The Government wants more students from overseas studying out of town. To make the sell, regional universities will have to work on their study experience.
Odette Best and Uni Southern Queensland colleagues, asked internationals studying nursing at “a regional university in Queensland” how they were going.
Focus groups responded with concerns:
- Study challenges: “Participants contrasted their former education, which was based on rote learning and passing exams, with the Australian system that focuses on discussion and critical thinking.”
- Communication challenges: “reading and writing English was easier than listening and speaking. Australian English creates a particular problem for students on clinical placement.”
- Academic challenges: participants pointed to; not understanding how the education system works, writing, discomfort with participating in class
- Discrimination: “International students described many instances of bias, racism, and discrimination, mostly on clinical placements from clinical facilitators, placement staff, and patients.”
- How the university could help: support for clinical placements, including on relations with facilitators, mentoring from senior students from home countries. Study support including with English and laboratory classes
The take-out: “International students represent a large revenue stream for universities, and international students themselves are fully aware of the value they bring. Several participants in our research said they expected and needed better support from their university — both to enhance their student experience and improve their educational outcome.”
