Meeting the Needs of International Students on the Internet

Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

William Hoffa

Abstract

As the international education profession continues to search for solutions to its growing need to support, recruit, and retain study abroad students, more professionals are turning to Web-based services as a stream-lined, paper-free way to manage student services. This research studies the case of the Institute for German Language and Culture (IGLC), Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany, and its process towards creating a student-oriented Web site. While a Web-based student support structure certainly can be an easy way to put recruitment material alongside student orientation information the real question is how this can be done efficiently, effectively, and to the benefit of the student. These aspects were explored in the case of the IGLC in relation to the following research question: Can greater international student support and satisfaction be rendered by making theory and practice based improvements to the IGLC program Website?

Conclusions gathered by the research were not as expected. However, recommendations can be made regarding the future evolution of the IGLC Web site. The following recommendations were made: 1. Continue the evaluation and on-going improvement of the IGLC Web site. 2. Monitor the different student populations’ exposure to the Web site based on the needs of the particular student population. 3. After building on the first two areas expand research on the homogenous student (study abroad participants) population’s dependency on the home institution for advising.

Disciplines

Instructional Media Design | International and Comparative Education

This document is currently not available here.

Share

 
COinS