Enhancing online and intercultural communication skills through an online training program for Thai undergraduates in the New Normal

Abstract

The objectives of this study were, firstly, to implement and determine the effectiveness of an online training program designed to enhance the online communication and intercultural communication skills of undergraduate students and, secondly, to investigate the level of satisfaction of undergraduate students towards the program. The participants were 50 international students at a Thai university who were enrolled in the first semester of the 2023 academic year in a course called “Learning and Problem Solving Skills” (Gen 121). The instruments used in the study consisted of a pre-test/post-test of online communication and intercultural communication skills and a satisfaction online questionnaire to determine the level of student satisfaction with the program. Quantitative methods were used to analyze the data. The results were twofold. Firstly, during the implementation of the online training program, the findings showed that the online was effective in enhancing the undergraduate students’ online communication and intercultural communication skills, as shown in the pre-test (x̄ = 9.5 ) and post-test score (x̄ = 14.3). Secondly, the overall level of the students’ satisfaction toward the program was high. Despite the students’ increased awareness of online and intercultural communication skills, the results showed that this awareness was insufficient to change their study habits, particularly when it came to turning on cameras. Thus, teachers ought to provide students with explicit instructions encouraging them to turn on their cameras so that they can study online more effectively.