Learning experience of domestic and international students in blended courses: An ecological perspective

Adopting an ecological perspective on student learning, this study compares the cognitive, social, and material elements of the learning experience of 193 domestic and 120 international students in blended courses. For cognitive elements, domestic students adopted relatively more deep approaches to learning while international students held more positive perceptions towards the blended learning environment. In terms of the social elements, domestic group had a higher proportion of students who chose to collaborate than international group. The domestic and international students also differed with regard to their experience of material elements that international students were more likely to select the option of showing the answer for solving multiple choice questions. International students particularly need help in the improvement of their collaborative learning experience, which may be enhanced by strategies, such as mixing domestic and international students in group work and training international students’ intercultural communication strategies.