The British Council is seeking a supplier to devise, deliver and facilitate a new Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) entitled Study UK: Prepare to Study in the UK - a guide for international students.

Aimed at supporting international students to live in the UK, this three-week course will help them adapt to studying in the UK and set their expectations, making the transition to the new academic environment as smooth as possible.

The course will cover how teaching and learning are organised in the UK, what language knowledge and academic skills are required to succeed, and how to access resources available to support the learning process.

As part of the British Council’s commitment to supporting international students, we are producing this course to improve our offer for both prospective and current students.

Key details

This course will be delivered online and will be facilitated by the supplier.

The course will run for three weeks – once in June 2024 and once again in November 2024 – and learners will be expected to spend around three to four hours per week on course content.

Videos should be central to the content, and a tutor/tutors will appear repeatedly throughout the course.

What topics should be covered?

Proposals should suggest specific module titles and associated descriptions for each.

Some areas that could be covered in the course content (in no particular order) are:

• benefits of studying in the UK/getting a UK education
• an overview of Higher Education in the UK
• guidance on how to manage independent study
• what is critical thinking
• what is a lecture, its purpose and what strategies of learning when in lectures
• seminars and group work
• academic presentations
• academic reading and writing, including plagiarism rules and checks, university libraries and what academic resources and support are available, including personal tutors and office hours
• time management and productivity tips
• who to ask for help and (non-academic) student support services for wellbeing, mental health and accessibility needs/additional support/reasonable adjustments
• assessment types and marking criteria/grading systems.

Expected outcomes

By the end of the course, learners should be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of UK academic culture and the engagement expected of you
• better understand how way teaching and learning is organised in UK higher education and its key terminology
• reflect on the language knowledge and academic skills you need to be successful within a UK university setting
• assess the resources that are available to you to support your learning and wellbeing
• reflect on the positive contribution you will make to UK academic life through the diversity of perspectives you bring
• develop the confidence you need to feel prepared for study in the UK.

About the Study UK campaign

The Study UK campaign launched in November 2016 and is delivered by the British Council in partnership with UK government’s GREAT Britain campaign, which encourages people to visit, invest, and study in the UK

Study UK shares the best of British education with an international audience to attract the brightest and best students to come and study here. It is the only national-level campaign that promotes the UK as a first-choice study destination all over the world.
As part of our digital advertising campaign, we raise awareness of the UK’s strengths in relation to our three key pillars – great student experience; employability and career opportunities; and academic excellence and quality of teaching. We want our content to deliver these key messages to our prospective international students and influencers to encourage them to choose to study in the UK.