S

Intercultural Challenges and Online Learning

What are the effects of cultural diversity in online courses?

How should course design be adapted to avoid miscommunication due to cultural diversity?

How can we enrich the learner experience by making the most of culturally diverse groups?

The Study

When – Late 1990s Where – Canada Who – Adults from diverse cultural

backgrounds.

Issues Arising from Cultural Diversity

Online culture is a culture in its own sense. Frequency of participation. F2F versus online leading to issues of distance. Identity creation. Participant expectations. Academic discourse versus discourse using stories. Time

Common Themes

It is difficult to predict whether a participant’s culture will liberate or inhibit.

How can facial and visual cues be substituted? Instructors and course designers cannot easily

plan for cultural diversity. Care must be taken with instructional methods

and discussions that might be misinterpreted.

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika

Course designers must be aware of their own cultural values and assumptions when designing courses.

Instructors must monitor and engage with participants with cultural sensitivity.

Cultural difference and diversity must be used to unite the group.