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Finding new ways to encourage engaging interactions on virtual platforms seems to be one of the most pressing issues .
Distanced learning
International students still struggling with online , flexible delivery .
By Wade Zaglas
A recent Quacquarelli Symonds ( QS ) report provides key insights into how international students perceive Australia as a study destination , whether they have managed to return or are planning to return in the near future , and their preferred ways of learning .
HAVE INSTITUTIONS BEEN HELPFUL IN MANAGING THEIR RETURN ?
The report makes clear that some prospective international students are still waiting for confirmation on when they can begin their Australian studies ; others , however , have been studying at Australian institutions for a while , either in Australia or from their home countries .
“ However , even those international students who have been invited to return to their studies are unlikely to have had a typical higher education experience ,” the report says .
Despite the challenges , QS ’ research shows that nearly three-quarters of current international students ( 70 per cent ) are satisfied with their higher education experience . However , 30 per cent of current international students state that they should have delayed their studies , pointing to possible feelings of dissatisfaction .
“ A unique issue faced by some international students , particularly those who were unable to travel overseas to their chosen study destination , is the way varying time zones have disrupted their access to online learning ,” the report says .
“ According to our research , 58 per cent of current international students have been forced to attend a virtual lecture or seminar during late hours . This means that some universities have failed to put the correct measures in place to ensure every student has equal access to their education ; a factor that could lead to negative feelings about their wider university experience .”
Recording lectures using different platforms could be a simple yet effective way of ameliorating this issue , the report says .
VIRTUAL LESSONS STILL UNFAVOURABLE Only 17 per cent of international students nominated online learning as their preferred mode of learning . This contrasts sharply with the 61 per cent in the survey who said face-to face teaching was their preference .
“ For those who preferred in-person teaching , many referred to how it creates the opportunity for more rewarding interactions with others , as well as citing the technical issues and limitations that can come with online learning ,” the report states .
Comments from students who preferred face-to-face learning said :
“ Allows for better conversation between teacher and student with a lack of technical issues or problems with learning from home .”
“ Online is harder as some professors do not have the tools to give a good class online , you are more likely to get distracted and is really stressful .”
HOW EFFECTIVE IS YOUR UNIVERSITY AT DELIVERING ONLINE LEARNING ?
Although the vast majority of international students prefer face-toface learning , there were some modest appraisals of the quality of online delivery . For instance , “ 21 per cent of current international students surveyed found their institution ’ s delivery to be extremely effective , 34 per cent to be very effective and 26 per cent found it to be moderately effective ”.
Others gave their institution less generous appraisals , with 11 per cent finding the delivery to be only slightly effective , and 7 per cent finding the online delivery to not be effective at all .
“ Finding new ways to encourage engaging interactions on virtual platforms seems to be one of the most pressing issues , as well as more practical challenges such as ensuring academics understand how to make full use of the platform and that students and staff have strong internet connections ,” the report states .
INCENTIVES TO ATTRACT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BACK TO AUSTRALIA
As one of ( or possibly the biggest ) shake ups to the higher education sector ever , institutions have to radically modify the way they teach , and this could be in place for some time yet .
“ How have institutions encouraged their students to return to campus in-person ?” the report asks .
QS research indicated that the majority ( more than 60 per cent ) of current international students have not been offered incentives to physically return to campus .
“ This may be due to several reasons ,” the report says . “ Including the cost to the university of the incentive or the fact that the university itself may feel it ’ s currently not yet safe for the student to travel overseas to their destination .”
In saying that , 21 per cent have been offered bursaries or scholarships , 11 per cent have been offered discounts on tuition fees , 6 per cent were offered discounts on accommodation during quarantine , and 3 per cent have been offered flight discounts .
Participant responses included in this report were collected from 1 January to 7 June 2021 , and 14,987 prospective and current international students from 185 regions participated in the survey . ■
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