Aims
|
The aims of the project were:
|
Rationale
Internationalisation and enrolment of international students in higher degree institutions in Australia has increased remarkably over the past decade (DEEWR, 2005-2009). Much current research on international students acknowledges the many challenges that they face when undertaking study in another country (Cruickshank, 2004; Qing, Schweisfurth & Day, 2010; Spooner-Lane, Tangen, & Campbell, 2009). There are additional challenges when these students participate in various work environments (Campbell, Tangen & Spooner-Lane, 2006; Liu, 1998; Tangen, Mercer, Spooner-Lane, & Hepple, 2011). It is important to note however, that international students experience their study, their work placement (practicum, field experience, work integrated learning [WIL]) and even their time away from home differently. Carroll and Ryan (2005) note that students identified as ‘international’ are actually a diverse group and it is important to consider their educational mobility, pedagogic variation, and their differences in English proficiency. Understanding that individual international students have distinct needs, in particular during work placement components of study, is not present in existing learning and teaching and research studies.
This project aimed to fill this gap by addressing the Office for Learning and Teaching’s priority area of Internationalisation by improving the ways in which international students, as individuals, engage with their work placement as well as with their mentors or industry partner throughout the assessment process. The project’s main aim was to improve current procedures, practices and assessment related to work placements for international students in a number of programs in business, education and health at Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and education at Monash University and Deakin University in Victoria and engineering and occupational therapy at Curtin University in Western Australia. At present the number of international students undertaking work placement in these selected disciplinary areas during a period of 12 months at the respective universities is approximately 550 students across 18-22 undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
There is potential generalisability and transferability of the findings of our project to other universities including for domestic students (including those from a CaLD background) and to domestic students who undertake overseas placements. Members of this research team are staff from business, education and health from both institutions in Queensland and from education at the Victorian and Western Australian universities, and have substantial experience working with international students and in particular the work placement components of their courses.
See also Research, Methodology, Model, Glossary, References.
This project aimed to fill this gap by addressing the Office for Learning and Teaching’s priority area of Internationalisation by improving the ways in which international students, as individuals, engage with their work placement as well as with their mentors or industry partner throughout the assessment process. The project’s main aim was to improve current procedures, practices and assessment related to work placements for international students in a number of programs in business, education and health at Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and education at Monash University and Deakin University in Victoria and engineering and occupational therapy at Curtin University in Western Australia. At present the number of international students undertaking work placement in these selected disciplinary areas during a period of 12 months at the respective universities is approximately 550 students across 18-22 undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
There is potential generalisability and transferability of the findings of our project to other universities including for domestic students (including those from a CaLD background) and to domestic students who undertake overseas placements. Members of this research team are staff from business, education and health from both institutions in Queensland and from education at the Victorian and Western Australian universities, and have substantial experience working with international students and in particular the work placement components of their courses.
See also Research, Methodology, Model, Glossary, References.