Dear International Students of UPEI:

I am conducting a study as part of my master’s degree in the Faculty of Education. This study focuses on how international students utilize rubrics to support learning in the context of higher education.

I am looking to connect with international students who come from countries outside North America and use English as a second language. In addition, they must have completed at least one semester of study and have experienced rubrics in at least one course. I will conduct one-on-one interviews via Zoom to collect data. A water bottle ($25 value) will be offered to each participant as an honorarium for participating in the interview.

I believe that your participation will bring valuable information about your different assessment experiences in your home country versus the new context, problems, or issues you have had in the Canadian academic context, and how you used rubrics in dealing with those problems. This information will be new to universities, faculties, and instructors. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the University of Prince Edward Island Research Ethics Board (Ref No:6009055).

Participation in this study is voluntary and there are no known or anticipated risks to your participation in this study. If you are interested in participating into this study, please contact me (yding4610@upei.ca) or my supervisor, Dr. Tess Miller (902-620-5072; tsmiller@upei.ca). Do not hesitate to reach out to us, if you have any questions regarding this study or would like additional information to assist you in reaching a decision about participation. I very much look forward to your participation and thank you in advance for your assistance with this study.