The benefits of virtual learning abroad programs for higher education students: A phenomenological research study

BACKGROUND

Higher education institutions offer in-country learning abroad programs to provide healthcare students with the opportunity to gain the intercultural and global competencies they need to work in a globally interconnected world. During the Covid-19 pandemic, institutions offered virtual learning abroad programs as an alternative to the in-country programs, however, little is known about whether they provide comparable benefits to students.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to investigate, and identify, the benefits gained by higher education healthcare students through their participation in a virtual learning abroad program.

DESIGN/METHODS

This research implemented a qualitative approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with four higher education students enrolled in the final year of their healthcare studies. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

RESULTS

The results revealed that virtual programs provide a range of benefits students can use in their future careers. They also provide students with a positive learning experience and an opportunity for personal growth. However, although the benefits students gain from virtual learning abroad programs are similar to those they gain from in-country programs, they are not identical. While virtual learning abroad programs are a viable alternative for in-country programs and offer many benefits, they fail to replicate the intercultural and global competencies that in-country programs offer to students.

CONCLUSION

This study focusses on virtual learning abroad programs and whether the benefits healthcare students gain from them are comparable to the traditional in-country programs. Students gain personal and professional benefits from these programs without the risks and costs associated with international travel. However, the identified lack of increased global awareness has implications for how the benefits of virtual learning abroad programs should be promoted to students.

The impact of learning abroad programs in developing countries: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

An increasing number of higher education healthcare students from developed countries are undertaking short-term learning abroad programs in developing countries. However, sociocultural differences between the students and the communities could lead to unintended, possibly negative consequences for the community. The objective of this review was to explore what is known about the impact of learning abroad programs undertaken by healthcare students on the communities in the developing countries who host them.

DESIGN

The six-step scoping review developed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) provided a methodological framework for searching the literature and identifying records meeting the inclusion criteria.

DATA SOURCES

A comprehensive range of databases were used to facilitate the literature search (including CINHAHL, EBSCO, ERIC, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science).

REVIEW METHODS

A two-stage review process was undertaken. Stage 1 reviewed articles on learning abroad undertaken in developing countries by higher education healthcare students. Stage 2 identified articles that reported the impact on the host community. Articles meeting the stage 2 criteria were further assessed for methodological quality using the Critical Review Form for Qualitative Studies.

RESULTS

The stage 2 review revealed less than one quarter of the included articles (n = 36) reported on the impact of the learning abroad program on the host community and across these eight articles, there was a significant diversity in the methodological rigour and outcomes presented.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified that most of the published research on learning abroad in developing countries focusses almost exclusively on the impact the programs have on the students, with a paucity of research considering how they impact host communities. Our findings suggest the need to further extend and strengthen the research on the host communities in order to understand the impact higher education healthcare students have on the international communities who host them.