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This study explored the information literacy (IL) development of international higher degree research (HDR) students from China as they undertook their research studies in an Australian university. International HDR students need advanced IL skills to complete their research degree. However, IL research and training in western countries has tended to regard international HDR students no differently from their undergraduate counterparts. That is, there has been a focus on basic information skills rather than considering the more complicated and advanced IL needs within a research context. The project presented in this paper aimed to explore this gap. Three international PhD students from China participated in this research. A biographical approach was used to collect the data, and a total of 222 reflective accounts were collected from the participants over a period of fifteen months. In these reflections, they recorded significant life and study experiences at the University of Western Sydney. This approach allowed the participants freedom to express their thoughts and feelings without interruption and enabled them to speak frankly and freely without prejudice. The approach to data analysis underpinning this study was based on Bruce's (1997) relational model of IL. The findings indicate that these international HDR students experience significant difficulties in developing their IL skills during their research studies in their western university. The complex nature of research study, which demands high levels of IL, significantly contributes to these difficulties, as do the different language and culture of international students which pose additional challenges to their information use. This article concludes with recommendations for research supervisors and librarians to consider in the provision of IL education for international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian universities are increasingly engaged in transnational education, which is the off-shore provision of higher education. Providing courses entirely off-shore is a challenge to both students and instructors. This paper reflects on seven years of experience providing a MEd TESOL (Master of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) in China. Reflecting on practice is becoming recognised as a valid approach to research as it is can accommodate the unpredictability of classroom teaching. In this programme, issues were identified, solutions implemented and then evaluated in a cyclical manner. Three main challenges were identified relating to teaching and learning on this programme: intercultural awareness, assignment writing and maintaining student engagement. After trialling possible solutions to these challenges, a unit for credit was provided focussing on academic writing and academic expectations. This unit is informed by theorising in academic literacies and the socio-cultural perspective on academic writing. The unit was supported by a web interface and students kept reflective dialogic journals for 10 weeks after the face-to face delivery of the unit. Through the unit of study and the web support problems with academic assignments such as plagiarism and the need for resubmission were. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional universities are common around the world, and important to the higher education system. This paper mainly analyzes the features of performance framework for regional universities in Australia, and discusses how the framework inspires the performance evaluation of regional universities in China. Firstly, the main features of Australian regional universities were summarized as the diversity of students, the strong local features, and the important social influence. Then, the key components of the performance framework, namely, core, optional, and institution-specific measures, were introduced in great details. Drawing on the framework and the local conditions, several suggestions were put forward to promote the performance evaluation of regional universities in China: develop high-level universities, serve local development, and diversify evaluation standards. The research results help to promote higher education in China and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid expansion of the transnational education market, more and more universities join the ranks of transnational education providers or expand their transnational education offerings. Many of those providers regard fully-online provision of their programs as an economic alternative to face-to-face teaching. Do transnational students accept this model as a viable and effective educational alternative? A recent research study investigated students' attitudes towards fully-online provision of computing education programs in one of the most important Australian transnational education markets: Hong Kong. Of interest were students' perceptions about the suitability of fully-online mode of teaching and learning with respect to computing studies, and their views on the importance of face-to-face interaction in their programs. Students from three transnational computing programs, offered in Hong Kong by Australian universities in co-operation with Hong Kong partners, participated in the study; the programs are delivered in face-to-face sessions and rely on the Internet for support and communication (unit Web sites, bulletin boards, email, etc.). The rationale behind the choice of locale and participants for the study was threefold: first, Hong Kong is one of the largest Australian transnational education markets (hence, the results of the study would be of importance); second, it is a well-developed territory where English is commonly spoken (hence, participants would not be biased towards online education because of lack of suitable technological infrastructure or inadequate linguistic skills); and thirdly, computing students were technology savvy and, therefore, would not be biased in their views of online education because of technophobia. Approximately three hundred students participated in the study, which was based on analysis of data collected though a survey and group interviews with students. Results from the survey revealed that students did not regard fully-online provision of transnational programs as a preferred alternative to the current model -- that is one that is based on face-to- face communication and uses the Internet for support. Their opposition was pronounced and ranged from total rejection of fully-online provision in one of the programs (100% of students against the idea), to marginal support of fully-online provision from students in the other two programs (9% and 13% respectively). Students repeatedly stated the importance of face-to-face communication as the most important reason for preferring the current program model. The subsequent group interviews with students sought to explore further the reasons behind the students' views. Students again responded in favor of the current model of the programs reiterating the importance of face-to-face interaction. They regarded face-to-face communication as more conducive to the learning process, affording better opportunity to sharing knowledge and asking for help, "easier" and more interactive, and more compatible with the needs of Hong Kong students. However, the respondents acknowledged the usefulness of the Internet as a means for providing course material, facilitating submission of assignments, and enabling communication with lecturers outside classes. The findings of the study endorse the current trends of Australian transnational education in South East Asia and support the prediction that Web-supported face-to-face delivery is likely to continue as a principal model of transnational tertiary education programs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]