Supporting transnational students in the transition to doctoral study through online technologies

This paper will report findings of an 18 month research project, funded by the Higher Education Academy in the United Kingdom (UK), to identify the differences in experience, expectation and engagement of using technologies, designed for use in Western Universities with post-graduate students in the East. The focus of the research is a Professional Doctorate course delivered by a UK based university and taught in Hong Kong (HK) by UK academic staff over 4 weekends each year, with supervisory support throughout the academic year by tutors based in the UK. The research investigated the use of technologies, including the UK university's Virtual Learning Platform (VLE), to identify whether there is a Western culture bias in the use of the VLE in the delivery of post-graduate courses in the East. While literature is extensive in using technologies in learning and teaching in the West, and in teaching international students, there appears to be a lack of research focused on using new technologies designed in the West used in course delivery in the East. A multi-layered approach to data collection through observation, software analytics, questionnaire and interview has resulted in a higher quality experience for the students, deeper levels of engagement and the introduction of new technologies to support the development of a community of practice encompassing students in HK and the UK. This paper explores challenges faced by staff and students and provides research informed evidence of how Eastern students can be engaged with Western designed technologies