Using Science Learning Partnerships to Enrich and Internationalise Student Experiences
KMA Gartland, J Rattray,A Gritsinin(1), R Hodgart, E Korbek-Erdogmus(1), J McCrae, J O’Flynn(1), C Parker, M Schwartz(1), AJ Grosovsky (1)
Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow G4 0BA, Scotland, (1)College of Science and Mathematics, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
Corresponding author: Tel. (+44) 0141 331 3120
Abstract
The Glasgow Caledonian University-University of Massachusetts Boston International Science Learning Partnership has promotedcurricular internationalisation through137 Year 1(Freshman) studentsexploringchallenging bioscience and computing issuesininternational study visits. Students used ‘a mission to Mars’ metaphor, encouraging collective responsibility in overall achievements, benefitingfrom the UMB ‘Freshman Success Community’ approach.Students used ‘shared learning’ approaches, overcoming time zone differences, scheduling group video sessions, and collaborating through common delivery tools. Collective research work, included wikis on personalized medicine, stem cells, carcinogenesis, robotics programming and enquiry visits to scientific and engineering facilities developing autonomouslearners, boosting self-confidenceand increasing appreciation of international collaborations through global citizenship.97% of students wanted to be part of future international initiatives whilst 96% wanted this unique partnership to continue. Freshmenengaged in learning experiences in an inspirational and life-changing manner through cooperation between like-minded institutions, achieving mutual goals of social inclusion and internationalising the student experience for the common good.
1 Introduction
Enriching the student experience is a laudable aim for any higher education endeavour. In today’s globally networked, always on society, achieving this through internationalisation of the student learning experience, bringing with it increased understanding of different cultures, educational and professional systems and societies is particularly appropriate (Altbach and Knight, 2007). Whilst the numbers of international (non-EU) students in UK higher education have increased from 8-12% from 2002-3 to 2010-11, this increase is predominantly in taught postgraduate programmes, especially in engineering and technology (149%), maths (155%) and subjects allied to medicine (228%; Universities UK, 2012). Achieving internationalisation appears less easy for undergraduate programmes and especially so for Year 1 (‘Freshman’) students (Upcraft et al., 2008).
2 GCU-UMB International Science Learning Partnership
Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB) share a widening participation and social inclusion mission, each with a majority of first generation university students, have investigated the use of science learning partnerships to enrich and internationalise the learning experience for students in a range of disciplines from the biosciences, pre-medical studies, chemistry, computer science and electrical engineering. The GCU-UMB International Science Learning Partnership has achieved this through:
Promoting social inclusion and widening participation in international learning experiences
Internationalising curricula
Promoting scientific and cultural exchange
Increasing mutual understanding of best practice and educational developments
Contributing to the social inclusion mission and common good of both GCU and UMB
In Semester 1 of session 2011-12, support from a Prime Minister’s Initiative/British Council Awardenabled 39 Year 1 students from GCU Department of Life Sciences and UMB College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) to participate in international learning partnership activities in pre-medical studies and the biosciences. Students were involved in a range of voluntary learning activities, based on the successful ‘Freshman Success Communities’ (FSC) model as implemented in UMB CSM. The FSC model includes elements of other student success community approaches (Tinto, 2000;2003), using self-selected students who share common goals (Anderson, 2008), for example in wanting to gain entry to US postgraduate entry medical schools. FSCs place emphasis on a co-enrolment cohort model, promoting bonding, a sense of identity and enquiry amongst small cohort groups, of up to 24 students, and are intended to help students start on-track and stay on-track to complete their studies in four years. UMB CSM FSCs have proven highly popular and successful, with a 459% rise in numbers of students involved over the last five years, in 12 FSCs based on subject disciplines from bioscience to computer engineering, or intended vocations, such as pre-medical studies, serving 60% of eligible CSM Freshmen in 2012-13. In contrast, GCU whilst actively promoting the benefits of an internationalised student learning experience through a refreshed international strategy, is not yet operating student success communities. In Semester 2 of session 2012-13, Scottish Government Saltire Scholarships for Outward Student Mobility support contributed to a widening of the partnership to also involve computer science and engineering students, with 98 Year 1 students participating. The majority of GCU participants were from Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 20/40 quintile postcodes or were first generation university attendees, while the majority of UMB participants were from Pell grant eligible or other similar households (Harper et al., 2008).
