Written by Tabetha Newman (Timmus Research Ltd, UK) and Elizabeth Newall (Jisc, UK)
Introduction: why digital experience matters
This post summarises key findings from three years of ongoing Jisc research into the digital experiences of international and transnational education (TNE) students on courses affiliated to universities in the United Kingdom (UK). Jisc is the UK’s digital, data and technology agency for higher and further education, research and innovation. It is a not-for-profit organisation.
Digital technologies underpin almost every aspect of the UK higher education learning and teaching experience – from applying for a course to accessing resources, interacting with staff, completing assignments and assessments, carrying out independent learning tasks and navigating aspects of academic integrity such as referencing, plagiarism and appropriate use of generative AI.
For over 15 years, Jisc has supported UK universities in capturing and understanding students’ digital experiences. As the proportion of international students has grown, universities have recognised that those travelling to the UK often hold expectations about technology use that differ markedly from those of domestic students. This insight prompted Jisc to begin exploring students’ digital experiences through a global lens.
Defining international and TNE students
For the purposes of this research, which required us to take a UK-centric view in order to support British university research partners, we define ‘international students’ as those physically travelling to the UK for their studies, and transnational education students as those studying UK-accredited courses whilst based outside of the UK.
UK norms are not universal
We recognised that UK universities often operated under the implicit assumption that (1) digital infrastructure and (2) technology-enabled learning and teaching practice in higher education were globally uniform. We sought to examine how these assumptions play out in different national and cultural contexts, by working with international and TNE students to record lived experiences and expectations.
Our aims were to:
- Create feedback channels through which international and TNE students could tell their universities what works well for them, and where they experience difficulties
- Prompt UK universities to question their assumptions in relation to domestic versus global educational technology access and use
- Facilitate dialogue between UK universities and their global TNE partners related to differences in digital infrastructure and educational digital expectations
Our ultimate goal is to support the UK higher education sector to design provision that is both globally equitable and relevant.
International students travelling to study in the UK
In the UK, international students who travel to the UK for full-time study account for 51% of the taught postgraduate population and 14% of undergraduates. During the first phase of our research, we worked with 14 UK universities to collect feedback from 2,064 international students via surveys, and 150 students through face-to-face focus groups. Findings were published in two reports and five briefing papers, and highlighted how:
- Access to technology differs significantly between countries
- Prior educational experience and cultural background shapes expectations around how technology is used in schools and universities
We provided a checklist for equitable and inclusive practice, concluding that UK universities benefit from discussing digital experiences and expectations with students in order to ensure they can access learning and teaching as intended. This is particularly important where international students are studying one-year courses and need to get ‘up to speed’ quickly.
We encouraged the sector to embrace a ‘differences, not deficits’ approach, which is essential in order for those working in and for UK higher education to critically examine their assumptions – often shaped by both the UK’s digital infrastructure and the prevailing patterns of digital use within the British education system.
International students studying outside the UK
Transnational education is playing an increasingly significant role in UK higher education, with students studying outside the UK now representing a substantial share of the overall student body for several UK universities (for example, see data for our 21 research partners in Figure 1), with TNE student numbers expected to outstrip international students in the next few years.
During 2024/25 we worked with 19 UK universities across 51 instances of TNE provision in over 30 countries to explore students’ digital experiences and expectations. TNE students are usually learning on courses designed and created in the UK, which therefore carry assumptions best suited to the UK’s digital infrastructure and educational practice.
Figure 1. The relative proportion of UG and PGT students at Jisc’s 21 TNE research partner HE institutions in 2023/24. Student data has been separated into transnational students, international students (EU and non-EU combined) studying in the UK, and UK-domiciled students studying in the UK. Values shown are rounded to the nearest whole number, which may introduce minor rounding errors.
Four digital challenges to TNE delivery known to UK universities
We began by asking institutions about known digital challenges related to the delivery of transnational education in countries beyond the UK. This identified four themes, published in our first TNE report:
- Connectivity and device availability
- Accessing digital resources
- Cultural differences in digital education practice
- Digital skills and capabilities
We then worked with students to understand their lived experiences, using these challenges as an initial framework for investigation. During the research we received feedback from students studying in 51 instances of TNE provision across over 30 countries. A total of 4,802 students responded via online surveys and 119 during remote focus groups.
TNE student feedback
Collectively, TNE student voice data confirmed that connectivity – quantified as anytime access to a consistent electricity supply, to a 4/5G cellular data signal and to the availability of reliable WiFi – varied significantly around the world, impacting students’ learning experience. A country’s digital infrastructure influenced ‘norms’ related to educational practices in schools, which shaped the digital skills that international students brought to their degree course.
Key findings included:
- Globally, almost all students owned a smartphone. However, students in some countries did not always anticipate the need to own a computer or tablet; something that UK universities often expect, illustrating the importance of clarifying expectations.
- Where WiFi connectivity was unreliable or absent, students were paying an additional and hidden ‘course fee’ of using their own cellular data to access learning resources, which could be extremely costly in some countries. This highlighted the importance of universities providing low-bandwidth, offline and downloadable digital resources.
- In some countries, students’ access to uploaded resources, e-books, e-journals and software was blocked by national restrictions and/or software and publisher licensing constraints.
- Student and staff confidence in digital skills varied widely. In the UK, universities often provide students with supplementary resources to support the development of digital capabilities – such resources would be equally beneficial to students learning outside the UK.
- Global students often valued British academic rigour and were keen to study a course taught in English. However, many students had limited prior experience of active and independent study and benefited where they were provided with study skills training and support.
- Students wanted to practice subject-specific digital skills and tools that were relevant to future careers.
- Several students told us that when examples and case studies related to their region or culture, concepts become more relatable and their learning deepened.
Findings highlight the need for UK universities to take a global perspective when designing ‘education for export’. A detailed summary of TNE student feedback can be found in our second TNE report, which also includes recommendations for policy makers, UK universities and international students.
In conclusion
Our research shows that ensuring an equitable student digital experience requires consideration of their access to the internet and relevant technologies. It also requires clear communication of digital expectations, proactive identification of access challenges, and respect for digital and cultural diversity. By considering global variations in connectivity, digital resource availability, digital skills development, and cultural norms related to education practice, we can design equitable digital learning environments and experiences where international students can thrive.
Author bio:
Tabetha Newman leads a UK-based research consultancy specialising in helping public sector organisations gain deep insights into the lived experiences of students, staff, patients, senior leaders, young people, and other key stakeholder groups. She is the lead researcher on Jisc’s international and TNE student and staff research.
Elizabeth Newall is a senior sector specialist and contributes to Jisc’s research, thought leadership and consultancy into the digital transformation of learning, teaching and assessment in higher education. Areas of current focus include the digital experience of international and transnational students, rethinking learning and curriculum design, and assessing institutional digital maturity.
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