
outcomes.
 Limit the amount of material to be covered.
 Write course outcomes in clear,
straightforward language.
 Clearly link learning outcomes and assessment
tasks.
 Provide students with a map or plan of the
whole course and show how the different
sections fit into this.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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 Provide an “At-a-glance” layout of key
information in the course handouts to give
students an idea of how the parts of the course
fit together, e.g.
Module
1: Writing for
Readers
2: The Writing
Process
3: Genre
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Key Concepts Readings
Tutorial
Preparation
Assignments
Register
Tone
Interest
Assumptions
Clarity
Course
Write brief
materials, pp.1 definitions for key
-14
terms.
Writing that
works,pp.1-3,
72-96
Select titles to
review for 1st
assignment (due
Week 4).
Prewriting
Topic
Research
Structure
Writing
Post-writing
Writing that
works, pp.4-14
Handout: How
I get started
with writing?
Complete questions
on p.12
Freewriting on set
topic (200 words).
Complete 1st draft of
review .
Writing Genres
Description
Analysis
Critique
Course
materials
pp.32-52, 71133
Writing that
works, pp.1318, 47-52
Complete genre
worksheet.
Revise and edit
review draft – bring
to next class.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Make the logic of the course explicit to
students.
 Return regularly to key course concepts and
use formative evaluation strategies to ascertain
student understanding.
 Build flexibility into the course design so that
you can be critically responsive to student
needs and understanding.
 Provide a realistic balance between in and out
of class learning, and make this explicit to
your students.
 Be respectful of different cultural values and
experiences when considering course content
and approaches.
 Select readings which are not excessively
reliant on idiosyncratic cultural references.
 Select readings where ideas are phrased in
accessible English.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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 Keep the number of readings to a manageable
level. Select a few concise and pertinent
readings.
 Prioritise readings for students.
 Select the textbook carefully. It should be
readable by all students and useful for
clarifying points and extending thinking.
Teaching and learning in large classes
Challenges for international students
International students may:
 Have difficulty seeking clarification of
understanding from lecturers;
 Have difficulty interpreting body language /
gestures used by lecturers to emphasise
important points;
 Not understand lecturers who speak quickly,
and use colloquial speech.
Teaching strategies
 Be friendly and
approachable.
 Be prepared to field
questions from
international students
immediately after
class.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Use Moodle to receive and answer questions.
Many international students often feel more
comfortable interacting with teachers and
classmates in cyber space.
 Be clear about the objectives of each lecture so
that students know what they need to achieve
and that it is achievable.
 Write objectives in clear simple English.
 Outline the lecture at the beginning so students
can see the topics to be covered and gain an
immediate sense of their relationship with
each other.
 Define academic words using everyday
language.
 Slow down your pace of delivery.
 Pronounce words clearly.
 Avoid speaking with your back to the class.
 Avoid the use of idioms and colloquialisms.
 Be reflective about your use of humour, i.e.
jokes are usually culturally bound.
 Avoid using only New Zealand analogies or
examples to illustrate ideas.
 Use „real world‟ examples from a variety of
cultures.
 Ask students to discuss with their neighbours
applications of ideas / concepts / theories from
their own „real world‟ experiences. This
allows everyone to offer ideas, extends the
thinking of the class and shows that you value
students‟ contributions.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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 Avoid writing headings / key words in
capitals; use bold font or underline them
instead. Many international students report
difficulty in reading English capitals as they
are unused to reading mixed-case writing.
 Rephrase a complex idea in a range of ways so
that students who miss the point the first time
can understand it in a subsequent form.
 Reinforce the aural with the visual as much as
possible, by using lecture outlines, overhead
transparencies, power-point, white boards, etc
to show key vocabulary and to diagrammatise
key concepts and relationships.
 Use pictures, diagrams and video clips to
illustrate ideas.
 Use audio aids such as music.
 Allow time for a catch-up when lecturing by
pausing or filling in with an additional
example to allow students to organise their
thinking and complete any notes they are
taking.
 Summarise what has been covered at the
conclusion of the lecture and how it links with
past lectures and the next one.
 Give pre-lecture readings so students who do
not have English as their first language can
prepare for the lecture in advance.
 Model your own thinking strategies during the
lecture as you consider a problem. Talk aloud
about how you would tackle a task similar to
one that has been given as an assessment task.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Demonstrate how to think critically during the
lecture by exploring a reading or theory and
showing how it can be questioned or validated
using other readings.
