Cardiff v Malaysia: a comparison of students’ academic experience in a first year MPharm module

1. Cardiff v Malaysia:a comparison of students’ academic experience in a first year MPharm module Dr Steve Hiscox PHRMY PCUTL Module 2 September 2011

2. Welsh School of Pharmacy Taylors University College

3. Welsh School of Pharmacy Taylors University College 4-year MPharm degree

4. Welsh School of Pharmacy Taylors University College Requires MPharm course 4-year MPharm degree Collaborative MPharm provision at TUC

5. Welsh School of Pharmacy Taylors University College PCUTL Module2 project Comparison of student academic experience within a first year MPharm module

6. Relevance of student ‘experience’ • Teaching, curriculum and assessment are central to student experience (and effective learning outcomes) • Student learning experience linked to academic progress (Harvey and Drew (2006); Yorke and Longdon (2008)) • Good academic experience in first year related to: • better academic performance • higher completion rates • external perception of University (e.g. through NSS) • Student engagement with MPharm course central to successful collaborative venture Harvey L and Drew S (2006).The first year experience: briefing on induction. HE Academy. York. UK Yorke M and Longdon B (2008). The first year experience of higher education in the UK. HE Academy. York. UK

7. Welsh School of Pharmacy Taylors University College Anticipated outcomes • Identify issues which positively / negatively affect student experience • Module specific and generic • Cultural • Reflection on my own teaching practice • Identifying strengths and weaknesses • “how can I improve the student learning experience”?

8. Study methodology • Students • module questionnaire • group discussions • informal interviews • tutees and general student body

9. Module questionnaire • Likert-type scale • Addressed a number of key areas of student’s academic experience: • teaching • assessment and feedback • ‘learning environment’ • Captured ‘overall’ experience of students of this module • Demographic information included: • international status (Cardiff) • first language • prior work experience • prior biology study • Opportunity for students to provide written comments

10. Breakdown of student cohorts * Factors previously identified to affect first year student learning experience

11. Experience of lectures Issues relating to students in Malaysia: ‘first language’ Perception of module difficulty ‘I found this module was harder than most others’ ‘I generally understood information in the lectures’ I found this module challenging ‘Lecturers explanations were clear’

12. Experience of small group teaching Issues relating to students in Cardiff:‘International student status’ Perception of module difficulty ‘I enjoyed the workshops’/ ‘..were interesting’/’..clear explanations’ ‘I found this module was harder than most others’ I found this module challenging ‘The workshops helped me understand the module’

13. Student responses: overall ‘experience’ of module ‘Overall, I enjoyed this module’ ‘I found this module interesting’ ‘overall, I was satisfied with this module’

14. Student responses: overall ‘experience’ of module • Data suggests that a minority of students report poorer module experience • ~30% respond ‘neutral’ or lower on questionnaire • Analysis of these students revealed poor experience of:

15. Informal interviews and student discussions • Positive aspects • workshop and small-group teaching • enthusiasm and expertise of visiting staff • ability to contact module staff (at Cardiff) by email • Negative aspects • podcasts • pace of lectures • assessment information • amount of information accompanying lectures

16. Summary • Overall, students were generally positive about their academic experience in the new MPharm module • Subgroups of students found this module challenging • International students (Cardiff) • those whose first language is not English (Malaysia) • Small group teaching/workshops rated higher by these student groups vs. lectures • Other key factors which may negatively affect student experience include • Methods of delivery (podcasts) to Malaysian students • Information regarding, and timetabling of, assessments

17. Learning lessons from teaching in culturally diverse contexts • Reflections on teaching experience at Taylors • Awareness that ones’ assumptions can influence teaching practices • teaching at Cardiff ≠ teaching at Malaysia • Influence of student background, culture, education • appreciation of diverse student learning styles in an international environment • Benefits of workshops vs. lectures; A/V aids

18. Learning lessons from teaching in culturally diverse contexts • What does this mean for me: • Assessment of student learning styles • modify lecture format to be more inclusive • develop workshop/tutorials • ‘internationalisation’ of elements of module

19. Learning lessons from teaching in culturally diverse contexts • What does it mean for PHRMY/Cardiff • Communication of individual experiences • Reflective log? • Provision of relevant information prior to visit • Strengthen contacts during first two years • deputy personal tutors for Taylors students • close links with teaching staff at Taylors • re-think introductory lecture strategy • avoid podcasts?

20. Acknowledgments • Dr Mark Gumbleton, PHRMY • Clare Kell, PCUTL Programme Leader, HUMRS • Dr Syed Abbas Atif, TUC • Dr Kan Mun Seng, TUC