Almost a fifth (18 per cent) of all undergraduate and postgraduate taught students registered for a UK qualification are based outside the country, as the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s latest aggregate offshore record has reported, highlighting the surge in popularity of UK transnational education (TNE).
As UK TNE student numbers grow and global competition intensifies, there have been recent calls for more publicly accessible TNE student experience data to support sector reflection, enhancement and improvement. Jisc’s latest report, Global Education and Technology: Insights into Transnational Student and Staff Digital Experiences, represents the voices of more than 5,000 students and staff studying or working with UK universities abroad.
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The research focuses on lived experiences of teaching and learning through a digital lens, and some of the challenges that can unintentionally occur for TNE students.
Why focus on the TNE ‘digital experience’?
Digital, data and technology are interwoven into all aspects of UK higher education, regardless of whether teaching and learning is classroom-based or fully online. In 2023, Jisc collaborated with 14 HE providers to better understand the digital experience of international students (that is, those travelling to the UK to study) and found:
- global geographical location affects access to digital infrastructure
- education and cultural backgrounds shape expectations around how technology supports teaching and learning.
This research led to requests that TNE students (that is, those who study with UK institutions while remaining abroad), and the staff who support them, become the next topic of focus.
The known digital challenges for UK transnational higher education
The four key digital challenges to global education delivery that are known to UK institutional staff and sector leaders, as identified in Jisc’s first TNE report, are:
- connectivity and access to devices and technology
- access to digital resources such as online platforms, software, e-books and e-journals
- cultural differences in how digital is used to support teaching and learning
- digital skills of students and staff.
Jisc’s second report, in partnership with 19 UK HE providers, focuses on the digital experiences of 4,802 TNE students and 471 staff across 51 instances of TNE provision in more than 30 countries. This includes all forms of teaching delivery, from fully online to classroom based.
It provides detail on the lived experiences of students and staff in relation to the four known digital challenges:
Connectivity, wi-fi access and large-screen-device ownership
While reliable electricity and free public wi-fi are common across Europe and North America, this is far from the norm in other countries, as the Jisc report identifies. So students may be restricted to studying only when they are able to get online. Many TNE students rely on mobile data (at additional personal cost) to access learning materials – even when on university campuses. In addition, large-screen ownership (of, for example, laptop computers) is less common in countries and cultures outside Europe and North America. Many students try to read core texts on their mobile phones.
Access to digital resources
Publisher and software licensing restrictions, national regulations and platform availability all affect access to digital resources. Students in some regions struggle to access scholarly databases, e-texts or even basic learning management systems. In certain countries, YouTube, Google and Captcha are inaccessible. Teaching staff talked about their need to adapt curriculum delivery; professional services staff spoke of their frustration when licensing costs or digital resource planning are not considered before the formation of new TNE partnerships.
Addressing cultural assumptions in teaching
Cultural context can shape educational expectations and influence digital skills, so early course guidance becomes essential.
Students in Asia and Africa, for example, often have limited experience of independent study or digital research. Teaching practices that assume a UK-style academic culture – such as encouraging students to “form their own view” or “critically evaluate sources” – may not resonate unless staff take the time to explain why these skills matter.
Rather than framing academic integrity as a set of rules to follow, it can be presented as a skill to develop, one that supports students in building their own voice, using credible sources and enhancing employability. This shift in tone can make a real difference in how students engage with learning.
While students expect teaching to be UK-centric, incorporating regional case studies, diverse perspectives and locally relevant materials can also deepen understanding and improve engagement.
Digital skills and capabilities
Students’ confidence in their own digital skills varies by learning mode, with online or distance learners receiving the least support to explain how best to use technologies for their learning. The report identified unclear or conflicting guidance around the use of digital tools such as AI as a concern for many students and staff.
Supporting staff to support students
TNE staff – whether based in the host country, flying in for short periods of time or working remotely – often face the same digital challenges as students, yet their insights are rarely captured or recognised. Staff based in the host country are often well placed to interpret UK expectations and adapt content to local contexts, while staff who fly into the country are highly aware of between-country differences in infrastructure, connectivity and access.
The report also found that professional services staff in the UK, who are called on to provide remote support to TNE settings, often want training on global digital access issues and cultural differences.
Questions for reflection
Jisc’s TNE research prompts those working in UK HE to question their assumptions in relation to domestic versus global technology use and highlights the need for a global perspective when designing “education for export”.
The latest report contains a set of recommendations for both policymakers and UK HE institutions. To help translate these recommendations into action, staff working in TNE environments may consider these questions:
- Are course materials accessible in low-bandwidth environments? Can students open links embedded into resources?
- Has the need for independent study skills and academic integrity been fully explained to students?
- Do licensing agreements support students studying in restricted digital environments?
- Are mobile-friendly or offline alternatives offered (while working with publisher licensing restrictions)?
- Are students provided with clear onboarding in relation to how digital tools will be used to support learning?
- Are the local infrastructure and digital realities of host country partners fully understood?
- Are insights of TNE colleagues, especially those based overseas, being captured and learned from?
- Is training that reflects the global nature of provision being offered?
- Are curricula that reflect diverse cultural contexts and local employability needs being designed?
- Are digital expectations being communicated clearly before students enrol?
These questions aren’t just about improving student experience; they’re about ensuring UK higher education remains globally relevant, inclusive and competitive.
Tabetha Newman is a senior specialist at Jisc and an external consultant specialising in digital education and student experience. Elizabeth Newall is a senior sector specialist in digital transformation at Jisc.
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