1. Assessment Matters Newsletter | June 2016
Assessment Matters: The Assessment Newsletter. June 2016, 8(1), 2-4.
Published by the University Assessment Council and Office of Institutional Research &
Assessment
Effectively Supporting International and Multilingual Students
Jacquelyn Olson, EdD, Assessment Coordinator, College of Management & Technology
Thomas Kohntopp, PhD, Core & Lead Faculty, School of Management, College of Management and Technology
Amy Lindquist, Writing Instructor and Coordinator of International and Multilingual Student Writing Support
There are more than 47,800 students attending Walden University, and over 7,100 of them are classified as
international students (Brethauer & Tyler, 2016). The top four countries that represent Walden’s
international population are Nigeria (962 students), United States (international students living in U.S. and
military; 847 students), Canada (788 students), and Ghana (476 students) (Brethauer & Tyler, 2016). The
College of Management and Technology (CMT) has 2,375 international students, the most of any of the
colleges within Walden University (Brethauer & Tyler, 2016). The top five countries represented in CMT’s
international population are Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, United States, and Uganda (Brethauer & Tyler, 2016).
Walden University is focused on increasing international student enrollment, and grew its enrollment by
over 50% last year (Brethauer & Tyler, 2016). With the focus on international students, and in particular
with the high population evident in CMT, there is a commitment to identifying and addressing specific
needs unique to the international population. While there are several complexities international students
may face from tuition and fees, Internet and power, as well as book shipment and customs fees, one aspect
the B.S. in Business Administration program is focused on is writing support for our international or
multilingual students.
Although the term multilingual student is used to refer to a specific group of students – those who learned
English as a second or additional language – this group is incredibly diverse. Some may be international
students who learned English by attending English as a foreign language (EFL) classes and watching
television in English. Others may have been born in the United States but lived in communities where a
language other than English was most often spoken. Some may have learned English from the time they
were young and others may have learned English as adults. Some may have been eager and excited to learn
English while others may have felt that English was forced on them. These students may have differing
expectations in regard to grading practices, the roles of instructors and students in the classroom, and the
role of writing in the educational experience.
Because of this diversity, these students may have distinct challenges and needs, and it may take time,
effort, and experience for instructors to understand how to effectively support them in their learning and
writing. There are regular challenges that many multilingual students face, even with the varied
educational and writing experiences that they bring to the classroom. A few of them are obvious, such as
grammar and syntax errors in writing, but others can be more subtle and indirect, such as
miscommunication based on cultural expectations and norms regarding student-teacher communication.
To help both multilingual students and faculty who work with them meet some of these challenges related
to academic writing and feedback, the Walden Writing Center provides resources aimed at both groups. For
students, the For Multilingual Students section of the Writing Center website provides information and
links to resources about U.S. academic writing, writing at Walden, and English language. For Faculty, there

2. Assessment Matters Newsletter | June 2016
are various resources included on the Working with Multilingual Writers page of the Faculty Toolbox (you
need to login with your credentials) including webinars, best practices, and tips for creating assignment
prompts that support multilingual writers. On that same page is a link to a new service, currently being
piloted: Multilingual Writing Feedback Consultations is available where faculty can make a 20-minute
appointment with Amy Lindquist, a writing instructor who specializes in working with multilingual
students, to get some tips and ask questions about supporting multilingual students’ academic writing
skills.
In fall 2015, the School of Management in the CMT embarked on an endeavor that was initiated by
OneCampus by Laureate. From this collaboration, the BSBA Program in CMT was invited to conduct a
course, Introduction to Management & Leadership (IML), for the University of Petroleum & Energy Studies
(UPES) in India. The UPES offers a traditional residential college program with semester-long courses,
lasting approximately three months. This format required the OneCampus by Laureate team to redesign
IML, a 6-week course, to fit the UPES semester schedule and to better suit the learning needs of these young
learners.
The inaugural class was comprised of 33 students enrolled in the UPES residential BBA program who were
primarily majoring in marketing. Students were young (recent high school graduates), attending their first
semester at college, away from home, and new to online education. In addition to the Walden course,
students had a full complement of courses from their BBA program of study.
The IML course was instructed by a full-time Walden Core Faculty member with experience in the subject
matter and BlackBoard, along with experience teaching international students. In addition, the Walden
Writing Center offered expert advice and guidance in various aspects of writing. Special discussion sections
were created by a writing instructor to provide, information about academic writing and opportunities for
students to ask questions, though students did not use this service to a large extent. For its part, the UPES
designated a few of their faculty to serve as advisors. The UPES advisors were responsible for helping
students manage their major courses and integrate IML into their college experience, answer student
questions pertaining to their involvement in online study, and coach students on writing standards and
proficiency. This last point was extremely important since English was a second language for students, as
previously reported by Olson and Kohntopp (2015, p. 1).
In the end, final grades were average, in general. However, student feedback was quite favorable and the
UPES advisors seemed encouraged by the experience. From the Walden and OneCampus by Laureate
perspectives, many things were learned from the pilot and IML received several modifications and
improvements. Based on the pilot, the course was reworked to make it more accessible for students.
The pilot IML provided insight to the UPES students as learners and how the course could be improved for
the future. A primary challenge identified pertained to written communication skills. Another observation
was that students, in general, appeared to have difficulty managing their time, as discussion posts and
assignments were submitted after deadlines on several occasions. Based on performance in the pilot, two
major changes were made in a revised IML course. First, reading assignments were distributed more
evenly throughout the schedule to help students with demands on study time. Second, work on the “major
paper” was also distributed over the entire length of IML, as graded assignments. With this change,
students will have an incentive (earn credit) and will receive feedback on their writing at periodic intervals
as they work on their paper. Based on the outcome of the pilot, there are now over 300 students from UPES
participating in the IML course which started on January 25, 2016.
Across Walden University, and within CMT, there is a focus on addressing the needs of our international
and multilingual students in order to help them be successful in their coursework and in pursuit of their
academic degrees. While there may be several obstacles that international and multilingual students need

3. Assessment Matters Newsletter | June 2016
to overcome, faculty most notice writing issues, and are excited for the resources and support offered by
the Walden Writing Center.
References
Brethauer, T., & Tyler, M. (2016, January 29). Engaging students around the world: Thinking globally, acting
locally. Presentation by International Student Academic Advisors at the Walden National Faculty Meeting,
Kissimmee, FL.
Olson, J., & Kohntopp, T. (2015, November). Effective use of rubrics for international students. Assessment
Matters: The Assessment Newsletter 5(4), p. 1. University Assessment Council and Office of Institutional
Research & Assessment: Walden University.