Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching and Learning

First Advisor

Susan Powers

Second Advisor

Annie Liner

Third Advisor

Zachariah Mathew

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a widespread shift to online education, compelling higher education institutions to reassess their delivery methods. South Asian international students, a significant global demographic, were particularly affected. This qualitative study examines how South Asian international graduate students experience online learning at U.S. universities and the strategies they use to succeed. Guided by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, the research addresses two questions: (1) What are the experiences faced by South Asian international students in online classes? and (2) What tools and strategies do they use to enhance their online learning experience? Participants were ten graduate students from South Asia recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Semi-structured Zoom interviews, about an hour each, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Coding combined deductive, literature-informed codes with inductive, data-driven codes; an updated codebook was developed iteratively. A second coder reviewed a subset of transcripts to enhance consistency. Data saturation was observed by the tenth interview. Findings show three experience themes: (a) disconnection and isolation; (b) navigating cultural and pedagogical shifts; and (c) flexibility versus cognitive overload, and two strategy themes: (d) technology as an adaptive strategy and (e) the role of faculty and course design.

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