Murdoch University’s public relations program attracts a
significant number of international students. Up to 60% of
students in some units come from Singapore and Malaysia.
While many spend at least one year in Australia as part of the
three year degree, students in both countries may complete the
entire degree offshore from 2007.
The authors rewrote a second year public relations unit with the
aim of making it more relevant for local and international
students. This posed particular challenges in terms of
pedagogical and conceptual approaches. For instance, there
are cultural and linguistic issues which influence the ways
students learn, and which have particular implications for a unit
which expressly aims to consolidate students’ professional
writing skills. There are also implications for public relations
theory, which tends to be dominated by Western concepts and
models, and public relations practice, which varies in different
countries.
This paper offers a reflection on the issues we addressed in the
redevelopment of the unit, as well as some suggestions for
future teaching and learning practices.