 Provide students with outline lecture notes and
copies of OHP transparencies (e.g.
electronically) to minimise detailed notetaking so they can think about what you are
saying.
 Encourage students to tape your lectures.
 Make specific reference to textbooks or
additional readings in the lecture.
 Have students discuss a question in pairs, one
that lets them use prior knowledge.
 Brainstorm answers to a question on the
whiteboard. Ask the students to group the
ideas they find useful and link them in some
way, adding any others they may think of.
Then share the result with their neighbour.
 Have students work on a problem in groups.
The solution to the problem should align with
the objectives of the lecture.
 Obtain regular feedback from the class using
chain notes, post-it slips, minute paper (or
variant of clearest and muddiest point) and
application cards.
 Check understanding by asking a question
with multi-choice answers - each of which
indicates a different misconception. Give each
student a set of coloured cards – each of which
indicates a particular answer. Give students
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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time to think about the answer. On the word
„Go‟ everyone holds up the coloured card they
think is the correct answer.
 Put some questions on an OHP e.g. 1) I could
list 3 methods to...; 2) I understand the concept
of...; 3) I could apply this concept in …; etc.
Each student writes on a small card the
question
numbers and against each
either Yes, No or Unsure.
They hand in the cards as
they leave. You will get a
quick feel for which topics
need more time spent on
them and which topics
do not.
Group work
Challenges for international
students
International students may:
 Be uncomfortable openly discussing /
critiquing the ideas of others and be
unprepared to have their own ideas openly
challenged.
 Lack confidence with English language skills
which inhibits participation in group
discussions, particularly when others speak
quickly and use „kiwi‟ colloquialisms;
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Not understand the relevance of references to
New Zealand culture and history which often
feature in discussions and task instructions;
 Experience overbearing and directive
behaviour from domestic students who feel
they must „carry‟ their international group
mates.
Teaching strategies
 Explain at the first tutorial the nature and
purpose of group work as a learning tool.
 Describe the types of group tasks / activities
that will be experienced at tutorials during the
semester.
 Explain that while group work is a useful
learning tool it can become a negative
experience when group members fail to
behave and communicate appropriately.
 Give examples of how groups can become
dysfunctional.
 Divide the tutorial into groups of three or four.
Ask them to discuss / identify six appropriate
behaviours and six inappropriate behaviours
for effective group-work;
 Draw a line down the middle of the white
board and label one side „Positive behaviours‟
and the other „Negative behaviours‟;
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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Positive behaviours include:
 Listen to others;
 Ask for clarification;
 Express views positively;
 Contribute equally;
 Ask what others think about your
contribution;
 Do an equal part of the work;
 Meet deadlines.
Negative behaviours include:
 Interrupt;
 Put others down;
 Be negative;
 Be disruptive;
 Be irrelevant;
 Be unconcerned about others‟ views;
 Let others do the work;
 Not turn up;
 Miss deadlines.
(Drew & Bingham, 2001)
 Ask each group to report the behaviours they
identified. Record them on the whiteboard.
Prompt group discussion, i.e. ask for examples
of appropriate and inappropriate social
behaviours and their implications for
individuals and teams.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Introduce the idea that differences in cultural
backgrounds need to be considered. Give the
example of an international student who finds
it difficult to follow or contribute to a
discussion because New Zealanders speak too
quickly, use New Zealand slang, or make
reference to obscure aspects of New Zealand
culture and history.
 Ensure the whiteboard list includes the
following types of positive behaviours (even if
you have to add them yourself).
 Speak clearly.
 Check group mates from other cultures
understand words and concepts specific to
your own culture.
 Clarify unfamiliar words and concepts for
group mates from other cultures.
 Be patient.
 Note down the behaviours from
the whiteboard. Before the next
tutorial head up a large sheet of
paper with the words
„Declaration of Good
Conduct‟ (or similar title)
and set out a declaration,
e.g.
‘We, the members of the
Sociology of Astrology, Monday
3.00 pm Tutorial Group, declare
we will behave in the following
ways:’ List the positive
behaviours. Below this - ‘We
declare we will not behave in the following ways:’ List
the negative behaviours.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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 Present the document at the start of the next
tutorial. Pin it to the wall at every session. You
may want to ask each person to sign the
declaration, to reinforce its meaningfulness to
each student. (Don‟t forget to sign the
declaration yourself!)
