Learning Skills Unit, RMIT Vietnam

The perceptions of academic language and learning support among staff and students at a transnational university

‘So, what is it that you do?’

RMIT Vietnam: more than 6000 students

About RMIT Vietnam

• Internationally recognised degrees

• All teaching and learning is in English

• A growing number of international students from other countries.

About Learning Skills Unit (LSU)

A centrally located academic literacy support unit: academic skills

Students and lecturers become aware of the LSU through a variety of channels.

The purpose of this research is to investigate what students and staff perceive is offered by the LSU and also what additional services would most benefit students in their studies.

The constructs being investigated

• Reality – what services/courses LSU offer

• Perceptions – Students and Academic Staff

• Expectations – Students and Academic Staff

• The gap between reality and perception

To improve and promote LSU services

Triangulations in this study

Data Collection

• Methods: Surveys + Focus Groups• Locations: Hanoi + Saigon South• Participants: Students + Lecturers

Data Interpretation

• Researchers: LSU staff interpreted the data independently

Survey + Focus Group

• Survey• 8 questions looking at:

• Perceptions of available services• Perceptions of quality

• Focus group• Needs• Perceptions• Other expectations?

Data Descriptions

Survey

• 622 Students: Hanoi & Saigon (135 comments)

• 137 Lecturers: Hanoi & Saigon (36 comments)

Focus groups

• 9 lecturers from 5 departments/programs at Saigon

campus

• 6 students from both campuses

Current LSU services

Working under the Student Services department

1. Open-to-all workshops2. Commissioned workshops3. Private consultations – 2 types4. SLAMS: Student Learning Advisor Mentors5. Intranet – resources/advice/links

• No 'grammar check' service or vocabulary instruction

Students’ perceptions (Survey)

• 83.7% Academic and study skills support for all students

• 75.7% Workshops and individual consultations open to all students on academic and study skills topics

• 71.5% Workshops for specific courses on the skills required for activities and assessments in those specific courses

• 58.6% Feedback on the use of language and specific suggestions for improving language use

• 48.9% A student mentoring program where high-achieving students in specific courses give other students guidance and advice on the course

Students - Purpose of using LSU services(Focus group)

• Improve academic skills required by the courses • Improve assessment/examination results

• Improve language

• Improve course experiences

Students are looking for

1. High marks

2. Learning experiences similar to high school

Three implications for students

• Teaching materials

• Closer cooperation with the lecturers

• Promoting LSU through different channels

Teaching materials

Explicit links between the

1. Workshop names

2. Workshop content

3. Assessment tasks

4. Academics skills

Closer cooperation with the lecturers

1. Clear marking criteria for assessment tasks

2. Students’ potential difficulties in meeting the

requirements

3. More appropriate teaching activities/ materials

Promoting LSU services through

1. Social networks: Facebook, Twitter

2. Friends recommendations

3. Credit courses/ commissioned workshops/ embedded workshops

4. Delivering workshops to students in the English program

5. Clear on-line introductions/description of the content/format of the workshops, SLAMS

and consultations

Lecturers’ perceptions (Survey)• 93.1% Workshops and individual consultations open to all

students on academic and study skills topics

• 92.1% Academic and study skills support for ALL students

• 85.1% Workshops for specific courses on the skills required for activities and assessments in those specific courses

• 78.2% A student mentoring program where high-achieving students in specific courses give other students guidance and advice on the course

• 69.3% Collaborative support for academic staff in specific courses to improve the alignment and design of assessments with the intended learning outcomes of the course

• 59.4% Feedback on the use of language and specific suggestions for improving language use

Lecturers are looking for the LSU to(Focus group)

1. Focus on gap between assessment requirements and students’ skills

2. Understand and anticipate student expectations; solve problems in advance

Implications

• Online sources• Linking the information to assessments• Lecturers promoting it in classes• Giving attendance marks

• Link the workshops with assessment tasks more specifically

• SLAMs• More training• More courses involved• SLAMs report students’ common problems to lecturers

Differences among LSU, Lecturers and Students

? To improve English (grammar check and vocabulary instruction)

? Alignment between assessments and curriculum

? More work on facilitating communication between students and lecturers

Q & A