All students participated voluntarily in extra-curricular classes. Participants were encouraged to contribute fully through the adoption of a ‘Mission to Mars’ philosophy, to the attainment of learning partnership team goals regardless of whether they were amongst the 34 ‘travellers’, physically visiting Glasgow or Boston for an intensive 1 week period, or ‘hosts’.
3 Learning Partnership Activities
3.1 Community establishment
Students came together through introductory ‘meet and greet’ wikis and video-casts. These were soon supplemented, at the students suggestion, using blogs, digital media and a range of social networking tools, including Facebook (Anderson and Chi-Cheng, 2009). Through a series of weekly community tutorials, small groups of 4-6 students from both institutions addressed key issues centred around ‘science and today’s headlines’, including the use of stem cells, the potential of personalized medicine, and environmental toxicology. Additional sessions were organised by student groups. Students were given full responsibility for organising contacts with trans-Atlantic peers, having to negotiate task allocations, overcome time differences and develop collaborative approaches. This approach was considered to be part of encouraging learner confidence and autonomy (Cross, 1998).
3.2 Community and role development
Since requests for involvement outstripped ‘traveller’ places from available resources, students were selected for ‘traveller’ or ‘host’ roles based upon agreed selection criteria including contribution to community building tasks, a written or digital case for support and the ability to benefit from first time travel to the partner country. Students unable to travel were encouraged to continue participating through organisation of learning and cultural schedules as ‘host leaders’. Students continued to contribute, regardless of their role, developing a strong sense of community ideals and identity amongst groups of typically 18-year olds. Series of learning objectives appropriate to the Year 1 programmes being undertaken were identified, with opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning through assessed activities in modules designed in wherever possible.
3.3 International study visit activities
Groups of up to six students travelled, unaccompanied to the partner city for international study for one week. The benefits of having already firmly established and student-led, study groups were realised as all students involved, regardless of whether travelling or hosting, felt a real sense of group identity. Programmes of participation in scheduled lectures, laboratory skills practical sessions and student-programmed robotics workshops using similar systems in Boston and Glasgow were complemented by cultural development and social activities. Students visited globally leading research centres, medical science facilities, computer science and engineering facilities, scientific spin-outs, biotechnology companies and enterprise innovation centres as part of the fact-finding for their group tasks. Many of the formal and cultural events were led by the ‘hosting’ students, who were also involved in contributing to communal wikis and social media activities, including video diaries. All students received notifications of communal work updates, which could be made at any time and were thus enabled to make a full contribution to the team success of the partnership. By involving travellers in formal learning classes at the host university, students gained an appreciation of how learning in the partner country was organised, of typical academic workloads, assessment styles and laboratory practices. Students were involved in a wide range of tasks, including learning to programme robots, bioscience and maths skills development.By interacting with globally important research centres, novel technology and spin-out companies, students were able to gain in increased appreciation of the role of innovation in science and technological business development and entrepreneurship.
4 Evaluations of learning partnership activities
Studentcomments on the partnership activities were overwhelmingly favourable, including:
‘An inspirational and life changing experience!’
‘A fantastic experience - an amazing array of lessons learned’
‘Increased my understanding of international education’
‘Has completely changed my life. I now don’t fear making a big change and am much more confident’
Responses from a post-experience survey on how the partnership activities had impacted on students’ learning experience and international perceptions, are shown in Table 1. Students generally regarded the partnership activities as helping the development of independence and self-reliance, although this was accentuated to a lesser degree in UMB students involved in Semester 2, rather than Semester 1 activities. This may reflect other FSC independent learner development activities undertaken earlier on in the academic session. GCU students were particularly appreciative of being given the opportunity of participating in an international science learning partnership within a few short weeks of entering university. Students were highly appreciative of the opportunity to develop intercultural skills, and the ability to communicate with students and staff from other countries. Overall, 97% of students expressing a preference wanted to be part of future international learning partnerships, with 94% wanting to share their experiences with fellow home students and 96% being willing to help organise future international learning partnership activities.
