Supporting International Students

• Try to build genuine relationships with PGRs and GTAs.
• Tailor supervisory and training approaches to cultural and individual needs.
• Clarify expectations and academic processes early, including milestones, feedback norms, and teaching responsibilities.
• Offer practical, step-by-step guidance on navigating UK academic and administrative systems.
• Create spaces for international PGRs and GTAs to connect, share experiences, and seek peer support.
• Encourage participation in academic and social communities to prevent isolation.
• Include cultural and systemic insights in induction sessions for GTAs and supervisors.
• Provide ongoing opportunities for professional development, with recognition of achievements to validate contributions.

Example learning outcomes

• Explore how [subject] knowledge might be constructed and applied in a variety of cultural contexts.

• Critically review [subject] practice through reference to practice in [two] other countries.

• Deconstruct and judge the merits and limitations of conventional approaches to solving [discipline] problems.

• Formulate, create or generate new [knowledge and strategies based upon [diverse values and perspectives].

• Analyse international trends in innovation/challenges in [topic].

Teaching delivery and content

• Include teaching materials (slides, handouts, videos, etc.) with examples, models, and text from various cultural and global contexts.

• Assign tasks that involve using or locating materials (readings, data, photographs, etc.) from both local and international sources for discussion and analysis.

• Incorporate global perspectives through international case studies, comparative studies, and diverse articles or texts. Reward students for using external readings in their work.

• Provide training and support to help students build skills and confidence in cross-cultural collaboration and working in diverse groups.

• Use content from varied sources, such as global organisations, media, and research centres, to enrich the learning experience.

• Explore case studies from different cultures and countries, and invite international guest speakers for comparative insights.

• Integrate a variety of activities into the course and provide constructive feedback to enhance learning.

• Address ethical globalisation issues, including social justice, equity, human rights, and related social, economic, and environmental concerns.

• Encourage the use of cross-cultural databases, journals, websites, and social media for research and learning.

• Include both local and international texts in reading lists to offer a broad perspective.

Assessment

• Include intercultural topics and values relevant to the discipline or professional practice.

• Provide clear and accessible assessment guidelines by simplifying technical language and symbols.

• When possible, offer a variety of assessment options, including diverse projects and student choice.

• Evaluate how well assessment tasks help students demonstrate global, international, and intercultural learning.

   

One effective teaching strategy is breaking lecture content into smaller chunks, typically 10 to 15 minutes, followed by student-centered activities. This approach helps students focus and digest material more easily, especially in long lecture sessions or large group settings.

Why it works?

• Supports international students and those learning in a second or third language by making content more accessible.
• Encourages deeper engagement when paired with methods like flipped learning, where students explore materials (readings, videos, etc.) beforehand and build on them in class.

Active learning focuses on giving students more responsibility for their learning through structured activities, such as small group discussions and collaborative tasks. Instead of adopting specific methods like team- or problem-based learning, many teachers incorporate generic tasks that structure and organise interactive sessions.

Why it works?

• Engages students and keeps their attention during class.
• Encourages sharing of diverse experiences and perspectives among peers.
• Provides opportunities for students to practice, rehearse, and build confidence before contributing to wider discussions.
• Shifts the focus from the teacher as the sole source of knowledge to a more collaborative learning environment.
• Supports students with varied educational backgrounds, including international students, by offering clear structures and explicit expectations, reducing anxiety and uncertainty.

Many educators emphasise the importance of explicitly teaching the skills students need to succeed, particularly for those with diverse educational backgrounds, such as international students. These skills often include critical reading, writing, evaluation, thinking, and research.

Teaching these skills will depend on your discipline; however, some common strategies include providing examples with annotations; detailed rubrics; scaffolding tasks, e.g. assigning small research activities or feedback on essay plans before final submission; signposting to ASK resources. 

Why it works?

• Helps students navigate hidden expectations and understand academic success criteria.
• Supports inclusivity by critically evaluating and adapting UK-centric teaching practices to include diverse learning traditions.
• Builds confidence and ensures all students, regardless of their background, can fully engage with the curriculum.
• Embedding skills alongside content learning makes the "rules of the game" clear and accessible for everyone.

Engagement is no longer limited to verbal discussions; it can take many forms, including written contributions, silent reflection, technology-mediated activities, or creative presentations. Use technology to enhance participation, especially in large and diverse classrooms. Our Digital Technologies guides provide plenty of information on using various tools for your pedagogical goals. 

As educators, we can diversify methods of contributing or engaging - e.g., using collaborative documents during lectures, or polling software to take anonymous feedback.

Remember to teach students how to access technology - model or demonstrate how to access the tech, signpost help guides or FAQs and embed them into your Canvas for reference. You can also allow to use mobile phones for translations, so that students without subject-specific vocabulary can understand what’s happening in real-time.

Why it works?

• Encourages participation from students who may feel hesitant to speak in large groups or in a second language.
• Offers multiple ways for students to engage.
• Allows teachers to quickly gauge understanding and identify areas needing clarification.
• Helps international students share ideas and contribute to the collaborative classroom while developing confidence and skills. 

The diversity in classrooms is a powerful opportunity for peer learning. While internationalisation often assumes intercultural classrooms, diversity can also include professional or experiential knowledge relevant to the subject. Use case studies from diverse cultural or professional contexts and organise discussions, encouraging students to share their unique perspectives. 

Why it works?

• Encourages students to share their unique experiences, enriching discussions with varied perspectives.
• Creates space for interactive activities that value contributions from different cultural, professional, or personal contexts.

Strong relationships are key to successful teaching, particularly for international students. Empathy and emotional engagement of educators  - is key to establishing a safe space.

Strategies included being honest and vulnerable about one’s confidence and expertise, e.g. regarding teaching innovations and technology. Depending on what you are comfortable with, you can participate in ice-breakers and share your own experiences (why you chose this subject area, what was your PhD thesis or the name of your pet) which makes you seem "real".

Where possible, trying to remember students' names (with correct pronunciation), helps build the relationship. 

Establishing anonymous online spaces for feedback and questions is another way of offering a ‘safe’ way for students to engage without experiencing embarrassment. 

Including students in decisions about curriculum, assessment, and learning design can be also a valuable tool for including diverse voices. 

Why it works?

• Helps address the unique challenges international students face, such as language barriers, cultural adjustment, and emotional or financial pressures.
• Creates a safe space for learning by valuing students as individuals.