This paper presents research that explored international students' experiences of studying in hybrid online courses, how these students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds encounter those environments. It examines teaching, learning and cultural aspects of student engagement with the components of hybrid online learning. We report on a study performed in our university's two-year Medical and Bioinformatics graduate program. Technology in the computer lab is an essential and integral part of the curriculum. The goal of our study was to monitor the quality of the course delivery with a focus on cultural differences to see if any particular group (gender, major, first year/second year, domestic/international) responded differently to the offering, so that we could adjust the presentation of the material. A statistical analysis of the respective parameters has been performed. From fall 2014 until winter 2017 141 students were enrolled into two studies, one with only online hybrid students and one with both face-to-face and online hybrid students. We use as outcome the performance of the students in the respective assignments and at differences regarding country of origin, performance level and gender. While the results are mixed, they in general confirm results of similar studies with online students. We are cautious in interpreting the results. It seems that changes we made to the delivery, e.g., the composition of project teams, had some effect, but the difference is not conclusive yet. The findings suggest that the quality of learning for all students might be improved by constructing a culturally inclusive online learning environment. There is strong suggestive evidence that our international students might benefice more from a face-to-face environment.