Students from the 2012 wave have demonstrated their commitment to progressing the learning partnership further through involvement in receptions for 2013 wave students in both Glasgow and Boson, whilst two GCU bioscience students have returned to UMB to study for a full semester in session 2012-13. Amongst 2011 entry UMB CSM FSC students as a whole, 89% were retained into the second year of their studies, as compared to 79% of non-FSC students. Amongst 2011 GCU bioscience students participating as either travellers or hosts, 100% passed in the relevant biology modules, with 70% exceeding their class average mark, with a mean incremental gain of 4% as compared to their peers. Overall performance data for 2012-13 are not yet available.
Table 1: Student Evaluations of International Learning Partnership Activities
Statement / %age / Students / AgreeingParticipating in the International Learning Partnership ..... / Sem1
2012 UMB PreMed / Sem1
2012 GCU Bio / Sem2
2013 UMB PreMed / Sem2
2013 UMB Comp/Eng / Sem2
2013 GCU Bio / Sem2
2013 GCU Comp
Helped me develop independent study skills / 75 / 89 / 44 / 49 / 83 / 64
Helped me become more independent and self-reliant / 70 / 100 / 51 / 42 / 100 / 82
Increased my understanding of other cultures / 100 / 100 / 85 / 85 / 100 / 91
Increased my understanding of international science collaborations / 90 / 89 / 54 / 55 / 75 / 82
Made me think about joining future international exchanges / 100 / 100 / 85 / 82 / 100 / 100
Helped me with the transition to University life / 80 / 100 / 28 / 40 / 67 / 64
Gave me the opportunity to develop intercultural skills / 100 / 89 / 80 / 75 / 100 / 91
Gave me confidence in communicating and interacting with students / 100 / 100 / 87 / 77 / 92 / 82
Gave me confidence in communicating and interacting with staff / 95 / 100 / 69 / 69 / 100 / 82
Introduced me to new technologies / 85 / 100 / 47 / 55 / 92 / 55
Key PreMed: PreMedicine Level 1, Bio: Bioscience Framework Level 1, Comp: Computer Science Level 1, Eng: Electrical Engineering Level 1 participating students.
UMB: University of Massachusetts Boston, GCU: Glasgow Caledonian University
5 Discussion
By building upon the successful track record of the Freshman Success Communities at UMB, the science learning partnership has identified and provided conditions for new students, in unfamiliar cohort groups, to gain motivation and achieve academic success, enabling them to start and stay on track for their desired degree programmes. This is consistent with the features of other student success communities (Kuh et al., 2010) and provides evidence for approximately 10% better retention amongst UMB students and a 4% performance uplift in GCU biology modules. Hotchkiss et al., (2006) also report performance and retention uplifts through freshman learning communities. The reasons for the success of the partnership include the effectiveness of the interventions to develop autonomy and a sense of responsibility amongst learners new to higher education (Oxford, 2008) and a clear commitment amongst members of the cohort groups (Taylor et al., 2003) to ensuring the success of the international learning experience, regardless of whether individual students were travellers or hosts. This commitment appears to have remained strong amongst the second session participants, who additionally gained by mentoring from first session partnership veterans. This aspect of peer learning reinforced the sense of cohort identity and mutual support amongst participants, having been a consistent feature of the UMB FSC experience over five years. The timing of the physical study visits may be more important than originally thought, with semester 1 student perception data being slightly more positive than for semester 2 students amongst the computer science and electrical engineering communities at least, from UMB. An alternative explanation however, may come from the greater degree of challenge arising from doubling the numbers of travellers, the numbers of student success communities involved and a widening of the discipline base to encompass computing and engineering as well as the pioneer bioscience groups. What remains clear, however, is that participants found the scientific partnership activities highly beneficial, worthwhile and enriching. The experience has clearly added value to the learning journey of the participating students and, based upon the available performance data, increases the likelihood of future academic and career success (Zhao and Kuh, 2004). Academic staff involved in establishing the partnership have gained from a more highly developed mutual understanding of the relative strengths and weaknesses of existing learning strategies and environments (Altbach and Knight, 2007). The enrichment of the partnership experience is heightened by the involvement of two universities with similar goals and missions, making the development of shared understandings easier. Participation in the partnership has clearly added value to the student learning experience, whilst delivering long-lasting gains, such as greater learner confidence and autonomy. These attributes will benefit students not just in their undergraduate studies, but in their graduate careers too.