 Have each group create a set of protocols for
long-term assessed projects describing how
group mates will relate to each other. They can
include rules / guidelines on how:
 To behave appropriately (similar to those
identified in the „Declaration of Good
Conduct‟);
 To share work equitably;
 To report regularly on progress – by each
individual to the group and also by the
group to the teacher;
 To deal with poor performance;
 To deal with conflict;
 Final marks will be allocated to individual
group members.
 The protocols requires all members to
reflect on and acknowledge what constitutes
appropriate / inappropriate behaviour and
reassures members that their teacher and
group mates understand and are committed
to reasonable expectations and fair
processes.
 Select groups with equal numbers of
international and domestic students.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Ask each student to write you a list of the
qualities and skills they will bring with them
to a group. This information can help you
select well-balanced groups.
 Distribute reading
materials for tutorials a
week in advance, rather
than on the day, so that
international students
have time to read it and
seek clarification if
necessary.
 Always refer to groups as
teams, group work as
team work, and group
members as team mates!
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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References
Drew, S. & Bingham, R. (2001). The student
skills guide. Aldershot, U.K: Gower.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
Integrating learning strategies into
teaching
Challenges for international students
International students may:
 Be unfamiliar with learning approaches;
 Have difficulty articulating their uncertainties;
 Need opportunities to practice tasks.
Teaching strategies
 Establish a buddy system for the semester –
have students work in pairs on assigned tasks
such as recapping an idea, summarizing a
concept, applying an idea to a problem or a
different concept.
 Use regular icebreakers.
 Invite students to bring in examples from their
own cultures.
 Have students work in pairs or in groups.
Have them draw up a sheet with two columns
- on one side are general concepts, theories,
ideas from the reading, on the other side are
particular examples or evidence. Students then
have to match the general idea with the
appropriate supporting example or item of
evidence (See Angelo & Cross, 1993).
 Ask students to write a one sentence summary
of the main point of the class.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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 Use application cards.
After students have been told
about an important theory or
idea, provide them with
index cards. Invite students
to write down a real world
application of the idea on the
card (Angelo & Cross,
1993).
 Use chain notes. In the
lecture pass around a large
envelope which has a
question written on it relating
to the session. Students write
their responses on cards and
put them in the envelope.
This encourages the students
to engage in a lively way
with the material, but will
also give you rapid feedback
on the students‟
understanding (Angelo &
Cross, 1993).
 Have students exchange
lecture notes with a classmate at the beginning of a
tutorial and give each other
feedback on the notes.
 Ask students to explain a
course concept to a particular
audience and/or use a
particular format. Examples
include a letter to a friend
who may be considering the
course, a letter to the
newspaper, an explanation to
a school class, a conversation
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
with their mother, an interview with the author
of an article.
 Give students samples of work to grade using
the assessment criteria. Let students work in
pairs or groups to grade the samples and
provide a short justification for their choices.
Invite student groups to compare notes and
discuss their decisions.
 Invite students to explain to each other a point
you have introduced.
 Have students work together in groups to
analyze topics and brainstorm ideas. This can
be very useful for essays/tasks.
 Begin the session with a proposition and tell
students that throughout the session they need
to think about whether they would argue for or
against a proposition and consider possible
evidence. Towards the end ask students to
write down their stance and list points of
supporting evidence.
 Give students a list of significant points in
relation to a topic and invite them to prioritise
them. Tell students to do the first part of the
exercise individually. Then put them into
groups, let them compare their rankings and
discuss the reasons for their choices. Tell them
each group then needs to arrive at a consensus
about the rankings and write a few lines
justifying their decisions (idea developed by
Bevan Grant, Leisure Studies, and used as an
in-lecture assessed exercise).
 Type out a selection of quotes from the
assigned reading. Put them in a box. Let
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
• 26 •
students randomly pick one and then make one
or two comments about the connection
between the quote and the topic (Brookfield &
Preskill, 1999).
 Break assessment tasks into smaller
components and give formative feedback on
the different components. Enable students to
earn a percentage of their marks for meeting
certain minimum criteria for these smaller
tasks, but only grade the final product. Subtasks can include:
 collaborative topic analysis;
 peer feedback on a part of the draft;
 annotated bibliographies;
 oral presentations on a key reading;
 logs of the research process;
 evidence of editing.
