«Beforehand we didn’t talk at all»: contribution of online study groups to the social and academic integration of immigrant students

Abstract Inclusion of immigrant students into higher education is of major social, political and academic importance. Hence, much effort has been made to identify factors that are essential for their successful integration into the academic world. One factor that has received only little attention is online networks, and specifically—the online study groups that offer immigrant students important learning, cultural and social resources. Accordingly, this study aimed at (a) examining the obstacles that immigrant students encounter in their participation in OSGs; (b) identifying ways for a more active online participation; and (c) determining the role that such participation plays in immigrant students’ social and academic integration. These goals were achieved using a case study of students of Ethiopian origin in Israel. The study was conducted in two stages: without and with intervention, which included incorporation of a formal OSG into an academic course. The findings show that participation in the OSG enabled the immigrant students a better access to academic resources and new communication channels with the majority peers. As such, the study emphasizes that participation in OSGs can facilitate immigrant students’ integration into the student community as a significant step towards their better integration into broader social circles.