International Student Agency in a Digital Learning Environment: Reflections from the COVID-19 Era

• In Event: International Students and Social Media and Digital Learning

Proposal

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought profound impacts on international students, significantly changing their academic experiences, social integration, and overall well-being. In Spring 2020, around 96% of higher education institutions canceled on-campus events across 599 institutions (Martel, 2020). As universities rapidly transition to online learning, international students face unique challenges, including visa limitations, travel restrictions, and feeling isolated from family, peers, and social networks.

The shift to the digital learning environment has emerged as a critical issue, with many international students encountering difficulties in accessing reliable internet connections or appropriate technological tools in their home countries. Time zone differences also complicated their participation in synchronous classes. This study aims to explore international students’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the digital learning environment. Specifically, it addresses the following research questions: What are the experiences of international students studying in a digital learning environment? How do international students respond to the shift to digital learning environment? How does the digital learning environment shape international students’ development?

Conceptual Lens

This study employs agency (Edwards, 2005; Hopwood, 2010; Tran & Vu, 2018) as the conceptual lens to examine how international students navigate the digital learning environment. Tran and Vu define agency as “an individual or collective capacity to act with “intentionality” in line with “rational” choices and in response to a given circumstance” (p. 2018). Agency is further categorized into individual agency and relational agency.

Individual agency is conceptualized as needs-response agency and agency for becoming. Needs-response agency emphasizes an individual’s needs related to education, emotion, and finance in responding to social and structural contexts. Agency for becoming highlights proactive actions taken by individuals to transform themselves in response to contexts. Relational agency encompasses agency as struggle and resistance and collective agency for contestation. Agency as struggle and resistance refers to the ways in which individuals resist and reconstruct responding to challenging situations, while collective agency for contestation underscores an individual’s empowerment to fight against unjust circumstances.

Methodology

This study used phenomenology methodology with social constructivism paradigm (Creswell & Poth, 2025), which seeks to understand the lived experiences of international students in the digital learning environment and their response mechanism. Phenomenology allows for an exploration of meaning-making process of international students, facilitating an in-depth interpretation of the “texts” of their experiences.

Data Collection

This study used semi-structured and open-ended interviews to ensure informal and flowing conversations with participants. Purposeful sampling was employed to recruit international students who transitioned from in-person setting to virtual learning environment during the pandemic in higher education institutions. Aligned with the scope of the study, seven international students were selected regardless of their gender, nationality, and major.

Data Analysis

After reading through the data multiple times to familiarize myself with the data, I used initial coding to involve a line-by-line or even word-by-word analysis aiming to “open up the inquiry” and to produce concepts that fit the data (Strauss, 1987, p. 29). Axial coding helps establish dense relationships “around the “axis” of the category being focused upon” (Strauss, 1987, p. 64) and determines the dominant codes and less dominant codes (Saldaña, 2013). I focused on coding the contexts, conditions, interactions, and consequences of participants’ stories to find patterns and themes (Saldaña, 2013).

Preliminary Findings

Participants described their needs for financial support, social interaction, and overall well-being during the transition from in-person to digital learning. They expressed initial discomfort, concerns, and challenges at the beginning of the pandemic. For example, Huanqi shared that it was easier for her to become distracted by other things in a virtual learning environment. Prior to the pandemic, she could engage with peers and collaborate on tasks, but the shift to online learning led to a decline in productivity due to distractions from social media. In a similar vein, Jack noted that he missed the in-person interaction with professors and peers, finding communication more challenging in a virtual setting.

Despite these difficulties, participants demonstrated resilience and quickly adapted to the online learning mode. They made adjustments by creating dedicated workspaces at home and embraced the new learning environment. Participants also exhibited a heightened sense of agency, as they navigated uncertainties and challenges with a positive outlook. Rather than attributing blame to the situation or others, they found silver linings in the pandemic. For example, some appreciated not needing to dress up for campus and found value in spending more time in self-reflection. Like one participant, reflected on how he began to enjoy spending time alone, using it as an opportunity for self-reflection and personal growth.

In addition to these strategies, some participants also addressed concerns about being targeted due to an-Asian sentiment. Liuli, for example, took an active role in combating discrimination by explaining Asian culture and advocating against prejudice in the digital learning environment. This proactive approach underscored the participants’ capacity to resist and reconstruct their responses to challenging situations.

Significance and Contribution

This study highlights the experiences of international students navigating digital learning environments, revealing how they use these experiences for self-improvement and development. The findings suggest that international students are active agents who address diverse needs, overcome challenges, and transform themselves. The study offers implications for higher education institutions, highlighting the need for equitable and appropriate support for international students in digital learning contexts.

Author

• Minghui Hou, Southern Illinois University Carbondale