Photo credit: Getty Images
Even technologists cannot predict the societal effects of the current wave of artificial intelligence. So, we need to set the agenda for research to address the increasing gap between international education research and technology, and debunk common misconceptions to make it seem ‘less scary’.
The digital campus is the official online presence of a university which extends to and localises the metaphor of the digital environment. This ranges from devices (such as iPads) to online platforms including social media (from Citrix to Xiaohongshu) and learning management systems (from Blackboard to Moodle).
Key concerns include two long-held assumptions which have been debunked by current research:
• Online platforms are value-free and are merely tools for information dissemination, and
• Contemporary students are ‘digital natives’ who will find information online easily.
Lack of digital technology curation
Research on digital campuses argues that the lack of curation by universities of their digital technology has a big impact on their internationalisation efforts.
Three key areas are worth noting. First, the assumption that all students will use official university platforms is a fallacy because students continue to use a diverse (uncurated and segregated) range of platforms as information sources, including diverse social media.
Second, different faculty members adopt varying platforms to disseminate information with limited language diversity, which can create inconsistencies, confusion among students and inaccessibility.
Third, student clubs and alumni networks use their own social media, which can be both inclusive and exclusive towards different groups of students, depending on their own competencies, digital norms and culture.
Most prominent among the worries in higher education post-2022 is that students may use ChatGPT to cheat. Yet, AI has also been used for good purposes. For example, AI can be used during the application process by students trying to optimise their admission essays. AI can be used to design higher education programmes, from ideation to extracurricular activity design. It can also be used by students beyond assessments, including summarising reports or automating day-to-day tasks.
Finally, AI can be used by students to get one-on-one non-judgmental tutoring, empowering them to overcome embarrassment or introversion.
Challenges remain due to the fact that AI is driven by existing available data. Therefore, the results it produces, while potentially expansive, continue to be somewhat summative of what has been done before. Hence, a key limitation of AI is that it is hamstrung by existing data sets, which means it may lack capacity to innovate or unlearn stereotypes and misconceptions without human intervention.
When it comes to curricula, this might lead to stymieing of new ideas and embedding old scholarly biases such as a continued prioritisation of English-language literature from the Global North. For students, AI-powered tools help them optimise their personal learning experiences, but also challenge serendipitous intercultural learning.
Research gaps and implications
Extant work on digitalisation of international education relates to the impact on curricula, campus culture and interactions, student engagement and broader policy implications. This ranges from the use of information technologies in international education, collaborative online international learning (COIL) and virtual mobility to the digital experiences of international students.
However, there is less work on the broader digital environment as a space for internationalisation and on the use of AI in international education. Yet, there are implications for both research and practice in the field, especially in the following four key areas.
• International student experience: From student transition to academic practices and well-being, international students are interacting online, which means that there is a need to update traditional research on student experiences. For example, the ways AI is used to devise transition and student services programmes is highly dependent on past practices, hampering the ability to innovate. Therefore, new research that would examine the digital environment as an essential space through which to understand student experiences is needed.
• Internationalisation of the curriculum: The ways AI is used in higher education are changing at a fast pace and happening outside discussions on international education. Therefore, any research and practice relating to internationalisation that does not engage with the digital environment is somewhat incomplete, making it imperative for increased dialogue between researchers and practitioners in educational technology and international education.
• Internationalisation at home: A truly international digital environment would include the use and an understanding of the norms of different platforms and practices. Yet, most institutions understandably have one preferred online learning management system with a preferred style of online engagement. Research is needed to examine how the digital environment is a space for integration or segregation of student cohorts because such institutional practices contradict the naturally diverse online behaviours of students.
• International education models: With the rise of technology, microcredentials, accreditation challenges and loss of trust in institutions, how have established models of international education, such as virtual exchange and transnational education, accounted for the changing needs of students and faculty? Research into this changing landscape is important to look at any spill-out effects on credentialing requirements and career pathways in the global economy.
Active, innovative thinkers
The integration of AI in education will fundamentally transform how students learn and prepare for the future. By embracing AI, we empower students to become not just consumers of knowledge, but active, innovative thinkers who are ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
But how do we achieve this? Higher education policy and practice should guide them in using AI not only productively, but also ethically and responsibly, ensuring they remain adaptable and resilient lifelong learners.
To this end, we recommend developing guidelines or frameworks for ethical and responsible use of AI in education. This could include the establishment of interdisciplinary research and practice groups or initiatives to bridge the gap between international education research and technology.
Such efforts would help break down pre-existing disciplinary silos and create new knowledge to support and empower students in the evolving landscape of international education against the background of increasingly pervasive AI. It is time for international education to engage in this conversation.
Let us work together to ensure that our students are equipped with the skills and knowledge they will need to thrive in a world where AI is an increasingly integral part of our lives.
▲ Shanton Chang is associate dean (international) and professor of information behaviour at the School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Australia. E-mail: Shanton.Chang@unimelb.edu.au.
▲ Marc Cheong is senior lecturer at the School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne. E-mail: marc.cheong@unimelb.edu.au.
▲Eduardo Araujo Oliveira is senior lecturer at the School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne. E-mail: eduardo.oliveira@unimelb.edu.au.
This article was first published in the current edition of International Higher Education. This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of International School News.
저작권자 ⓒ 국제학교뉴스, 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지