Report
Global education and technology: insights into transnational student and staff digital experiences
The first report, published in July 2025, describes four digital challenges to global education delivery known to institutions and sector leaders:
- Connectivity and access to devices and technology
- Access to digital resources such as online platforms, software, e-books and e-journals
- Cultural differences in how digital is used to support teaching and learning
- The digital skills of students and staff
This second report complements it by focusing on the user experience, drawing on direct feedback from TNE students and staff to better understand these digital challenges. In partnership with 19 UK HE providers, the student and staff voice was heard from 51 different instances of TNE provision, globally. This research strengthens our commitment to support UK TNE delivery, working in collaboration with Universities UK International (UUKi), the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the British Council.
The report also discusses:
- Differences in connectivity and access by country and global region
- How digital is used to support teaching and learning in different learning course contexts (with comparisons between three primary modes of learning: synchronous in place, synchronous online and asynchronous)
- Digital challenges as identified by fly-in, remote and host country staff, and what additional support and training is required
- Feedback in relation to themes such as internationalising and localising curricula, assessment, and use of GenAI
Commenting on the report’s contribution to the sector, Griff Ryan, head of transnational education (TNE) at Universities UK International (UUKi) said:
“With more learners engaging with UK education from overseas, this is a timely piece of work that will be essential reading for TNE providers and policymakers.
Presenting survey findings broken down by global region and mode of delivery, the report offers valuable guidance for universities and policymakers alike.
This report is a timely and practical resource for institutions looking to strengthen their TNE offer.”
Professor David Carter, University of Reading, and author of the HEPI report, The student experience of transnational education, said:
“This is one of the largest and most comprehensive pieces of research into the student experience of UK transnational education. Behind the responses and the insights lies a huge variety of student and staff experience.
The recommendations in this report provide a useful toolkit for providers to use as they seek to expand TNE provision. It shows that there are clear gains to be made if UK providers work together to address common challenges.”
Stay informed
This report results from our third phase of research. Read our earlier reports and briefing papers on the digital experiences of international students studying in the UK.
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About the authors
I contribute to Jisc’s research, thought leadership and consultancy into the digital transformation of learning, teaching and assessment in higher education. In doing this, I work closely with Jisc members and experts from the UK HE sector to gather requirements to inform how Jisc can support the sector in the challenges they are facing in relation to digital transformation. Areas of current focus include research exploring the digital experience of international students studying in the UK and rethinking learning and curriculum design.