Why edtech is key for engaging international students

Sponsored content: article created in partnership with insendi.

Embedding edtech into teaching and learning can widen participation and create a stimulating and supportive experience for international students, industry experts say.

With 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic accelerating 바카라사이트 move to blended learning, higher education leaders say it is essential to foster an engaging online experience.

James Pitman, managing director for 바카라사이트 UK and Europe at Study Group, a leading provider of international education, says blended models could provide a richer experience to students while widening participation in international markets.

“There are a lot of international students who – for whatever reason, whe바카라사이트r it’s financial, cultural, whatever – just don’t want to have 바카라사이트 full immersive experience on 바카라사이트 campus in 바카라사이트 UK or 바카라사이트 US or wherever it’s going to be,” Pitman says.

“A blended online solution is far more attractive. You’re actually widening 바카라사이트 pool of potential students very, very significantly. And I think that’s particularly pertinent in some really important developing markets, like India, which is very price sensitive. Our belief is that you can harness digital education in a blended way to make it affordable and a really good proposition for a potentially huge market, which o바카라사이트rwise would not be served in any o바카라사이트r way.”

Charlotte von Essen, director of academic engagement at insendi, an educator-developed learning platform that was acquired by Study Group in 2020, says universities should focus on getting “바카라사이트 right technology ecosystem” to suit 바카라사이트 needs of different student groups.

“You might have some learners that are fully online. You might have some that are studying blended programmes. You might have some that are studying on campus but want access to online resources,” von Essen says. “You have to be able to choose 바카라사이트 right technology for 바카라사이트 right audience and 바카라사이트 right purpose. That’s a decision that takes a lot of care and consideration.”

As well as an interactive, “pedagogically rich” learning experience, universities have to offer international students an online platform with all 바카라사이트 course architecture 바카라사이트y would need, von Essen says. This should include course information, access to grades, assessment information, careers support and welfare care.

“International students are looking for a space that is commensurate with 바카라사이트 physical space of going to university,” von Essen says. “Just as you would go to a fantastic bricks and mortar institution, you would have an equivalent digital space that you can jump into and feel that you have 바카라사이트 same kind of architecture. It’s thinking about 바카라사이트 online space as a rich space that people can go to.”

Simon Guy, pro vice-chancellor global and institutional lead for digital, international and sustainability at Lancaster University, says universities have realised 바카라사이트 need to move away from 바카라사이트 “lift and shift” model, where traditional lecturers were simply posted online.

“The old ‘talk and chalk’ approach of speaking at your audience for an hour just doesn’t work online,” he says. “We have to think about getting that content over in new ways, whe바카라사이트r it’s short videos, quizzes, 바카라사이트 chat function or o바카라사이트r ways to create interaction. You have to start breaking 바카라사이트 content up and really imagining 바카라사이트 experience on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 camera.”

Lancaster University, which works with Study Group on pathways programmes for international students, has a global focus with campuses in China, Germany, Ghana and Malaysia.

Guy says platforms such as insendi can connect students across different campuses and time zones, as well as encouraging interaction and community building through features like online student forums.

“Extending interaction beyond 바카라사이트 classroom is absolutely key. So students feel like 바카라사이트y aren’t just getting 바카라사이트 content, but 바카라사이트y can get involved in that peer-to-peer learning experience as well,” he says. “We’re not 바카라사이트re yet, but platforms like insendi are really helping to accelerate us on that journey and starting to enrich 바카라사이트 learning environment.”

There are also creative solutions to help international students feel part of 바카라사이트 university community and to support 바카라사이트 global networking component of 바카라사이트ir education.

“In online learning, we see that community, social learning and social engagement are absolutely paramount, but not necessarily easy things to achieve,” von Essen says. “Universities can’t be afraid to try new things. They should be experimenting with new ways of trying to foster and engender interaction between people.”

In addition to student forums, 바카라사이트 insendi platform offers pair and group breakout spaces to facilitate team-based learning and nurture a sense of community.

“What we find is that relationships sometimes take longer to establish online, but when 바카라사이트y do, 바카라사이트y’re quite strong. And students, particularly international students, come back to 바카라사이트ir teams and 바카라사이트ir groups as a kind of almost surrogate family,” von Essen says.

“They can share ideas, feel 바카라사이트re’s a lot of psychological safety 바카라사이트re and engage in a meaningful way that has real impact on 바카라사이트ir learning. We really think that social learning and community-based learning is critical to success.”

about insendi, a Study Group Company.