DIGITAL LEARNING PLATFORMS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

LIMA, CLÁUDIO DE; BASTOS, ROGÉRIO CID; VARVAKIS, GREGÓRIO

doi:10.1590/0102-4698232826

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ARTIGO • Educ. rev. 36 • 2020 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-4698232826 copy

DIGITAL LEARNING PLATFORMS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

PLATAFORMAS DIGITAIS DE APRENDIZAGEM: UMA REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA PARA APOIAR A INTERNACIONALIZAÇÃO DO ENSINO SUPERIOR

PLATAFORMAS DIGITALES DE APRENDIZAJE: UNA REVISIÓN INTEGRADORA PARA APOYAR LA INTERNACIONALIZACIÓN DE LA EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT:

The process of integrating an international, intercultural, and global dimension into the purpose, functions or delivery of education defines the Internationalization of Higher Education (IoHE). Due to lack of resources for education, internationalization at home (IaH) has gained popularity. Internationalization of Higher Education involving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) opens opportunities for innovative learning approaches across nations and cultures. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the scientific publications of recent years on digital learning platforms related to IoHE. For this, a descriptive exploratory research was conducted based on an integrative literature review. Analysis of this field shows that e-learning platforms have boosted online and distance learning and diversified the IoHE landscape. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programs emerge as part of IaH and reflect the growing link between ICTs, social media, and internationalization. The concept of virtual internationalization can be used as a conceptual framework to promote IoHE.

Keywords:
Internationalization of Higher Education; digital platform; e-learning; MOOC; COIL

Database	Keywords
Scopus	internationali?ation AND "higher education" AND ( ((virtual OR online OR e-) W/3 learning) OR (learning W/3 ("management system" OR environment OR platform)) OR "massive open online courses" OR "MOOC")
WoS	internationali?ation AND "higher education" AND ( ((virtual OR online OR e-) NEAR/3 learning) OR (learning NEAR/3 ("management system" OR environment OR platform)) OR "massive open online courses" OR "MOOC")

Classification	Indicators
A	(Qualis CAPES stratum ≥ A2) OR (JCR impact factor > 2)
B	(Qualis CAPES stratum ≥ B1) OR (JCR impact factor > 1)
C	(Qualis CAPES stratum ≥ B3) OR (SJR index > 0.275)

