Responding to student diversity in New Zealand university settings Making connection between academic learning advising and international students
Pang, David
Student Learning Centre Faculty of Education, Epsom Campus University of Auckland
New Zealand david.pang@auckland.ac.nz
Abstract
Many universities in western countries attest with eloquence that international students are now an important learning community in their campuses. In the case of New Zealand, international education is synonymous with educating Asian students because of the numerical domination of fee-paying students from Asia. Often referred
to as non-traditional, these students bring with them different academic learning styles. Addressing their learning needs has often been a challenge for the lecturers as well as for the students. This paper suggests that an academic-centred approach which links learning advising to the university’s mission on teaching and learning has the potential of enhancing the students’ readiness to be integrated into the host intellectual community. Accordingly, academic learning advisers can play a critical role in creating significant learning experiences for the international students. However, the road to achieving this goal is not a straight-forward one.