Canaries in the Coalmine and Universal Design for Learning

Assuring the Quality of the Teaching and Learning Experience of International Students

Student populations in English-speaking higher education institutions are now more culturally diverse than ever, driven in part by the growth in international students on campuses but also by patterns of mass migration. This coupled with the trend in Europe and globally towards mass participation in higher education, has increased attention on the quality of the teaching that students receive. The diversity in the classroom naturally affects how teachers work and consequently how students learn. What is required is that institutions encourage and support staff to engage in voluntary, ongoing professional development to become more inclusive and culturally responsive teachers. A successful model of teacher professional development from the author’s institute is presented.