Category	Articles
Students' Experiences	(BASON; MAY; LAFOUNTAINE, 2018BASON, T.; MAY, A.; LAFOUNTAINE, J. Exploring the attitudes of students undertaking sports degrees towards online international learning. Motriz. Revista de Educacao Fisica, v. 24, n. 3, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1980-657420180003e000818 https://doi.org/10.1590/s1980-6574201800... ; *GEMMELL et al., 2015GEMMELL, I. et al. Internationalisation in online distance learning postgraduate education: a case study on student views on learning alongside students from other countries. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, v. 52, n. 2, p. 137-147, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2014.881264 https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2014.88... ; HARRISON et al., 2018HARRISON, R. A. et al. The experience of international postgraduate students on a distance-learning programme. Distance Education, v. 39, n. 4, p. 480-494, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2018.1520038 https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2018.15... ; HYETT et al., 2018HYETT, N. et al. Trialing Virtual Intercultural Learning With Australian and Hong Kong Allied Health Students to Improve Cultural Competency. Journal of Studies in International Education, v. 23, n. 3, p. 389-406, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318786442 https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318786442... ; MITTELMEIER et al., 2017MITTELMEIER, J. et al. The influence of internationalised versus local content on online intercultural collaboration in groups: A randomised control trial study in a statistics course. Computers & Education, v. 118, p. 82-95, Mar. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.11.003 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.1... ; POUROMID, 2019POUROMID, S. Towards multimodal interactions in the multilingual EFL classroom: Lessons from a COIL experience. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, v.8, n. 3, p. 627-637, 2019. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v8i3.15262 https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v8i3.15262... ; STANWAY et al., 2019STANWAY, B. R. et al. Tensions and Rewards: Behind the Scenes in a Cross-Cultural Student-Staff Partnership. Journal of Studies in International Education, v. 23, n. 1, p. 30-48, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318813199 https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318813199... ; WIHLBORG et al., 2017*WIHLBORG, M. et al. Facilitating learning through an international virtual collaborative practice: A case study. Nurse Education Today, v. 61, p. 3-8, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2017.10.007 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2017.10.0... ).
Strategies and Models	(*ALTINAY et al., 2019ALTINAY, F. et al. A study of knowledge management systems processes and technology in open and distance education institutions in higher education. International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, v.36, n.4, p. 314-321, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-02-2019-0020 https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-02-2019-00... ; HOWARD et al., 2017HOWARD, W. et al. A formative case evaluation for the design of an online delivery model providing access to study abroad activities. Online Learning Journal, v. 21, n. 3, p. 115-134, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i3.1234 https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i3.1234... ; KENT et al., 2017KENT, M. et al. The Case for Captioned Lectures in Australian Higher Education. TechTrends, v. 62, n. 2, p. 158-165, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0225-x https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0225-... ; KUNG, 2017KUNG, M. Methods and Strategies for Working with International Students Learning Online in the U.S. TechTrends, v. 61, n. 5, p. 479-485, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0209-x https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0209-... ; MORONG; DESBIENS, 2016*MORONG, G.; DESBIENS, D. Culturally responsive online design: learning at intercultural intersections. Intercultural Education, v. 27, n. 5, p. 474-492, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2016.1240901 https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2016.12... ).
Blended Learning	(*BRIDGES et al., 2014BRIDGES, S. et al. Blended learning in situated contexts: 3-year evaluation of an online peer review project. European Journal of Dental Education, v. 18, n. 3, p. 170-179, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12082 https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12082... ; CANIGLIA et al., 2017CANIGLIA, G. et al. The glocal curriculum: A model for transnational collaboration in higher education for sustainable development. Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 171, p. 368-376, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.207 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.0... ; CHEW; SNEE; PRICE, 2014CHEW, E.; SNEE, H.; PRICE, T. Enhancing international postgraduates’ learning experience with online peer assessment and feedback innovation. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, v. 53, n. 3, p. 247-259, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2014.937729 https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2014.93... ; PROTSIV; ATKINS, 2016PROTSIV, M.; ATKINS, S. The experiences of lecturers in African, Asian and European universities in preparing and delivering blended health research methods courses: A qualitative study. Global Health Action, v.9, n. 1, 2016. https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v9.28149 https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v9.28149... ; SEVILLA-PAVÓN, 2015*SEVILLA-PAVÓN, A. Computer assisted language learning and the internationalisation of the Portuguese language in higher education contexts. Digital Education Review, n. 28, p. 37-44, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2015.28.37-44 https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2015.28.37-4... ).
MOOC	(LITERAT, 2015LITERAT, I. Implications of massive open online courses for higher education: mitigating or reifying educational inequities? Higher Education Research and Development, v. 34, n. 6, p. 1164-1177, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2015.1024624 https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2015.10... ; MARINGE; SING, 2014MARINGE, F.; SING, N. Teaching large classes in an increasingly internationalising higher education environment: Pedagogical, quality and equity issues. Higher Education, v. 67, n. 6, p. 761-782, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9710-0 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9710-... ; *TEIXEIRA et al., 2016*TEIXEIRA, A. et al. A new competence-based approach for personalizing MOOCs in a mobile collaborative and networked environment. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, v. 19, n. 1, p. 143-160, Jan. 2016. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.19.1.14578 https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.19.1.14578... ).

