This study explores the experiences provided by 943 first-year international business learners from Nepal, Bangladesh, and India enrolled in three courses at a private institution in Denmark, examining how instructional design influences engagement, learning, and meaning-making. Using a basic interpretive qualitative research design, data were collected through a qualitative survey with open-ended questions and systematic classroom observations, capturing learners’ reflections and real-time behaviors. The researchers approached the data from an etic perspective, while striving to honor participants’ voices, focusing on both successes and challenges in international learning experiences. Data analysis employed a deductive thematic approach, guided by the Fujii & Perez CARE² framework, which emphasizes Culture, Collaboration, Agency, Agility, Relevance, Repetition, Engagement, and Evaluation. Findings indicate that learners in the CARE²-informed intervention group experienced culturally supportive environments, meaningful collaboration, opportunities for agency, relevant and repeated content, and high engagement reinforced by ongoing evaluation. Deductive analysis revealed the elements most salient to learners, demonstrating the critical value of learner-centered, culturally responsive instructional design in diverse educational contexts.

Authors:
Karen K. Fujii, Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College, Denmark
Natalie Perez, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Natalie Perez is a senior research scientist and adjunct faculty specializing in educational technology, instructional design, and organizational psychology, with a focus on mixed methods research in higher education and corporate settings.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-perez-ph-d-6ab4b5ab/

Karen Fujii, Ph.D., an associate professor at Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College in Copenhagen, Denmark. MBA and level-six module leader who teaches international students' courses in cross-cultural management, marketing, and business strategy.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-fujii/
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karen-Fujii-2

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-fujii/

Additional website of interest
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=h8ZyyxgAAAAJ&hl=en

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