ISANA

Cheryl Cook, Julie Murray and Dr Stuart Levy

Abstract: The challenges of engaging with a university environment are encountered on at least three levels – academic, personal and cultural. Not all of these challenges are stated, visible, easily recognised or even acknowledged. As a consequence, difficulties often arise for individuals to successfully navigate their way through the uncharted waters of academia. Studies and professional experience, have shown that students repeatedly encounter common traps, difficulties and problems when making the transition into the tertiary learning environment. Whilst these are commonplace observations, orientation strategies for dealing with them could be more effective and innovative. Traditionally, institutions take a conservative approach to student induction, and these methods are notoriously poor mechanisms for the effective transfer of information. Rather than talking ‘at’ the assembled students in a passive learning environment the eM-Power Game seeks to raise students’ awareness of important information through an activity based learning format.

Key words: game playing, transition, international student transition, problem solving, teaching and
learning, international student support

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