The digital explosion: It’s impact on international student achievement

Highlights

• The use of digital interactive e-books significantly impacts student assessment and exam marks.

• For interactive e-books to be effective it is critical that students engage with the material through summative assessment.

• Digital interactive e-books are viewed positively by international students.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to conduct empirical research into the use of an interactive e-book in a predominantly international MSc Business Management cohort, evaluating its impact on engagement, and academic achievement. There is a lacuna in the current state of research into interactive e-books, and a lack of attention on international students studying in the UK. Quantitative data was obtained and analysed using t-tests and correlational analysis. The key findings were that those students who used the interactive e-book scored significantly higher coursework and examination marks than those students who did not. Student engagement was critical to the effectiveness of the interactive e-book, with students performing better when it was adopted as summative as opposed to formative assessment. The paper contributes to the literature on blended learning and the use of digital technology, and strongly highlights the benefits of its use in an international student cohort.

Introduction

This study aims to address a gap in research regarding blended learning with a focus on digital interactive e-books and their impact on international students’ academic achievement within the UK. Higher education is a major economic contributor to the UK, with student numbers reaching 2,343,095 in 2017 (HESA, 2019). Due to its importance, much research has been conducted on improving the outcomes of students (Dziuban et al., 2018; López-pérez et al., 2011; Chetcuti et al., 2014; Jungic et al., 2015). However, there is a scarcity of research focusing on improving the attainment and experience of international students (Bartram, 2008; Madge et al., 2015). With numbers reaching 442,375 in 2017 (HESA, 2019), this is crucial considering the challenges these students face (Yu and Moskal, 2018; Norton et al., 2018). Due to the impact of both home and international students on the UK economy, and society as a whole (OECD, 2012; Madge et al., 2015), this is something that needs to be remedied.

Extensive research has focussed on the use of blended and flipped learning as tools to improve achievement with mixed results. Some research has found that blended and flipped learning enhance student interaction while others have found it does not as it relies on student independence and motivation (Boelens et al., 2017; Dziuban et al., 2018; Herodotou et al., 2018; Johnson et al., 2016). However, there is a lack of studies focusing on the use of digital interactive e-books, with the majority focusing on digital textbooks with no interactivity (Ju Joo et al., 2017; Junco & Clem, 2015; Smith & Carlin, 2012), and very often a lack of focus on the UK in comparison to the US. This distinction is important due to the social and political differences between the two countries (Norton et al., 2018). The rise of the so called education 4.0 (Dong et al., 2020; Hussin, 2018), along with wide scale changes to the social and technological environments in which students now find themselves (Judd, 2018), suggests that research is required in this area. Consequently, this research adds to the knowledge on the use of interactive digital technology as a form of blended learning, with particular focus on the impact on international students’ academic achievement. For the purposes of this study, impact on academic achievement is defined as a statistically significant increase in student marks. The key gap addressed is the lack of focus on interactive digital textbooks and their impact on international students studying in the UK.

The first part of this paper analyses the key changes that have occurred in higher education in recent years. The literature review then provides a critical analysis of blended learning and interactive e-books. The methodology adopted and the key results are then presented, before an analysis of the key research contributions. These include firstly the finding that interactive e-books significantly impact on student academic achievement, secondly the best way to engage students through summative, as opposed to formative assessment and finally the extension of the pedagogic theoretical literature on the international student population in the context of interactive digital technology. Suggestions for further research are then provided.