postgraduate student from China voiced the need for support to help them disconnect from digital spaces. In terms of accessing different resources, students
expressed that they were not always aware of what resources were available to them, or where to begin locating them. “It’s worth highlighting the unique Oxford context as
a collegiate university where students have to navigate colleges, departments and the central University which can make things slightly confusing,” she added. The need for advice on how to ethically use Chat GPT
and other GenAI tools was also voiced by undergraduates from countries such as Germany and Australia.
international students made up a big part of our student body – more than 12,000 students. Including 23% of undergraduates and 65% of graduates,” she added. The survey involved a diverse range of international
and national students to give a broader understanding of digital learning needs, including specific feedback on digital transformation, what students wanted and didn’t want, as well as interviews and focus groups. “We found the digital transition to Oxford involved a
diverse spectrum of student experiences. For example, a postgraduate from France was quite comfortable using tools such as Teams and Outlook prior to coming to the UK. However, an undergraduate from Tanzania found their induction week really stressful due to a lack of information and expressed the need for more guidance to be given and taught before arrival on campus.” Citing students from India, Pakistan and the US,
Tang mentioned how all three struggled with some skills and tools required to complete academic tasks on arrival, such as reference tools and managers that are essential for academic writing. Interviewed students, including those from France
and Pakistan further expressed frustration with having to constantly use two factor authentication on their mobile devices in order to access different systems due to differing digital regulations and governance in their home countries. “It’s important to remember that this digital
transition does not stop when international students arrive on campus either, but continues throughout the whole process of their degrees,” said Tang. Interestingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, Tang
revealed that students were also found to be less confident in managing their digital time and maintaining their digital wellbeing. She cited an undergraduate student from India who
expressed the need for more guidance, or a blueprint timetable, to help manage learning online. While a
TRANSFORMING INSIGHTS INTO ACTION As a result of the study, Tang demonstrated how the University of Oxford has made a number of steps to better support its students. “Oxford has now established its first student-facing
app – MyOxford, which provides students with quick and easy access to essential University systems and services, and gives them quicker access to central resources to help students better manage their time.” Similar to many other institutions, Oxford has
developed guidance on the use of GenAI tools in teaching and learning, as well as a toolkit to facilitate more inclusive teaching and learning support for a diverse student population. Concluding the research shared by Jisc, the NRI
and the University of Oxford, Newall shared several useful recommendations from the report to help UK HE institutions assist international students with their digital transition pre-arrival, on-arrival and during their degree. ‘Ultimately, we must remember that international
students are not one homogeneous group. We absolutely need to consider the differences between global regions because it’s these differences that impact the expectations they have,” closed Newall.
“ It’s important to remember that this digital transition does not stop when international students arrive on campus either, but continues throughout the whole process of their degrees.”
YINING TANG, DIGITAL EDUCATION ADVISER, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
113
GLOBAL EDUCATION
DIGITAL LEARNING
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