 Make your own reading process explicit to
students. Read small extracts out to the
students and “think aloud”, indicating the type
of questions you might be asking as you read.
You can complement this process by giving
students photocopied pages of sections of a
reading accompanied by your own marginal
notes and questions.
 Encourage students to work in pairs or groups
on small segments of the readings and to
summarise readings as part of the assessment.
 Invite students to write reading diaries or logs.
 Reduce the volume of required reading to
allow for more extended work on the reading
process.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
References
Angelo, T.A. & Cross, P. (1993). Classroom
assessment techniques. San Francisco: Jossey
Bass.
Bean, J. C. (1996). Engaging ideas. San
Francisco: Jossey Bass
Biggs, J. (1999). Teaching for quality learning at
university. Buckingham, U.K: SRHE & Open
University Press.
Brookfield, S. & Preskill, S. (1999). Discussion
as a way of teaching. Buckingham, U.K: SRHE
& Open University Press.
Ryan, J. (2000). A guide to teaching international
students. Oxford, U.K: Oxford Centre for Staff
and Learning Development
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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Assessment
Challenges for international students
International students may:
 Not understand task requirements;
 Not understand excessive jargon and New
Zealand culturally-specific elements making
tasks difficult to understand and undertake;
 Not have sufficient time to complete tasks –
because of language difficulties;
 Be unfamiliar with certain types of
assessment, for example, group work.
Teaching strategies
 Write task instructions in clear, accessible
language. Too many instructions can be as
difficult as skimpy explanations.
 Ensure students understand instruction words
such as “discuss” and “critically analyse”.
 Clarify the purpose of the assessment task and
its link to course learning outcomes.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Give out and discuss the assessment criteria as
soon as the task is presented.
 Let students “mark” samples of past work
using assessment criteria.
 Indicate the percentage of the mark that is to
be allocated for language and grammar.
 Avoid elaborate quotations in essay topics.
These can be very confusing and often the
connection between the quotation and the
question is obscure.
 Invite students to find examples/scenarios/
models from their own culture.
 Examine the assumptions that underlie your
assessment tasks and topics. Do they depend
on culturally specific knowledge?
 Use a range of assessment tasks to
accommodate the needs of different students.
Broaden tasks to allow for different cultural
references, interests and examples. Include
tasks that require informal writing modes
(Ryan, 2000).
 Provide samples or models so that students
understand what is expected.
 Do not weight any single piece of assessment
too heavily as some students may not yet have
mastered the skills required and it may be
perceived as punitive rather than as a learning
opportunity.
 Acknowledge that international students may
require additional familiarisation/clarification
of assignment instructions. Build in time and
space for this into your teaching schedule.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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 Dedicate additional one-to-one time for
discussing assessment issues with international
students – in person, by phone or email.
 Appoint and train a tutor to respond to
questions about specific assignments, possibly
a bilingual person. The person could also
monitor levels of understanding among
international students and act as the liaison
between you and the students.
 Proactively take time to explain and clarify the
cultural relevance and resonance of New
Zealand culturally specific examples/scenarios
and models used in assignments to illustrate
theory.
 Use class forum to publicly receive and
answer questions about the assignment.
 Provide a range of marked (anonymous)
assignments from previous years.
 Provide mandatory non-graded opportunities
for students to practise the assessment tasks
and build in opportunities for formative
feedback. You can also offer a set percentage
for completing these tasks or allow students to
select a set number of these tasks for grading
(for example, 5 out of a possible 8).
 Break up assessment tasks into smaller
components and create opportunities for
formative feedback.
 Build in opportunities for conversation around
assessment tasks.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Encourage peer discussions of assessment
tasks.
 Incorporate drafting into the assignment
process. Indicate to students what needs to be
improved and require a corresponding
commitment from the student.
 Build in explicit teaching and learning about
assessment processes and learning
competencies. Examples include working in
teams and developing higher order
competencies such as analytical skills and
critical thinking.
 Regularly examine your own biases and
assumptions before embarking on marking.
 Provide general feedback. After assignments
have been marked and returned, publish an
overall summary of the key areas where the
class performed well and areas that need to be
improved.
 Be careful about tone and use of idiomatic
language in feedback comments, these may
easily be misunderstood. Sometimes the use of
the third person can alleviate loss of face. For
example, “A common mistake is to think that
altering a few words from a source makes it
one‟s own work” (Ryan, 2000, p.53).
