Engaging international students through the setting of challenging mini-projects
This paper reflects upon the introduction of a Co-operative Project to the Curriculum for Masters Students studying Advanced Digital Control at the University of Adelaide's School of Mechanical Engineering. The rationale for the project's structure is presented and its effectiveness is assessed through consideration of student feedback and the success of the student team in a series of national and international competitions.
International student experience: What it is, what it means and why it matters
The Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) was administered to recent university graduates by Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) in order to obtain feedback about their perceptions of their course. Students were asked to rate the extent to which they agree with a series of 49 statements covering issues surrounding the education and support services provided by their university. Although data from international graduate students were collected, there is no commonly used standard, nor is there a systematic way, for reporting and tracking these results; and little is understood regarding the utility of the CEQ items as a scale of international student satisfaction. This article investigates the utility of two of the CEQ scales — Generic Skills and Good Teaching — and compare differences in satisfaction levels between domestic and international graduates. A better understanding of the experience of this student cohort will provide further insights, enable meaningful comparisons and allow university administrators and policy practitioners to make critical decisions in program planning and educational policy. Ultimately, our goal is the same, to enhance the international student’s total experience.
Science fairs as learning tool for teaching excellence
Science fairs are usually considered to be a pedagogical and cultural activity that involves the students actively. Gifted students need challenges to further develop their skills while maintaining the motivation level. Science fairs may provide the informal environment that will request and allow these students of excellence to challenge themselves by developing a scientific research project. Despite being well known in different countries, in Portugal first steps are being made on the use and implementation of science fairs as effective pedagogical tool. In this work, we will present a 4 years study that was developed on a Portuguese school with the main goal of evaluating the advantages of this informal way of teaching. The study includes an analysis of the evolution of the students’ knowledge that have participated, or visited, the different science fairs. Some advices for the implementation of these projects will be given. The motivation of the students was monitored as well as the knowledge and skills effectively improved by this activity.