About 44% of Australian adults have low literacy levels (not educated to Year 11 or above) and while 91% of the nation are interested in science and technology, it is fair to say that academic publications are not cutting through to many in sharing insights.
It therefore comes as little surprise that international students, many of whom did not grow up speaking English, can find it challenging understanding, let alone getting inspired by scholarly journals in their field. One could also ask if Australian-born students also experience difficulties? However we will have to leave that for another day, because the latest study across the FC desk examines issues – and solutions – with the communication capabilities of international STEM students.
Lui Fei Tan and Werner Botha, from Flinders University, have produced a paper reporting on success in integrating training in paraphrasing, summarising, referencing and speaking into programs for international PG STEM students.
Students reported significant increased confidence in oral presentations, synthesising information, referencing and summarising after completing the revamped Advanced Professional Skills program. They felt comfortable contributing to discussions in group work, built confidence and enjoyed a greater sense of belonging.
After embedding literacy support directly into the curriculum, more than 90% of students indicated that the topic had improved their teamwork and critical thinking skills and more than 85% reported gains in communication skills.
The paper is very practical, noting that staff would have to be trained in delivering communication skills and collaboration between academic staff and learning support services would need to be embedded, among other considerations – but after the release of last week’s racism report, there isn’t any better evidence that university staff on the ground are implementing changes with real impact.
The only questions FC has is whether the same program might also be needed for domestic students – and also when a course is going to be established to bridge the gap between scholars and the wider community.
Considerations for further studies, no doubt.