PERCEPTIONS OF ONLINE LEARNING IN AN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY: AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ (ASIAN REGION) PERSPECTIVE – ENJOYMENT

Several researchers have reported that cultural andlanguage differences can affect online interactions andcommunications between students from different culturalbackgrounds. Other researchers have asserted that onlinelearning is a tool that can improve teaching and learning skills,but its effectiveness depends on how the tool is used. To delve intothese aspects further, this study set out to investigate the kinds oflearning difficulties encountered by the international studentsand how they actually coped with online learning. The modifiedOnline Learning Environment Survey (OLES) instrument wasused to collect data from the sample of 109 international studentsat a university in Brisbane. A smaller group of 35 domesticstudents was also included for comparison purposes. Contrary toassumptions from previous research, the findings revealed thatthere were only few differences between the international Asianand Australian students with regards to their perceptions ofonline learning. Recommendations based on the findings of thisresearch study were made for Australian universities whereAsian international students study online. Specifically therecommendations highlighted the importance of upskilling oflecturers’ ability to structure their teaching online and to applystrong theoretical underpinnings when designing learningactivities such as discussion forums, and for the university toestablish a degree of consistency with regards to how content islocated and displayed in a learning management system likeBlackboard

A pilot test on the differences between domestic and international students' perceptions towards online learning in a Malaysian institution (part II)

Teaching to an international audience online can be significantly different as compared to a traditional classroom setting. In a traditional classroom setting, the students are usually removed from their own cultural context and required to operate in the lecturer’s context. International students coming to Malaysia to study are implicitly expected to, and often do, become familiar with the Malaysian culture and style of education. The use of educational technologies as a blended strategy in higher education programs offers challenges and opportunities for all students but this may be different for international students who come from varied backgrounds. With an increasingly competitive global demand for higher education, Malaysian institutions strive to be the hub of educational excellence and a preferred option for international students in coping with the challenges of studying abroad in a different culture. This research will evaluate how undergraduate students perceive their online learning experiences in a Malaysian institute. The OLES (Online Learning Environment Survey) will be used to explore the international and domestic students’ perception on e-learning and the findings of the last six OLES scales varying from (Equity, Enjoyment, Asychronocity, Evaluation & Assessments, Online Learning Tools, and Interface Design) will be reported in this research. An in-depth study will be conducted to compare and contrast the challenges of international students with domestic students. Major difficulties encountered and how these students actually cope with e-learning, as well as the strategies and tools used to overcome the challenges will be investigated

Perceptions of online learning in an Australian university : Malaysian students’ perspectives-usability of the online learning tools

This study set out to investigate the kinds of learning difficulties encountered by the Malaysian students and how they actually coped with online learning. The modified Online Learning Environment Survey (OLES) instrument was used to collect data from the sample of 40 Malaysian students at a university in Brisbane, Australia. A controlled group of 35 Australian students was also included for comparison purposes. Contrary to assumptions from previous researches, the findings revealed that there were only a few differences between the international Asian and Australian students with regards to their perceptions of online learning. Recommendations based on the findings of this research study were applicable for Australian universities which have Asian international students enrolled to study online