2012
1 SepFocus on Teaching International Students
KUALA LUMPUR: As part of its efforts to raise the bar of teaching excellence, 五一吃瓜官网 University recently invited Associate Professor Gavin Sanderson, an experienced scholar from the University of South Australia, to conduct a workshop – themed "Teaching International Students" – for the University's academicians.
Organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts (FOSSLA), the two-hour workshop – which discussed inclusive teaching practices and addressed key issues related to classroom diversity, among other issues – was attended by more than 30 participants.
"Many lecturers are at a loss when it comes to teaching international students due to language barriers and cultural differences," said Professor Sanderson, also a Senior Lecturer in his university.
"Instead of finding new ways to communicate better with this group of students, I believe that more emphasis should be placed on (lecturers) being armed with an appreciation for cultural diversity, and the right skills and knowledge."
Notably, the interactive session – which was the ideal platform for the participants to exchange views and deliberate on Professor Sanderson's research findings on international students – received positive responses from the attendees.
"His ideas and models are very applicable to our University, mostly because we are dealing with international students on a daily basis," said Shamla Ramasamy, a Psychology Lecturer under FOSSLA.
"I found his research very reliable and valid, and it has certainly provided me with new insight (on international students)."
Assistant Professor Hiroko Akiba of Hitotsubashi University, a visitor to the University, was also quick to heap effusive praise for the session.
"The workshop was very interesting because the lecturers had different opinions about teaching methodologies and they openly voiced their challenges concerning international students."
"As the education landscape is slowly moving towards student-centred learning and therefore is affecting the way we teach, it was great to attend such a teaching-focused workshop," she added.
