ERIC Number: EJ923918
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Jun
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 37
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1042-1629
Towards Understanding International Graduate Student Isolation in Traditional and Online Environments
Erichsen, Elizabeth A.; Bolliger, Doris U.
Educational Technology Research and Development, v59 n3 p309-326 Jun 2011
A mixed-methodology approach was employed to gain a better understanding of international graduate students' perceptions of academic and social isolation, both in traditional and online environments, to see if these differ, and to explore suggestions for improving their sense of engagement within their learning communities. A survey was completed by 54 respondents and ten individuals participated in focus group sessions or individual interviews. The results show that international students, both in traditional and online programs, experience/perceive high levels of isolation, academically and socially. However, online international students may feel even more isolated than their traditional counterparts. The independent variables gender, type of degree, and family presence appear to also have some influence on some of the respondents' answers. Participants suggested several types of potential interventions they would find useful.
Descriptors: Graduate Students, Student Attitudes, Distance Education, Social Isolation, Student Characteristics, Intervention, International Education, Conventional Instruction, Learner Engagement, Foreign Students, Electronic Learning, Web Based Instruction, Interviews, Student Surveys, Predictor Variables, Comparative Analysis, College Instruction, Focus Groups
Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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