For Graduate Students
Steps to Program Completion: (revised
May 2008)
For International Students
We welcome you to our department and wish you well in your studies. We
recognize the challenges that many of you face as you undertake graduate
work in a new environment. And many of you will be using a language
that is not your mother tongue. We encourage all our students to
take an active part in their learning and to inform faculty about their
learning needs and preferences. Below are some tips that might help
you make the most of your studies:
-
Ask for clarification if you get confused. Chances are,
if you don't understand, other people don't,
including students from Canada and other Anglophones.
-
Sit beside someone nice and ask to borrow their notes
if you find you are having trouble keeping up.
-
Find a 'buddy' - someone in your classes,
or your program, with whom you can share experiences or
discuss questions or concerns. You can also help each
other out if you have a problem with a course or something,
too.
-
Suggest to other class members that they form a study
group (before or after class) to discuss the assigned
readings and other materials and activities.
-
Get a copy of the Oxford Dictionary of Sociology (there is
also a Dictionary of Philosophy you may find useful),
or familiarize yourself with the online references available
from the library webpage www.ubc.library.ca).
-
The faculty in EDST are committed to your success. They
want you to enjoy your time here, and they want you to
do interesting, meaningful work. Get to know your teachers
and your pro-tem; make appointments to see them outside
of class to discuss your class work and projects.
-
Ask Erin Graham
voices@interchange.ubc.cathe peer advisor, or Nora Timmerman norat@interchange.ubc.ca
the teaching and learning enhancement coordinator, for
information or assistance if you can't figure out
what to do next.
-
Talk to your protem advisor and to the EDST graduate
advisor.
-
Come to the EDST 'brown bags'
and social events. Watch the EDST-net list for announcements.
-
Look at the resources available under Tips
for Success on the EDST website.
-
The Office of External Programs and Learning Technologies
(EPLT) in the Faculty of Education also offers assistance
to international students:
http://eplt.educ.ubc.ca/istudents/
-
Mathabo Tsepa is the EPLT Graduate Academic Assistant
for International Students; She can be reached at mttsepa@interchange.ubc.ca
or 604-822-2013
-
Check the education library website for writing workshops
-
Yvonne Brown, Manager, International Initiatives, EPLT,
is happy to provide information, make referrals, and be
generally helpful. Her number is 604-822-2046 or e-mail
yvonne.brown@ubc.ca
For Faculty
Keep in mind the cultural differences that new International
Students are facing as they enter a new institutional and
cultural environment of UBC, Vancouver and Canada. The institutional
culture we take for granted may be brand new and even oppositional
to the cultural beliefs and practices of many of our students,
both international and domestic. In the spirit of helping
to make all our students achieve academic success during their
EDST studies, we offer the following reminders:
-
As you speak, make notes (on overhead, blackboard, flip
chart) of key words and terms so students can both hear
and see these ideas (check to see that your handwritten
notes are legible).
-
Take some time to explain abbreviations and acronyms,
verbally and in writing (flip chart, blackboard, overhead
or give handouts); remind class members to spell out acronyms
they may use in their presentations and comments.
-
In each class, pause and ask your students if clarification
is needed; provide information in a few different ways.
-
Watch the speed of class discussion (especially large
group), take steps to slow things down from time to time.
-
Use a variety of activities to address the class topics
and course subject matter: mini lectures, large class
discussions, small groups, paired discussions, quiet writing
time, videos, etc. (large group discussion can be intimidating
for many students so in each class try to include more
than the large group arrangement).
-
For students for whom English is a fairly new language,
it would be helpful to have some notes or'cues'
of your lectures to which they may refer.
-
Allow students to tape record classes (discuss with
students so all feel comfortable).
-
Encourage students to share their notes and perceptions
of workshops and seminars with each other.
-
Using pictures is often useful, as well as text. Overheads,
videos, photographs, may be effective tools to "illustrate"
your ideas.
-
Invite students to talk about class topics from the perspective
of their home country and/or cultural framework; this
can bring in an international perspective to the topics
being discussed.
-
Include readings and references from outside of Canada/North
America and from different cultural perspectives.
preparing conference posters
These links will take you to some "how to" for preparing poster
presentations.
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