A dynamic eTextbook feature from Pearson becomes a game-changer for non-native English-speaking students at Eastern Florida State College.
The challenge
Eastern Florida State College (EFSC), with its enrollment of more than 18,000, supports an increasingly diverse student body, including many learners who are native to countries where English is not the primary language.
These students face a dual challenge: becoming proficient in English while navigating the rigors of demanding coursework. The language barrier can be especially acute in science-focused disciplines, such as biology, because layers of opaque terminology can get in the way of comprehension and engagement.
Discouraged, overwhelmed, and often feeling too embarrassed to seek help, these students risk underachieving, and, in some cases, dropping courses enroute to abandoning their academic and professional dreams.
The solution
Integrated within its eTexbooks, the Pearson translation tool provides rapid access to accurate, trustworthy translations in more than 130 languages.
At EFSC, this tool reversed the academic trajectories of two struggling non-native English-speaking students who were using Campbell Biology while pursuing careers in healthcare delivery. It also provided an aha moment for their instructor, who had been unaware that a solution to his students’ challenges had been hiding in plain sight.
The story
Dr. Andrew Dutra, associate professor of biology and discipline manager for general biology, biomedical/biotechnology at EFSC used to struggle to support students still honing their English skills.
He knows the challenges collegiate-level biology courses present for his students, and how a lack of English proficiency can render the courses impossible to navigate.
“Biology is its own language,” says Dutra, a New England native who melded his childhood fascination with the living world with his knack for teaching to forge a rewarding career as a higher education instructor. “There’s a lot of technical terminology, especially when it comes to the classification of organisms or biochemical processes.”
On the occasions when Dutra encountered non-native English-speaking students who struggled with English, an effective solution was difficult to find. Widely available tools, such as Google Translate™, delivered hit-or-miss results.
A turning point finally arrived when Dutra sought to support a particular struggling student. A mother of two young children, the student had returned to school to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. Dutra observed her to be bright, articulate, and diligent. However, her assessments and test scores didn’t reflect the effort she poured into her work. The language barrier proved to be the culprit. A native Arabic speaker, she struggled with the English text, especially the peculiar biology vocabulary.
Dutra first turned to Google to translate his General Biology lab manual into Arabic, but the student reported the translation was more confusing than the regular English text.
Determined to find a solution, Dutra reached out to his Pearson representative, who suggested he try the translation tool available in the eTextbook.
Dutra had been unaware of the feature and quickly introduced it to his student. Together, they selected the English text from the eTextbook and applied the Arabic translation.
“It changed everything,” says Dutra. “Within seconds, the entire page or chapter she was reviewing translated into her language. You could see the relief wash over her. Her shoulders relaxed, and she said, ‘I understand this now.’”
Unlike the unreliable online resources Dutra had tried, Pearson’s translation was accurate and dependable. He asked the student to use the tool to review previously covered material. She soon returned with higher-level questions that reflected how the content had finally clicked with her. She was more engaged and confident moving forward.
“This was a student I feared might not make it through the course,” says Dutra. “She did a complete turnaround and became one of the top performers. This tool was like a godsend for her. She thought she’d have to abandon her nursing dreams, but now she’s well on her way.”
The student continued to find success with the tool, employing it in Anatomy & Physiology I & II, which Dutra teaches. She even proactively mentions the tool to other students.
The wins didn’t stop there. Another one of Dutra’s students, a native Thai speaker who wanted to attend medical school, faced a similar a struggle. Dutra noticed something was amiss when the student needed five or six hours to complete a straightforward multiple-choice quiz. Again, language issues proved to be the culprit.
Dutra reports that the student had resorted to holding her iPhone over the eText on her iPad to snap pictures and translate it into Thai via Google Translate™. The results were disappointing.
This time, Dutra knew exactly what do to.
“When I introduced her to the Pearson translation tool, she almost started weeping,” he recalls. “She told me, ‘I was about to visit my advisor and switch my major to humanities or something else, but now I think I can do it.’”
And do it she has — rapidly becoming one of Dutra’s top performers, just as his Arabic student had.
Dutra now mentions the translation tool to his students at the start of each course.
Its convenience complements its accuracy.
“It’s fully integrated into the courseware,” he explains. “Neither the student nor I must go outside the platform. With a couple of clicks, it translates exactly what they need. Plus, it’s coming from a trusted source, so I don’t have to worry about putting something into Google Translate™, crossing my fingers, and hoping for the best.”
