karen smith, glasgow caledonian university karen.smith2@gcu.ac.uk

Karen Smith, Glasgow Caledonian Universitykaren.smith2@gcu.ac.uk

It wasn’t a good thing to just let them form their own groups because folks would then, maybe, form a group with people from their own particular background

Image from: http://www.clker.com/clipart-9207.html

Taught master’s student numbers have 42% between 1995 and 2003 (Stuart et al., 2008);

50% of the taught masters cohort is from outside

the UK, with non-EU students dominating these numbers (HEPI & British Library, 2010);

There has been a 39% increase in non-EU first

year postgraduates between 2002-3 and 2007-8 and 11% increase for EU. UK first year postgraduates have increased 3% during the same time frame (HEPI & British Library, 2010).

Participatory action research for education developmentKaren Smith and Scott Fernie

‘An unturned stone’ – exams and international studentsNick Pilcher, Karen Smith and Jackie Riley

Transforming academic practices through transnational teaching experiencesKaren Smith

do they ring true for you?

English language Study skills

Fitting in

Transition to M-level

Other?

Have mentors who have done the course [exam]

Organise students into groups rather than letting them self-organise [tne]

Change the groups each week [sheer]

Give opportunities to do mock exams or see past papers [exam]

Use examples from the cultures in your classroom [tne]

Allow students to run their assignments through turnitin before submission [sheer]

Choose an issue Note your solutions on a flip-chart poster It could be things you’ve tried (where?) Or things you’d like to try

Present back to the group – five minutes max

Add to the appropriate flip chart:

◦Your innovative practices “the world in your classroom”

◦Action points and challenges for the sector

◦AOB

Stuart, M.; Lido, C.; Morgan, S.; Solomon, L.; & Akroyd, K. (2008) Widening participation to postgraduate study: decisions, deterrents and creating success, report available at: www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/WPtoPG_Stuart.pdf [last accessed 27 May 2010]

HEPI & British Library (2010) Postgraduate education in the United Kingdom, report available at: http://www.bl.uk/news/pgreport [last accessed 27 May 2010]