Han Yesul, Chang Yunjeong, Kearney Erin
Department of Learning and Instruction, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
J Stud Int Educ. 2022 May;26(2):165-182. doi: 10.1177/10283153211061433.
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.
本研究旨在了解在疫情期间被迫转向在线学习的、就读于各机构硕士和博士项目的国际学生的学习经历与挑战。具体而言，该研究通过现象学访谈，探究了七名非英语母语的国际研究生的经历与看法，这些学生来自六个不同国家，在不同的教育学院学习。分析得出了对这些学生在线学习经历的洞察，并确定了导致这些学习经历质量参差不齐的因素。总体而言，学生们试图适应“新常态”，同时因美国及本国疫情的严峻形势而承受学习和情感方面的挑战。教师对在线教学的准备情况以及为帮助学生应对学习环境的突然转变而提供的额外支持，是影响学生学习经历的特别重要的因素。我们的研究结果为研究生层次的在线学习环境中的实践提出了若干建议、为进一步研究提供了建议，并对数字化背景下该案例对国际教育的更广泛影响进行了更深入的思考。