 Be ready to offer international students
additional clarification of marking feedback.
 Be willing to dedicate some one to one time to
discuss marking issues with international
students.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
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 Avoid becoming preoccupied with the micro
details of language before you have an overall
understanding of the sense of a piece of work.
 Link comments with criteria when assessing a
piece of work.
Plagiarism
 Give students practical exercises and hands-on
sessions to learn appropriate referencing and
citation of sources, methods of integrating
source material into a discussion, to
distinguish paraphrasing from plagiarism and
collusion from collaboration.
 Show students a range of writing samples and
get them to identify
different kind of
plagiarism such as cutting
and pasting from the
internet or books,
paraphrasing without
acknowledgement, and
interweaving words from
a source with the writer‟s
own words. Then ask
students to rewrite the
relevant sections in ways
that avoid plagiarism.
 Require evidence of ongoing individual
engagement with the assessment task.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
 Modify assessment tasks each year so students
cannot copy the work of previous students.
 Set sub-tasks that require students to show
their process steps on assessment tasks and
indicate individual findings, for example,
drawing up an annotated bibliography,
marshalling the evidence for and against a
position.
 Be careful not to overburden students with
assessment as this may put them under
pressure to plagiarise.
 Break up assessment tasks into steps.
 Include some oral components to assessment
tasks.
 Avoid surface tasks requiring little more than
reproduction of material.
 Include a meaningful component to assess the
performance of individuals in group work.
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
• 34 •
References
Biggs, J. (2003). Teaching for quality learning at
university. Buckingham,U.K: SRHE & Open
University Press.
Ryan, J. (2000). A Guide to teaching
international students. Oxford, U.K: Oxford
Centre for Staff Development.
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
Further assistance for international
students
Student Learning Support
Student Learning tutors are available to assist
students in developing the necessary skills to become
successful, self-directed learners. Tutors are
available to meet with students through one-to-one
meetings (50 mins), twice daily drop-in sessions
(15 mins), specially-focused group workshops, and
on-line resources. The learning related needs we
assist with include time management, interpreting
assignment requirements, developing writing skills,
improving academic reading, note taking,
paraphrasing and summarising. We also offer oneto-one and on-line basic maths support.
Products to assist students with language include
Better Writing, for those wanting to practise
grammar, language and punctuation, and of interest
to International students wanting to develop
language and grammar accuracy, FLAX is available
The service is free and confidential. Appointments
can be booked on-line or with the administrator. We
are open for appointments throughout the year from
8.30am to 5.00pm Mondays to Fridays.
Location: ITS, Room G.11 (overlooking car park 1)
Phone: 838-4657
Website: www.waikato.ac.nz/pathways/studentlearning/
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
• 36 •
English Language Resource Centre
Includes a lending library, and Independent
learning area which includes some computers.
Books and AV resources are available for English
Language development.
Location: ITS G.03
Phone: 858-5617
Website: www.waikato.ac.nz/pathways/studentlearning/elrc/
Waikato International
Waikato International, in conjunction with other
University services, provides assistance and
support to international students, from the time
they first consider studying at Waikato, through to
graduation.
Throughout the year, we provide ongoing pastoral
care, monitor student‟s academic progress, help
with visa renewals and insurance claims, and
organise social events. We are here for all
international students. If you have questions or
concerns about anything relating to your studies or
personal issues – we will try to help or point you
in the direction of someone who can.
Location: Student Union Building, First Floor.
Phone: 838-4439
Website: www.waikato.ac.nz/international/
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TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
Pathways College
For additional courses to improve English
language skills and competency and to bridge
into university study.
Phone: 858-5600
Website: www.waikato.ac.nz/pathways/
School-based international student advisers
Each school has an academic adviser
who provides international students with general
advice and information related to their courses
and study.
Contact: Your school administration office.
International Student Clubs
Many clubs and cultural groups are active on
campus including a variety of international clubs.
Website: www.waikato.ac.nz/international/
StudentZone/StudentClubs.shtml
TEACHING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • TDU
• 38 •
Produced by:
Teaching Development Unit | Wāhanga Whakapakari Ako
Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240 New Zealand
Phone: +64 7 838 4839
Fax: +64 7 838 4573
[email protected]
www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu