Abstract:

With the advancement of technology, communication may take place offline/online in a virtual platform. This gives rise to the possibility of adapting online learning platform such as SPOCs to promote intercultural learning experience. Harnessing the potential and effectiveness of technology to promote Internationalisation at Home (IaH), the adoption of Small Private Online Course (SPOC) indirectly promotes internationalization with invited overseas partners. It is anticipated that online learning via SPOC platform offers opportunities for students to develop their self-directed and self-regulatory learning abilities, digital literacies and life-long learning skills. Online learning can also provide students with the platform to cultivate a better world view and intercultural awareness through interacting with their peers from diverse cultural backgrounds.

This study aimed to examine students’ perceptions of their online intercultural learning experiences via a 3-week Small Private Online Course under a 3-phase strategic framework designed for achieving the first ever online collaborative learning of 93 (n=93) teaching assistants from two Asian universities without leaving their home towns i.e. “Internationalization at Home”. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed that majority of respondents enjoyed and agreed their online participation of SPOC especially the online discussion feature had increased their cultural awareness, and increased their motivation of sharing knowledge online. However, negative findings indicated that some respondents did not enjoy this kind of online learning because of too timely, online discussion conducted in one way direction without feedback, etc. Ways of improvement like including face-to-face discussions, introducing intercultural related online group discussion topics, etc. were discussed to cultivate a better online intercultural learning for online course designers’ future reference.

Keywords:

Internationalisation, SPOC, online learning, intercultural learning.