ISANA

Carol Dalglish, Christian Haker, Lynda Lawson, Peter Nelson and Martin Reese

Abstract: Australian universities are welcoming an increasingly diverse range of international students and they are doing this in the context of increasing international competition for these students. It is vital that our institutions are clear about the nature of the learning experience that they are offering students. Not just the content, but the learning processes, and challenges of daily life. University marketing activities cannot be divorced from the educational experience. Students share their experiences with potential students, and word of mouth marketing is extremely powerful.

To address some of these issues QUT International Students Services in partnership with Faculties created a data DVD which prepares prospective students for study at QUT by setting realistic expectations and giving students a taste of what living and studying in Brisbane is like. It contains nineteen short videos and draws extensively on student voices to articulate the challenges and the achievements of studying in Australia.

This paper will outline the process by which the DVD was created using a very small budget, a German film and television intern, drawing on considerable pools of expertise from both staff and students and by building on goodwill and cooperation across different sectors of the university.

Key Words: International students, transition, preparation, DVD

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