Compassionate love: improving international student online learning through new literacies

Abstract

Ongoing research shows that online teaching has become a popular source of learning at educational institutions. Evidence illustrates that many international students encounter challenges in their online classes. These difficulties are involved in communication with professors and peers, and their engagement with the coursework. This study extends the existing literature, as its focus is on how instructors can teach with love by integrating the modes of new literacies. International graduate students (N = 17) participated in this exploratory case study. This study suggests that instructors use the interactive online teaching (IOT) model, into which the modes of new literacies are incorporated, share love, and be socially present to respond to all their students' needs. The researcher recommends instructors build engagement in their online community using the “triple A” concept: be accessible, be accountable, and be adaptative. The findings provide guidelines for practitioners to enhance learning and exchange information with international students in online classes.

Keywords:

• Online classes
• theory of love
• dual-level new literacies theory
• social presence theory
• compassionate love

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tala Michelle Karkar Esperat

Dr. Tala Karkar Esperat serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Eastern New Mexico University. Her research is focused on preservice teachers' literacies, international students' online literacies, new literacies, the coaching of teachers, literacy assessment, and the teaching pedagogical practices.