Innovation
Many of the international students attending a course at a UK university demonstrated difficulties with understanding what was expected of them as students. A series of Enquiry Based Learning activities were introduced formatively to a course, designed to help international students to examine a range of academic skills. The students are encouraged though the EBL activities to develop skills progressively from basic literature searching though critical thinking and finally synthesis. The nature of EBL facilitates students to apply the skills to a range of applications and to solve problems leading to deep learning.
What prompted innovation?
The International students are familiar with eastern philosophies of education which are different to western Socratic philosophies which underpin most HEI education in the west. As a result international students are faced with the need to adjust to a different way of learning and can be problematic for them. EBL is an example of Socratic based learning that international students could find difficult to understand and learn from. Despite this the values of EBL are a useful learning and teaching tool to facilitate students’ adjustment and understanding of western approaches to learning.
What makes innovation different?
It was the assumed expectation of those working on the project that it would fail as a learning and teaching method due to the differences in the type of learning students were used to and the approaches used by EBL. The evaluations and student presentations disproved this assumption with the overall outcome that the students understood and applied the skills that skills that they had developed such as critical analysis and synthesis.
Changes in practice
The EBL activities have been introduced to similar courses and have been embedded into some additional modules where appropriate.
Impact
The pre and post learning activity student evaluation, students’ reflections and student presentations are evidence of the impact of the EBL project on students learning. The evaluations indicate that students have enjoyed the EBL approach and recognise that this different style has enhanced both their learning and their approach to future learning.
Dissemination
This work has been written up and sent for consideration for publication, awaiting feedback from this.