Examinations and international Examinations and international students: prior experiences, students: prior experiences, expectations and realities expectations and realities

Dr Karen Smith Glasgow Caledonian University

Dr Nick Pilcher, Edinburgh Napier UniversityDr Jackie Riley, Glasgow Caledonian University

backgroundbackground•Funded by the Centre for Sociology,

Anthropology and Politics Subject Centre (part of the Higher Education Academy)•Specific call on Internationalisation, targeted at

the Scottish sector•Aim: –Investigate international students’ first encounters

with UK exams and explore how their previous experiences shape expectations and impact on how students prepare for, undertake and make sense of exams

importance of assessmentimportance of assessment

• Assessment important in higher education• Movements towards ‘innovative’ assessment

(Hounsell et al, 2007)

• BUT - examinations still play major role in students’ assessment diet

international students in the UKinternational students in the UK

• One of most visible signs of the internationalisation agenda is student mobility (van Damme, 2001)

• International student numbers have increased in the UK, with the number of non-EU students more than doubling in the last decade (Sutton Trust, 2010)

existing literatureexisting literature

• Much assessment related-research– E.g. preparation for exams; exam room practices;

different types of exam (e.g. Tal et al, 2008)

• Exams and international students– Mainly just around level of English (e.g. Smith, 2011)

• Much student-focused guidance– Little of which is aimed at international students

specifically - except Palgrave’s International Student Handbook (Reinders et al, 2008) and Study Skills for International Students (McMilan & Weyers, 2011)

approach to the studyapproach to the study

• Two post-1992 Scottish institutions • Before and after interviews with 21 students

(20 in second round)– Participatory – using spider diagrams

• Post-results email (n=19)• Questionnaire – 168 students filled it out– Designed following analysis of first interviews

How did the students think they did? How did the students think they did?

Only 42% received the results they expected in the UK

WHY?WHY?

exam questions and preparationexam questions and preparation

• The data showed that exam question types were similar around the world; familiarity with questions types led most students to prepare as they had done at home

• Some students:– Increased amount of study time– Revised in groups

• External factors (e.g. weather) impacted on some study regimes

Back in Nigeria when exams approach you make use of both the day and the night to study [...] It’s difficult here, you know, as when you wake up you wouldn’t want to leave that bed, so you lie down with your book and you spend 10/15 minutes and you realise you are just deceiving yourself and close the book. (laughs) As a matter of fact one of my colleagues got fed up one day and she packed her stuff and she’s going back to study in Nigeria in the warm weather

exam answersexam answers

• BUT – what was required in the exams differed– Purpose– Use of references– Use of examples– Introducing own opinion– Level of detail– Links between course content and exam

• Challenges of academic English and timing

lecturers make a close connection between exams and what is taught. It was not like that in Nigeria

what was surprising… was the referencing work that we had to do because in France we don’t have to refer to a source or stuff like that that much. If you don’t read it’s okay

If you have a different point of view from the one stated in the book and you write it [in the Ukraine] you might not have any marks

• Some students realised too late, often after the exam, that these differences existed– Explains why some were disappointed with their

results

• Issue of lack of time for acculturation combined with ‘high stakes’ assessment

exam room environmentexam room environment

• Stress increased due to unfamiliarity with exam room environment– Different expectations of regulations and protocol– Different understandings of cheating– Pressures of time– Challenge of academic English

exam room environmentexam room environment

conclusionsconclusions• Previous experiences clearly impacted on students’

expectations of how to prepare for and sit UK exams• Cannot expect lecturers to be aware of different

exams systems, so:– Give early feedback on exam-like tasks (Yorke, 2001)

– Encourage active participation in assessment matters (Ridley, 2009)

– Take time early in semester to discuss what is expected in an exam (Price et al, 2010)

http://www2.napier.ac.uk/depts/support/exams.html

link to final reportlink to final reportPilcher, N.; Smith, K. and Riley, J. (2010). An

'unturned stone'? Exams and international students – final report.

Centre for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics:

http://www.c-sap.bham.ac.uk/media/com_projectlog/docs/S1_SS_09.pdf

referencesreferences• Hounsell, D. et al (2007) Innovative assessment across the disciplines: an analytical review of

literature, York: HEA• McMilan, K. & Weyers, J. (2011) Study Skills for International Students, Harlow: Pearson• Price, M. et al (2010) If I was going there I wouldn’t start from here: a critical commentary on

current assessment practices, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, ifirst• Reinders, H. et al. (2008) The International Student Handbook, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan• Ridley, D. (2004) Puzzling experiences in higher education: critical moments for conversation,

Studies in Higher Education, 29(1), 91-107• Smith, C. (2011) Examinations and the ESL student – more evidence of particular disadvantages,

Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(1), 13-25• Sutton Trust (2010), Increasing university income from home and overseas students: what impact

for social mobility? Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics• Tal, I. R. et al (2008) Effect of paper colour and question order on exam performance, Teaching of

Psychology, 35(1), 26-28• Van Damme, D. (2001) Quality issues in the internationalisation of higher education. Higher• Education, 41, 415–441.• Yorke, M. (2001) Formative assessment and its relevance to retention, Higher Education Research

and Development, 20(2), 115-126