Tips and recommendations to support international students’ digital experience
Jisc´s new resources truly help us understand and improve the digital learning experience of our international students
Sarah Knight, Head of learning and teaching transformation at Jisc, has recently published three resources that are truly a must-read for those professionals working in online international programmes:
Facilitating holistic conversations about the student experience with international students (pdf)
Comparing international and UK-domiciled student responses in Jisc’s digital experience insights (DEI) survey (pdf)
International students may experience a different perception of the civil digital infrastructure (the experience resulting from the design, construction, maintenance and management of technologies that support human digital activities in a country) in their home countries and may experience “digital shocks” when they arrive in the UK.
International programmes should consider the following recommendations to mitigate this digital shock and help students to settle in their digital experience in the UK:
Pre-arrival:
Provide a summary of the technological learning landscape: how technology is used on the course, what devices are commonly used, what the minimal expectations might be and what to bring, the importance of self-directed study, typical grade boundaries, and how they should expect technology to be used in day-to-day life both on and off campus.
Explain how students can access the internet on and off campus, including what eduroam is, as well as when wifi versus mobile data is typically used in the UK: some countries offer little or no reliable wifi to their students, so international students may not expect this and could end up escalating personal costs through the excessive and unnecessary purchase of mobile data
Consider asking students about the type of technologies they’ve used for learning previously, and their digital skills
If you ask students to set up logins/authentication prior to arrival, be aware that international students may need to change their mobile phone, and consequently their number, on arrival in the UK and so may no longer be able to access systems with their old number.
On arrival :
Provide an overview (such as a one-page map) of university digital systems and digital resources. Explain if and how they interact, including login points and any important restrictions or licence requirements.
As part of induction activities, ensure support is embedded, such as international student volunteers, clear signposting to international student representatives, and physical and virtual meet-ups offering multiple opportunities to ask questions and meet peers. Initially, be mindful that some international students may not feel able to ask questions to those in positions of authority, hence peer support can be especially important on arrival.
Manage expectations around communication from the start, including what channels are used and when, for both formal and informal communication (for example, university email versus course-level WhatsApp groups), which channel to use for communication with staff and how long to expect to wait for a reply, and how often students should expect to check their email.
During course
Recorded lectures are often greatly valued by international students. Ensure that high-quality audio and captioning is provided, and that this is checked for critical subject-related terminology, as some autocaptioning can provide incorrect alternative words. Further information can be found in our guide, video captioning and accessibility regulations
Provide clear guidance about what is and what is not acceptable use of generative AI as well as how to make use of various AI tools: appropriate use is best addressed by focusing on the wider and longerterm academic benefits of learning to cite sources, and developing their own unique, critical voice
Educate international students on what to consider when seeking supportive digital resources beyond those provided by the university, including consideration of copyright infringement, validating sources and the risks associated with malware or data sharing
Be curious about what digital resources and communication methods international students are familiar with, and use these insights as a basis for how to support them in using technology in new ways
Be aware that not all international students use digital tools or resources in the same way. Creators of digital learning resources may therefore need to clearly explain their expectations in terms of their intended mode or method of engagement
Support internationalisation of the curriculum in the context of digital practice by exploring how digital technologies can allow international students to share their previous experiences, particularly given how many international postgraduate students have previously held relevant professional careers
Provide opportunities for group work, with groups comprised of individuals with diverse prior experience. Providing opportunities for international students to share their expectations and experiences is something that Pho and Schartner (2021) identified as having a positive relationship with international students’ academic outcomes
Provide safe, anonymous channels for students to share honest feedback (see our companion briefing paper on appropriate methodology), ask questions they feel uncomfortable asking in person, and provide opportunities for informal face-to-face conversations with staff.
Comparisons between UK-domiciled and international student data from Jisc’s digital experience insights survey reveals that mobile data costs and lack of access to resources off-campus are more common among international students.