acculturation to online learning: a case study of chinese student sojourners at an australian university

Rainbow Tsai-Hung Chen

Research program: Globalisation and Education

This research aims to investigate Chinese student sojourners' acculturation to online learning at an Australian university by:

1. understanding the process of change in the participants' perceptions of online learning and in the acculturation strategies they use to adapt to online learning;
2. examining the suitability of the existing acculturation frameworks in accounting for the participants' experiences;
3. developing an appropriate framework to conceptualise the participants' online acculturation experiences based on the themes emerging from the study.

The study employs a qualitative, cross-cohort, multiple case study design. Approximately fifteen cases will be studied. Data collection methods include individual interviews, focus groups, a study process questionnaire and document reviews.