Date: May 22nd

Time: 12:00 Noon

Venue: Ted Nevill Laboratory

School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences,

Enterprise Building,

North Campus,

University College Cork.

Presenter(s): Dr. Pat Meere

Event Details:

The transition for those Irish students who mobilise to American universities, typically with a liberal arts tradition, can be a difficult and very challenging experience. In particular, there is the requirement on American campuses for students to submit work for summative assessment on a very regular basis compared to the Irish system that may require significant blocks of work at irregular intervals interspersed with lulls in activity that can effectively equate to large periods of downtime. The emphasis in the American system on teamwork and the importance of being a team player can also challenge students from the Irish system where traditionally the emphasis is very much on individual endeavour.

The International Field Geosciences Joint BSc between University College Cork and the University of Montana utilises existing modules at the two partner institutions complemented by an emphasis on the development of field-based learning in an intercultural setting. Since its launch in 2007, five cohorts of Irish undergraduates have mobilised to the United States as part of the BSc IFG programme. The collective experience of these students, as evidenced from various forms of feedback including interviews and questionnaires, offers a valuable opportunity to not only compare both teaching and learning philosophies and methodologies, but to document how students have adapted and managed the transition.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this seminar participants will be able to

1.Identify the differences between the US and Irish undergraduate teaching methods

2.Compare and contrast the merits of assessment methods and grading in both jurisdictions

3.Assess the relative importance of student team work in both jurisdictions

4.Document the differences in student/teacher interactions in both jurisdictions

Contact: Dr. Pat Meere