international students and Oral presentations.

1. international students and Oral presentations.

2. Academic staff who teach international students can contribute significantly to the students’ individual learning and provide a bridge into Australian academic culture

3. Oral Presentations • Daunting for many students • Hold particular challenges for international students, both in terms of language and culture • Research - 54 ACU students

4. Discussion • What problems have you observed with your own students?

5. The challenges identified by students I • Confusion with regard to criteria used by academics to assess their work • Lack of confidence in putting their own ideas forward • Fear of making errors or any grammatical inaccuracies • Concerns related to negative judgement by peers Donna Cook 2008

6. The challenges identified by students II • Unwillingness to “show off” or push themselves forward in front of both peers and teachers • Fear that their accents will not be readily understood • Perceived inability to structure their work appropriately Donna Cook 2008

7. International students, especially those from Asian backgrounds, come to us with a number of embedded cultural assumptions that influence the way they view and perform in our classes

8. The cultural assumptions underpinning these obstacles • “ The nail that sticks up must be hammered down” • Many students found it challenging to stand out in front of their peers, and found that confidence may be confused with “boasting” • Conformity and humility are highly valued in Confucian based cultures

9. The cultural assumptions underpinning these obstacles I • “Who am I to change what is already perfect?” • The concept of plagiarism is quite a western concept

10. The cultural assumptions underpinning these obstacles II • “An open book with blank pages” • Their role as a student is to be directed by their respected teacher and be shown the way to the truth

11. The cultural assumptions underpinning these obstacles III • “Culture is vulture” • Many students form Confucian based cultures believe that it is the student’s role to absorb information and show quiet respect for the teacher – not push forward their own ideas, this would equate to daring to challenge a respected teacher or scholar

12. The cultural assumptions underpinning these obstacles IV “Get to the point, what point?” Donna Cook 2009

13. So a mental check list may look like this: • I must not stand out too much and appear proud • I must look down to show my respect • I must not put forward any of my own ideas as my teacher has already given me the knowledge I need • I must give detailed background information so that everyone can understand my points • I will use verbatim the words of great scholars

14. Content and Organisation • Is the information cohesive? • Is there an introduction, body and conclusion? • Does the introduction succeed in highlighting the central points? • Does the conclusion adequately summarise the main points?

15. Presentation Skills • Is the pace of delivery suitable for audience? • Is the speaker audible and expressive? • Does the speaker maintain eye contact and engage with the audience? • Does the speaker interact with the slides?

16. Slide Design & Content • Is there an overall design? • Are the slides clear? • Are the main points presented, without too much detail? • Are the images relevant to the topic?

17. Language and Format • How accurate is the sentence structure, grammar and spelling? • Is paraphrasing used appropriately? • Is the presentation within the time limit? • Is referencing correct and appropriate? • Are images referenced?

18. A challenge – but not an impossibility • Students from Asian backgrounds are often very eager to learn new cultural norms – and these differences in cultural background do not mean that they lack to ability to adapt and excel in a western academic environment

19. How can we help? • What do you think academics can do to ease the transition for some of these students?

20. How can we help? • As academics we need to make our rules and expectations explicit and clear from the beginning • Nothing can be taken for granted as we are not always aware of the students perspective or understanding • Model for the students what you consider “best practice”

21. How can we help? • Provide a number of “non threatening” opportunities for oral interaction in class prior to the task • “Reframe” the task • It may be culturally impossible for a recently arrived international student to ask for help – so we need to empower them to do this or offer help when there is a need is suspected

22. A mentor or “buddy” can be invaluable. • Use video camera on mobile phone to practice and self critique • We can be more forgiving when what is expected is not always what is delivered e.g. “cut and pasted” slides – but we need to ensure that it is understood so that it becomes a learning opportunity

23. How can we help? • Provide detailed feedback on tasks – but be careful to acknowledge the positive • Do what you can to build the students’ confidence so they come to believe that they can deliver what is expected of them • Recognise what they bring to class, affirming their own past experience

24. How can we help? • We can direct students to the range of services the university provides - students may not do this on their own • http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/orals/

25. References • Ballard, B. & Clanchy, J. (1991). Teaching students from overseas. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire. • Biggs, J (1997). 'Teaching across and within cultures: the issue of international students'. In Learning and teaching in higher education: advancing international perspectives. Proceedings of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Conference, 8-11 July 1997, pages 1-22. • Benn, R. (2000). Exploring Widening Participation in Higher Education: Targeting, Retention and ‘Really Useful Knowledge’, Seminar Presentation, University of Southern Queensland, 15 March.

26. Chandraratna,  D. (1997). What’s  in a name?In conversation with international students. Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia.  • Hasling, J. (1998). The audience, the message, the speaker. New York: McGraw-Hill. • Nunan, D (1991). Language teaching methodology. UK: Prentice-Hall.