Supporting International Students Through Online Learning
All students may face difficulties in undertaking their studies at times. Some students may have never studied before, some are juggling family and work commitments, and some are entering a brand new field of study which may be challenging. Then for international students, these are often more mature students, in a foreign country, adjusting to life in Australia, speaking a second language and then adjusting to studying within a new field.
It is important to facilitate materials for multiple learning styles; visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinaesthetic. International students may also need additional English support or due to this support need, may prefer auditory stimulation rather than reading.
Image by Olga Semklo
Using online learning tools is beneficial in allowing a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to host a range of information that international students may need. Critical information is often given to students orally or via physical reading materials during the pre-enrolment or orientation sessions. This information is then hosted on the RTO’s website to meet compliance requirements. This is a key area that can be improved by most providers.
This information can be used in an innovative information sharing module on your eLearning platform and provides students with a useful source to refer back to. This means your students will be more well-informed of their requirements and expectations and will reduce staff time spent going over information. By utilising your LMS for this purpose you are exceeding compliance requirements and moving towards best practice in providing students information in a variety of ways.
Interactive learning tools also provide a conduit for meeting the support needs of individual students in a more efficient manner. There is no one size fits all approach to learning so we must facilitate an inclusive environment for all students and providing resources in a number of modes allows students to take their time in absorbing information and going over it more than once.
Online learning can also extend aspects of face to face learning, through and post COVID-19. Canvas has a “Collaboration” tool to incorporate webinars, lectures or workshops. Education providers may also choose to incorporate the “Conference” option which integrates tools such as Zoom, Teams, BigBlueButton or other virtual conferencing platforms. These tools can be further utilised for support sessions or employability workshops, beyond the usual timetabled class sessions.
Online learning can be used to increase engagement and learning retention, however it is not just a simple transfer of traditional learning to an online environment. Your online learning programs should be tailored to your students, with the different mode of delivery in mind throughout the design process, along with how your RTO will measure student outcomes and success.