6 Conclusions
The GCU-UMB International Science Learning Partnership has over two years of activities demonstrated the potential of a student success community model to deliver benefits for Year 1 ‘Freshman’ student learning.
Participating students realized a range of benefits including:
Increasedlearner independence and autonomy
Greater appreciation of international scientific perspectives
Improved research & presentation skills
Greater motivation to acquire and use knowledge
Enhanced self-confidence
A stronger sense of enquiry
Wider benefits included raising the profile of international scientific endeavours amongst the Year 1 (Freshman) student population who might not otherwise have been exposed to them, enhancing student engagement and communications skills. Developing these benefits aligns closely with the desirable attributes sought by many institutions in their science and engineering graduates (Gartland and Wood, 2006). The FSC approach encourages the development of a range of skills amongst cohort groups and succeeds in promoting enhanced student performance. This helps to engage students by demonstrating how international science education cooperation can promote research-teaching linkages, student performance, retention and the attainment of graduate attributes, the GCU-UMB International Science Learning Partnership has contributed to meeting our institutional goals of social inclusion and promoting the common good.
An evaluative video about the GCU-UMB International Science Learning Partnership is accessible at:
7Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Prime Ministers Initiative 2/British Council Award, Scottish Government Saltire Scholarships Outward Student Mobility Award, the Davis Foundation and Mr Arthur Mabbett, without which the international study visits would not have been possible. In kind and financial support from both universities is gratefully acknowledged. The enthusiasm, cooperation and support of staff and students from GCU and UMB played an essential part in the international learning partnership.
8References
Altbach, PG and Knight, J (2007) The internationalisation of higher education: motivations and realities. Journal of Studies in international Education 11.3-4,pp 290-305
Anderson, H (2008) Bridging to the future: what works? Australian Journal of Adult Learning 47(3),pp 453-465
Anderson, N and Chi-Cheng L (2009) "Exploring technologies for building collaborative learning communities among diverse student populations." Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group Computer Science Education Bulletin 41 (3)
Cross, KP (1998) Why learning communities? Why now? About Campus 3(3), pp 4-11
Gartland, KMA and Wood, EJ (2006) Enhancing Graduate Attributes: Life Sciences. Quality Assurance Agency
Harper, S, Harper, SR, Quaye, J (Eds.) (2008) Student engagement in higher education: theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for diverse populations. Routledge
Hotchkiss, JL, Moore, RE, Pitts, MM (2006) Freshman learning communities College performance and retention. Educational Economics 14(2), pp 197-210
Kuh, GD, Kinzie, J, Schuh, JH, Whitt, EJ (2010) Student success in College: creating conditions that matter. Jossey-Bass
Oxford, R (2008) Hero with a thousand faces: learner autonomy, learning strategies and learning tactics in independent language learning. Language Learning Strategies in Independent Settings pp 41-66
Taylor, K., Moore, W. S, MacGregor, J., & Lindblad, J. (2003). Learning community research and assessment: What we know. National Learning Communities Project Monograph Series
Tinto, V (2000) What we have learned about the impact of learning communities on students? Assessment Update 12(2), pp 1-12
Tinto, V (2003). Learning better together: The impact of learning communities on student success in higher education. Higher Education Program Monograph Series1, 1-8. School of Education, Syracuse University
Universities UK (2012) Patterns and Trends in UK Higher Education 2012
Upcraft, ML, Gardener, JN, Barefoot, BO (2008) Challenging and supporting the first-year student. Community College Journal
Zhao, C.M., Kuh, G.D. (2004). Adding Value: Learning communities and student engagement. Research in Higher Education, 45(2), pp 115-13
1