Date of Graduation

Spring 2009

Degree

Master of Science in Education in Educational Technology

Department

Reading, Foundations, and Technology

Committee Chair

J Micheals

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to define international students' perceptions regarding the effectiveness of online courses. International students in higher education contribute a great deal of money to the U.S. economy. As a result, American institutions are being pressured to invest more time and effort to accommodate these students. A survey was sent out to international students who were enrolled during spring semester 2008 to determine what these accommodations might need to be. The analysis of the survey was divided into two sections: demographics and other data. Even though only 37 of the 82 students who responded had taken an online course, the data still provide a good overview of their perceptions of online courses. Generally, international students were satisfied with their online courses. Technology and instructor support were the most difficult issues that they encountered. In addition, most international students did not find any language or cultural barriers although some felt that their cultural differences could have impacted the ways they performed in their online courses. Student comments suggest there is a need to expand social interactions among faculty and students when conducting online courses. It was also noted that global-oriented curriculums where students and instructors work hand-in-hand to explore international issues could increase the quality of online courses.

Keywords

international students, online courses, distance learning, technology, learning management systems (LMSs)

Subject Categories

Instructional Media Design

Copyright

© Caroline Mulia

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