A Case Study of the Practical Implications of Using Interactive Technology in Teaching International Postgraduate Students

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by nayy☆

Many educators struggle to keep students actively engaged, especially international postgraduate learners facing competing priorities and social barriers. This case study evaluates the practical implications of using interactive technology in supporting their learning experience and inclusion. Findings show a positive influence on students’ learning experience, attainment of learning outcomes, and motivation. The approach enables more genuine participation in assessment tasks and voice expression without fear or peer or faculty pressure. Challenges include lead time for training faculty and students.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Teacher-centred learning challenges

Interactive technology and tools

Literature Review

The problems encountered by international students

Language barriers

Academic transition and academic shock

A Case Study of the Practical Implications of Using Interactive Technology in Teaching International Postgraduate Students Samer Skaik School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia ORCID: 0000-0003-2154-0201 Roksana Jahan Tumpa School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia ORCID: 0000-0003-4721-5300 Received: 28 Jun 2021 Accepted: 26 Sep 2021 Abstract Many educators struggle to engage or stimulate students to actively engage in classes. International students, in particular, are more vulnerable to the risk of disengagement due to their competing priorities and social barriers. The use of interactive technology can promote active learning and facilitate better student experience and inclusion. This case study aims to examine the practical implication of one of the popular interactive technologies on the learning experience of international students. The study revealed that adopting the interactive technology in lectures had an obvious positive impact on student learning experience, attainment of learning outcomes, and motivation levels. It helped students engage genuinely in the assessment tasks and have their voice heard without fear or influence by faculty or peer pressure. The study also identified some challenges including the lead time required for training both faculty and students on using the technology more effectively. The study contributes to the existing knowledge by providing evidence-based implications of using interactive technology in higher education. Keywords: active learning, interactive technology, international students, Mentimeter INTRODUCTION In the digital age, the availability of innovative technologies provides a great opportunity for educators to move away from teacher-centred learning (McGarr, 2009) . Teacher-centred learning may not be helpful to international students who usually feel reluctant to engage in class activities due to cultural and language barriers (Andrade, 2006) . Those students have competing priorities such as settling in a new country and working to fund their studies and may not have the motivation to engage genuinely in their studies (Brimble, 2016) . Furthermore, peer pressure plays a major role in holding students back in a classroom and therefore, their engagement becomes so limited (Zhou et al., 2008) . Engaging those students becomes more problematic in units that are typically dry and boring such as research methods units (Sillaots, 2014; Winn, 1995) . The appropriate use of technology can help address the lack of student engagement (Rashid & Asghar, 2016) . Many online interactive tools are currently available that can serve this purpose such as Socrative, Mentimeter, GoSoapBox, and Poll Everywhere. Such tools adopt different approaches to developing interactive content for educational purposes which was proven to be effective in engaging learners, especially in large groups (Little, 2016; Mayer et al., 2009) . Many studies have examined the impact of using various interactive technological tools on student education in different contexts (e.g., Gokbulut, 2020; Heaslip et al., 2014; Khalili & Ostafichuk, 2018; Skoyles & Bloxsidge, 2017; Van Daele, et al., 2017; Wood, 2020) but there is little research conducted to thoroughly understand the practical implications of using such interactive technology on the learning experience of international students. Accordingly, this case study aims to understand the practical implications of adopting Mentimeter, as one of the emerging interactive technologies, and carefully examine whether the learning experience of international students was significantly improved. LITERATURE REVIEW The Problems Encountered by International Students International students undergo a number of challenges when it comes to pursuing their higher studies in a foreign country. The major adjustments international st

FAQs

What is the purpose of the case study?

To examine the practical implications of adopting an interactive technology—specifically Mentimeter—on the learning experience of international postgraduate students.

How did the interactive technology affect students’ learning?

It produced an obvious positive impact on learning experience, attainment of learning outcomes, and motivation levels.

What challenges did the study identify when using the technology?

It highlighted the lead time required to train both faculty and students to use the technology more effectively.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by nayy☆