Constructive content-based feedback in EAP contexts: lessons from a cross-border engineering-related pre-sessional course

TL;DR: The authors investigated a small-scale project concerned with establishing and sustaining an e-partnership between international students in the UK and engineering students in Palestine, focusing on the value of peer teaching and learning as an attempt to ensure a greater balance between knowledge and language.

Abstract: This paper investigates a small-scale project concerned with establishing and sustaining an e-partnership between international students in the UK and engineering students in Palestine It focuses on the value of peer teaching and learning as an attempt to ensure a greater balance between knowledge and language on a UK pre-sessional English language course, by involving more able peers from a Gazan student body At the same time, it was hoped that such an arrangement would enable the Gazan students to develop a range of transferable skills, of use in accessing employment at a distance The article initially outlines the wider context to the Project, discussing the issues related to instituting peer learning/teaching schemes in an HE setting At its centre though is the presentation and evaluation of a constructive feedback course, whose design and delivery aimed at facilitating the development of skills needed to perform as a peer mentor It demonstrates students’ attitudes towards feedback and th