Understanding the Factors that affect Motivation of Local Students to Interact with International Students in Online Social Communities

International students face social and educational challenges in host countries. Local students’ interaction with international students can help overcome those challenges. However, existing research finds that this level of interaction is generally low. While factors affecting motivation to participate in online communities has been heavily studied, understanding the factors that motivate local students to interact with international students in online communities remain a gap in the literature. This thesis investigates such factors. Understanding those factors can enable the design of human computer interaction artifacts that enhance their interaction. This thesis is an exploratory study that develops a survey instrument and evaluates its quality. The data attests to the high quality of the survey questionnaire; shows that local students have low levels of interaction with international students in online communities; and shows that seven motivation factors can motivate local students to different degrees to interact with international students in online communities.