Abstract:

Globalisation has forced higher education institutions to explore new opportunities for enriching academic environments for international students. Students choosing to study at foreign institutions have opened doors to deeper interaction and exchanges between countries. Part of this enrichment for international students has involved online courses, OCW (Free OpenCourseWare) and online collaborative learning spaces and course management that have matured through the use of new technologies and multimedia. These technologies are now a major part of cross-border education around the world and this has impacted international college students’ experiences in many important and positive ways.

In this study, three research questions are examined that relate to the issue of demand for cross-border experiences in higher education: 1) Do international graduate students have better experience through cross-border education? 2) Why do international graduate students need to study abroad for graduate degrees at foreign institutions of higher education? 3) What expectations do international graduate students have toward cross-border education for the future?

Data were from sample of 120 graduate students hailing from 25 countries and who have studied abroad at a graduate school in the United States. Students in my sample have studied at institutions of higher education for Masters degrees, Master of Business Administration (MBAs), or Doctoral degrees in the fields of social science, business and management, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) studies. Data were collected though a questionnaire that is comprised of items about international graduate students’ experience in other countries, experiences through ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) as a part of cross-border education, current graduate student life in the United States, and a series of items assessing the degree to which international graduate students are interested in using ICTs for cross-border education. Demographic information was also collected through the questionnaire.
The result of this study suggests that 1) international graduate students have traveled abroad for unique academic experiences and have high motivation to seek degrees, rather than their own social and cultural experiences, 2) international graduate students have quality experiences overseas and get to engage with faculty’s expertise and scholarship, 3) international graduate students view taking online courses and using online collaborative learning space and course management as useful as a convenient supplement but they believe that solely taking online courses from international institutions would be insufficient in reaching their goals.
In conclusion, the internationalization of higher education has great economic potential to develop partnerships in the global economy for institutions of higher education and government. However, we need to better understand workable models of cross-border education that are more focused on students’ experiences and mobility. Institutions’ participation in cross-border education can have positive political, economical and cultural influence, but it will be imperative to address social equity, quality assurance, accreditation, and leadership, as well as being more student focused. Educational institutions should listen more closely to students’ voices to obtain good educational governance for the future of international education.

Keywords:

Cross-Border Education, Globalisation and Higher Education, International Graduate Students, Information and Communication Technologies, Quality of Education, Engage with Faculty’s Expertise and Scholarship.