Authors	Approach
*Mittelmeier et al.* (2017**MITTELMEIER, J. et al. The influence of internationalised versus local content on online intercultural collaboration in groups: A randomised control trial study in a statistics course. Computers & Education, v. 118, p. 82-95, Mar. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.11.003 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.1... )	The authors sought to encourage CSCL participation through the internationalization of online academic content used for collaborative activities. In the study, individual and group student participation was compared in an online collaborative task, which concluded that internationalization of online content can encourage individual-level participation and reduce the disparity of participation in small groups.
*Wihlborg et al.* (2017**WIHLBORG, M. et al. Facilitating learning through an international virtual collaborative practice: A case study. Nurse Education Today, v. 61, p. 3-8, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2017.10.007 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2017.10.0... )	The authors worked on the promotion of student and educator learning through virtual collaboration, and an approach of creating meaning, all in favor of incorporating a broader understanding of a given topic. The project developed by the authors established a virtual exchange of international collaboration using the Moodle software for management of courses and Adobe Connect open access technology, and developed possibilities to address challenges and find strategies for a future higher education system that opens up dialogues around the world.
*Hyett et al.* (2018**HYETT, N. et al. Trialing Virtual Intercultural Learning With Australian and Hong Kong Allied Health Students to Improve Cultural Competency. Journal of Studies in International Education, v. 23, n. 3, p. 389-406, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318786442 https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318786442... )	Aiming at exploring cultural skills learning and using affordable and low cost technology through the Skype, a virtual intercultural learning activity with undergraduate students allowed these students to practice and learn intercultural communication skills and gain greater awareness and appreciation of diversity. According to the authors, the use of virtual technologies presented new spaces for internationalization and facilitated interaction and intercultural learning.
*Stanway et al.* (2019**STANWAY, B. R. et al. Tensions and Rewards: Behind the Scenes in a Cross-Cultural Student-Staff Partnership. Journal of Studies in International Education, v. 23, n. 1, p. 30-48, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318813199 https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318813199... )	The authors presented an assessment of the participation of international students as partners in an internationalization innovation, which involved incorporating a Chinese social media platform into a postgraduate learning module to form a cross-cultural bridge for better connect academics and learning support teams. The inclusion of a curriculum internationalization focus for engaging students as partners provided unique benefits, as the partnership diverted away from the default of further privileging the privileged.
Bason, May and Lafountaine (2018BASON, T.; MAY, A.; LAFOUNTAINE, J. Exploring the attitudes of students undertaking sports degrees towards online international learning. Motriz. Revista de Educacao Fisica, v. 24, n. 3, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1980-657420180003e000818 https://doi.org/10.1590/s1980-6574201800... )	According to the authors, one way to develop international student learning experiences is through virtual internationalization, which can be promoted through the use of online international learning programs. The authors investigated the use of these programs to enhance the international experience of university students, and concluded that virtual mobility projects offer a viable method to give students international experience.
Pouromid (2019POUROMID, S. Towards multimodal interactions in the multilingual EFL classroom: Lessons from a COIL experience. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, v.8, n. 3, p. 627-637, 2019. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v8i3.15262 https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v8i3.15262... )	The author analyzed data collected from audiovisual intercultural exchanges of students involved in a COIL program. According to the author, as an indispensable component of IaH, the foreign language pedagogy bears the responsibility of equipping students at higher education institutions with intercultural competence in order to give them the ability to communicate in the target language.
*Harrison et al.* (2018**HARRISON, R. A. et al. The experience of international postgraduate students on a distance-learning programme. Distance Education, v. 39, n. 4, p. 480-494, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2018.1520038 https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2018.15... )	The authors presented a deeper understanding of the learning experience of international students in an online distance-learning environment. Online distance-learning programs in higher education allow students to stay in their home country and study in institutions in other countries. The results highlighted the need for these programs fully consider individual students’ contexts, regardless of where they are in the world.
*Gemmell et al.* (2015**GEMMELL, I. et al. Internationalisation in online distance learning postgraduate education: a case study on student views on learning alongside students from other countries. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, v. 52, n. 2, p. 137-147, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2014.881264 https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2014.88... )	The authors presented a case study that describes student views on learning alongside students from different countries in an online master's program in public health.. The authors concluded that the strategic use of a wide range of learning tools and technologies that increase collaborative working such as wikis, blogs, and discussion boards enhances the IoHE benefits.

Authors	Approach
*Howard et al. (2017*HOWARD, W. et al. A formative case evaluation for the design of an online delivery model providing access to study abroad activities. Online Learning Journal, v. 21, n. 3, p. 115-134, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i3.1234 https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i3.1234... )	The authors evaluated the effectiveness of an online delivery model using the Adobe Connect web conferencing tool to enable students to actively participate in live study activities abroad, at home or even on campus. According to the authors, students had differing opinions on the interaction with the technology and the online group asked more questions during live meetings.
Kung (2017KUNG, M. Methods and Strategies for Working with International Students Learning Online in the U.S. TechTrends, v. 61, n. 5, p. 479-485, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0209-x https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0209-... )	The author presented methods and strategies for working with international students in online courses and ways to teach them effectively. According to the author, there is a proven need for instructors to be more culturally aware when teaching, to enhance the online learning experiences of international students.
Morong and Desbiens (2016MORONG, G.; DESBIENS, D. Culturally responsive online design: learning at intercultural intersections. Intercultural Education, v. 27, n. 5, p. 474-492, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2016.1240901 https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2016.12... )	The authors presented guidelines for the culturally responsive online learning project in higher education. These guidelines provide a basis for an online design methodology to support intercultural learning and enable formative assessment of pedagogy, learning activities, and assessment applications.
*Kent et al. (2017*KENT, M. et al. The Case for Captioned Lectures in Australian Higher Education. TechTrends, v. 62, n. 2, p. 158-165, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0225-x https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0225-... )	The authors discussed the strategic benefits of digital content subtitles for a wide range of students, and how increasing internationalization affects culturally and commercially subtitling options. The authors highlighted that the increase in the internationalization of education is positively affecting for more captioned content in higher education institutions.
*Altinay et al. (2019*ALTINAY, F. et al. A study of knowledge management systems processes and technology in open and distance education institutions in higher education. International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, v.36, n.4, p. 314-321, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-02-2019-0020 https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-02-2019-00... )	The authors addressed the implementation and assessment of knowledge management and e-transformation strategies of higher education institutions in distance education. According to the authors, internationalization has become an important issue in higher education activities and, after an assessment of best educational practices in different countries, distance learning was considered a different strategy and was emphasized as a competitive advantage.

