Digital shock and border crossings: how higher education providers are using Jisc research to smooth the transition for international students
New research highlights how higher education providers (HEPs) are using digital technologies to ease the transition for international students.
By harnessing insights from Jisc’s international students' digital experience (ISDX) research, higher education providers (HEPs) are improving the experiences of international students as they transition to a UK higher education.
The first phases of research, published in 2023, provide a holistic overview of international students’ digital experience at universities across the UK. Comprising a review of policy, academic literature, views from HEP leaders (phase 1) and insights from more than 2000 international students (phase 2) , the findings are being used by HEPs to support equitable access to teaching and learning.
International students often face 'digital shock' upon arriving in the UK, struggling with unfamiliar systems and processes. By taking a strategic and inclusive approach, HEPs can create a digital experience that benefits all students.
Our fifth ISDX briefing paper, entitled ‘Sector examples of improved practice in supporting the digital experience of international students’ (pdf) launches today at the Association of Learning Technologists (ALT) annual conference, and shines a light on those institutions implementing recommendations from ISDX research to enhance the digital experience of their international students.
Pre-arrival preparation
To ease the transition of those studying in a new country, many institutions are enhancing their pre-arrival support.
For example, Ulster University offers a mobile friendly virtual campus experience, while the University of Plymouth uses its peer-to-peer support networks to raise issues of potential digital shock and to help develop its digital pre-arrival materials. Teesside University provides detailed information about technology access, including device sharing and the use of wifi, in advance of international students' arrival on campus.
Edge Hill University has proactively involved international students and sought their ideas and inputs to create pre-arrival digital resources in the form of an advice system and to foster a sense of community.
John Brindle, learning design manager in the Learning Design team and the Student Life team at Edge Hill said:
"We were pleasantly surprised by how many issues this new approach resolved, such that our international student support team said they had more time to work with international students with more complex issues thanks to the support that our advice system provided.
"In July, the project came top in the student experience category in the Anthology Catalyst Awards 2024, and we are keen to continue to improve the course going forward."
Settling in to campus life
To support students once onboarded, De Montfort University (DMU) has focused on building belonging and a sense of community for international students by introducing international student lecturers at DMU’s Faculty of Business and Law, where 50% of the student population is international.
Sumeya Loonat, senior international student lecturer at DMU said:
"We recognise the importance of building community and shaping a sense of belonging from the early stages of arrival, and our contributions have had a valuable impact.
"Our recent International Student Barometer results highlight that the business and law faculty have consistently improved across all measured themes including overall satisfaction, learning satisfaction, support services satisfaction and career goals."
Northumbria University, London Campus, developed a digital platform and series of communications and activities to support students’ transition into the UK off the back of engaging with ISDX research. They also extended their induction period to two weeks and initiated a buddy system to further enable enhanced collaboration with international students at the point when they need them most.
The University of Northampton has used the information on cultural and digital ‘shocks’ identified in the ISDX reports to improve the information international students receive on arrival. This includes enhanced detail on setting up bank accounts and digital access to money, made possible through collaboration with local banks, and the creation of a new university global engagement group that additionally uses data from Jisc digital experience insights surveys to monitor and manage student digital experience.
On-course experience
To support students throughout their studies, universities are developing a range of initiatives to help them reach their full potential and enjoy their learning experience.
Teesside University is looking to develop a ‘graduate backpack’ to support students looking for work due to the cost-of-living crisis. The ‘graduate backpack’ is a digital tool that allows international students who may not speak English as their first language to showcase a portfolio of their skills and experiences to potential employers.
De Montfort University has refined its guidance on appropriate use of AI during course assignments, offering clear information on boundaries, best practices and how to use AI effectively for learning, including the appropriate use of translation tools.
Northumbria University introduced ‘action learning sets (ALS)’ to develop a sense of community and promote collaboration. ALS uses group work to help individuals overcome challenges and highlight their strengths and ambitions.
Professor Becky Strachan, department of computer and information sciences at Northumbria University, said:
"The ALS approach has the benefit of giving everyone a voice – something that we previously found difficult in group sessions, where some students would be reticent about participating.
"Thanks to the ALS approach, I received an award from Northumbria Students’ Union for ‘Special Recognition for Support in the Classroom’."
A strategic approach
Universities are also using ISDX findings to inform their overall digital strategies.
The University of Lincoln is addressing student pain points, enhancing digital access and extending guidance on living in the UK by developing a mobile friendly app that acts as a ‘one-stop-shop', using findings from ISDX research to support the design.
The ISDX findings also allowed Lincoln to identify improvement opportunities in terms of supporting digital access for international students, for example by providing wifi dongles, increasing student helpdesk support at the start of courses, and setting up scheduled sessions to introduce students to the technologies being used at the university, notably their virtual learning environment (VLE).
Teesside University used ISDX findings to better communicate with international students around academic integrity, including appropriate use of AI.
The University of Greenwich used the data to support the development of a pre-arrivals intervention and a transition skills course, and found it particularly useful when considering the student perspective.
Sharon Perera, Head of Academic and Digital Skills at the University of Greenwich, said:
"The Jisc ISDX reports raised our awareness of how growing up in different cultures and countries shapes expectations and experiences around digital. It made us stop and think, and better appreciate the digital transition support that our Digital Champions (many of whom are international students) do on our behalf."
The next phase of research
In the next phase of our ISDX research, phase 3, we will focus on transnational education (TNE) students’ digital experiences, to find out if international students who engage in a UK higher education whilst in another country also experience digital shocks and border crossings.
Please complete this form to register your interest in being involved in phase 3 and to join our mailing list to be kept informed of our work and receive invitations to working group meetings.
Further information
We would like to thank Advance HE, British Council, BUILA, QAA, UCAS, UKCISA and UUKi for their support with this research.
Join us at this year’s ALT annual conference where we will discuss our work with the Portulan’s Institute to produce four digital country profiles (Nigeria, India, Pakistan and China): Briefing paper | Digital country profiles: international students’ digital experiences in relation to their home country’s civil digital infrastructure (pdf).
Finally, you can listen to our Beyond the Technology ISDX podcast to hear from participating HEIs on why they got involved and how the research has impacted their support for international students.