Understanding Saudi Arabian students' engagement in E-learning 2.0 in Australian Higher Education

This paper focuses on understanding Saudi Arabian students‟ engagement in e-learning 2.0 in Australian higher education. Eight Saudi students enrolled in the Australian Higher Education were interviewed to discuss their experiences and attitudes towards e-learning 2.0 using Semi-structured interviews. A qualitative approach was adopted to analyse the gathered data. The approach was based largely upon Charmaz‟s constructivist grounded theory. Key findings indicated that Saudi Arabian students were able to utilise the e-learning 2.0 settings in their respective universities as tools in which they interacted with other people while preparing themselves to become more interactive in their classes. At the same time, elearning 2.0 served as a means for these students to steadily get over the socio-cultural barriers that might hinder them from making the most out of their education in Australia. However, it was also found that the language barrier that persisted even in the e-learning 2.0 environment made it more challenging for students to break through other barriers. Furthermore, it was found that the gender segregation culture that Saudi Arabian students have been used to still affected them in Australia, even in taking advantage of the e-learning 2.0 opportunities. This paper presents a discussion of four axial codes /categories that were identified that shape the Saudi students' attitudes, experiences and their engagement with e-learning 2.0. Specific attention is given to the 'Engaging in learning through technology' axis.