Authors	Approach
*Caniglia et al. (2017)*CANIGLIA, G. et al. The glocal curriculum: A model for transnational collaboration in higher education for sustainable development. Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 171, p. 368-376, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.207 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.0...	The authors presented a model that combines the use of digital technologies for global collaboration with experiences and involvement for local learning and impact. The Glocal model was designed and implemented in The Global Classroom, a collaborative project between a university in the United States and another in Germany. According to the authors, the model fills a major gap in higher education for sustainable development. At The Global Classroom, students worked closely with colleagues in their local seminar room, virtual scenarios, and real-world contexts. Implementing blended learning scenarios has expanded classroom space to online digital spaces.
Protsiv and Atkins (2016PROTSIV, M.; ATKINS, S. The experiences of lecturers in African, Asian and European universities in preparing and delivering blended health research methods courses: A qualitative study. Global Health Action, v.9, n. 1, 2016. https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v9.28149 https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v9.28149... )	The authors presented a study that aimed to understand the main successes and challenges in the preparation and implementation of the blended learning environment, from the perspective of teachers who were part of the ARCADE project, using the Moodle tool. According to the authors, the participants reported that they felt that blended learning increased access to learning opportunities and made training more flexible and convenient for adult learners, and that these were the main motivations for engaging in blended learning.
Sevilla-Pavón (2015)SEVILLA-PAVÓN, A. Computer assisted language learning and the internationalisation of the Portuguese language in higher education contexts. Digital Education Review, n. 28, p. 37-44, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2015.28.37-44 https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2015.28.37-4...	The author presented challenges that have arisen with the internationalization of the Portuguese language. She investigated how Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and the development of a virtual learning environment that meets the language needs of international students could help address the challenges that arose with the internationalization of the Portuguese language.
*Bridges et al. (2014*BRIDGES, S. et al. Blended learning in situated contexts: 3-year evaluation of an online peer review project. European Journal of Dental Education, v. 18, n. 3, p. 170-179, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12082 https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12082... )	The authors presented the experience assessment of a project for redesigning the curriculum of a college for deeper student learning. The web-based project in operational dentistry was established within the Universitas 21 (U21) network of higher education institutions to support university goals of internationalization in clinical learning, enabling distributed interactions between sites and institutions. The establishment of online student learning communities through a blended learning environment has stimulated motivation and intellectual engagement, thus supporting an approach geared at cognition.
Chew, Snee, and Price (2014CHEW, E.; SNEE, H.; PRICE, T. Enhancing international postgraduates’ learning experience with online peer assessment and feedback innovation. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, v. 53, n. 3, p. 247-259, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2014.937729 https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2014.93... )	The authors presented a research that investigated the academic and international experience of students with innovative peer reviews and online feedback. According to the authors, the research showed that the practice of peer evaluation increased the feedback experience for international students. The PeerMark tool was selected as an innovative peer review and online feedback tool in the study.

Authors	Approach
Literat (2015)LITERAT, I. Implications of massive open online courses for higher education: mitigating or reifying educational inequities? Higher Education Research and Development, v. 34, n. 6, p. 1164-1177, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2015.1024624 https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2015.10...	The author's analysis focused on four issues that proved to be significant in defining the future of MOOC as an equalizing force in higher education: credit, pedagogy, internationalization, and legal and financial aspects. According to the author, the recent rise of MOOCs can be understood as the convergence of some key trends in higher education, such as globalization and the drive for internationalization, and increasing personal access to technology and social media.
Maringe and Sing (2014MARINGE, F.; SING, N. Teaching large classes in an increasingly internationalising higher education environment: Pedagogical, quality and equity issues. Higher Education, v. 67, n. 6, p. 761-782, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9710-0 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9710-... )	The authors presented pedagogical strategies that addressed class size and diversity issues, including MOOCs. According to the authors, commodification, increased student mobility, massification in higher education, and stagnant university staff have all combined to cause a ripple effect of change on both demographics and the size of college classes around the world. This has implications for the quality and fairness of learning and for the need to examine and transform pedagogical practices.
*Teixeira et al. (2016*TEIXEIRA, A. et al. A new competence-based approach for personalizing MOOCs in a mobile collaborative and networked environment. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, v. 19, n. 1, p. 143-160, Jan. 2016. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.19.1.14578 https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.19.1.14578... )	The authors presented an integrated approach based on the iMOOC model, which implies a complete adaptation not only to the participant's personal profile, but also to the mobile devices used. The iMOOC pedagogical model introduced the principle of diversity in the MOOC project, allowing a clear differentiation of learning paths as well as virtual environments.

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