“It's Doable”: International Graduate Students’ Perceptions of Online Learning in the U.S. During the Pandemic

Abstract

This study aims to understand the learning experiences and challenges of international students enrolled in Master's and PhD programs in various institutions who were forced to transition to online learning during the pandemic. In particular, the study explores the experiences and perceptions of seven non-native English-speaking international graduate students who came from six different countries and studied at different schools of education through phenomenological interviews. Analysis yields insight into these students’ online learning experiences and identifies factors which contributed to the mixed quality of these learning experiences. Overall, students tried to adapt to the “new normal,” while enduring learning and emotional challenges due to the harsh conditions of the pandemic in the United States and their home countries. Instructors’ readiness for online teaching as well as the extra support provided to help students cope with the sudden transition in the learning environment were particularly important factors affecting the students’ learning experiences. Our findings lead us to several recommendations for practice within graduate-level online learning environments and suggestions for further research, as well as broader considerations of what broader implications the case suggests for international education in light of digitalization.

Online learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: Mixed methods analysis of student views by demographic group

“…Research that draws a comparative analysis between international and domestic college students in the U.S. is limited ( Han et al, 2022 ; Li & Che, 2022 ), though there are some studies that have examined this aspect outside of the U.S. ( Cranfield et al, 2021 ; Demuyakor, 2020 ). For example, Demuyakor (2020) examined the perception of online learning in China by international (Ghanaian) students: most were pleased with the effectiveness and credibility of online course content, but they mentioned two drawbacks: the lack of social interaction and high cost of internet data.…”

“… Han et al (2022) interviewed 7 international graduate students in U.S. institutions. While professors helped students cope with the pandemic transition, students felt professors were more accessible in person than online.…”

Starting university during the pandemic: First-year international students’ complex transitions under online and hybrid-learning conditions

“…Large-scale quantitative assessments have identified that international students were under social, emotional, academic, and discrimination stresses (Soria and Horgos, 2021;Gao et al, 2022). Many qualitative research further pinpoint that international students face limited opportunities to interact with family, peers, and faculty members and therefore need to secure transnational support (Wang and DeLaquil, 2020;Han et al, 2021;Hari et al, 2021;Hu et al, 2022).…”

Influence of Online Learning Environment and Student Engagement on International Students’ Sustainable Chinese Learning

“…The COVID-19 pandemic brought about challenges and difficulties to international students. Studies reported that international students are likely to suffer from psychological and emotional problems, which in turn negatively affect their learning [39][40][41]. In addition, an increasing number of studies have investigated the challenges of emergency online foreign language classes in the pandemic [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49].…”

“…Previous research on international students in degree courses reported negative influences of online environments on academic studies during the pandemic [39][40][41]. This research focused on the participants in online language courses designed specifically for international students to gain accuracy in pronunciation and fluency of speaking, understand spoken Chinese, and consolidate grammar.…”