Accommodating culture and cultural diversity in online teaching

Abstract

The term 'culture' has been in common use for a long time. However there is no universally accepted definition and hence it is important to define clearly what culture means in a particular research context. The research reported here is part of a project undertaken at a large Australian university in late 2005. The overall aim of the project was to identify the characteristics of culture and cultural diversity, and to consider how these manifested themselves when teaching and learning in an online environment. This paper reports on particular outcomes from the second stage of the project. This involved conducting focus groups with experienced academics and educational developers of online units. The aim was to gain an understanding of culture and cultural difference in the online environment and to consider what strategies were effective in teaching a culturally diverse cohort of online students. The findings from the focus group sessions were benchmarked with other external faculty. The cultural factors of ethnicity and language, attitudes to educational learning, education and prior learning, learning styles and socio-economic background were well supported by the external faculty. However the factors of religion and gender were not supported. Practices for accommodating such cultural differences amongst students within the online class are presented. IntroductionThe first known definition of culture dates back to the 18th century when Sir Edward Burnett Tylor defined culture as 'that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society' (Tylor, 1871). However the term 'culture' has more than one definition and Williams (1983; p.87) goes so far as to suggest that culture 'is one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language'. The Oxford Online Reference Premium (2007) produces some 492 definitions of the term culture and these definitions include 'production of organisms', 'intellectual development and tastes', 'form or type of civilization' and the 'customs of a people'. Consequently Choi (1995) suggests that since there are various Goold, Craig and Coldwell 491definitions of culture and there is no clear consensus on its meaning, it is critical to define the use of the term in any given research area.The research reported here is the second stage of a three-part research project which was undertaken through a Strategic Teaching and Learning Grant at Deakin University in 2005. The overall aim of the project was to identify the characteristics of culture and cultural diversity (as perceived by staff and students at Deakin) and to discover how these characteristics manifest themselves when teaching and learning in an online environment. The first stage of the study involved a review of the literature. The second stage of the study was a series of focus groups of staff experienced with online course design, development, implementation and operation (teaching). The findings from these focus gro...

Running a journal club in 2020: reflections and challenges

“…Problematic areas need addressing, including acceptance of the wide range of students' experience, motives, interaction and communication preferences. The instructor could consider using diverse examples when setting problems/tasks and fostering social relationships within the group, whilst still respecting the student's own responsibility for driving their learning and seeking help (26). Forcing some students to contribute, when not part of a shared collaborative process, could endanger their autonomy and motivation (27).…”

“…A challenge of measuring active participation remains, as the administrative resources required to record contributions might not be feasible within all training programmes. Forcing contribution could endanger trainee autonomy (26), although it should be recognised that it is an expected and important part of the trainee curriculum (1).…”

“…20 Additional considerations are needed ( Box 1 ).

Instructor considerations for maximising engagement in online learning Consider three domains: cognitive, affective and managerial 21 Existing face-to-face options cannot simply be replicated online; a new approach is needed 20 Initial resistance is to be expected and learners may need additional support at the outset 24 Clinical scenarios improve perceived relevance/authenticity 24 Consider the diversity of the group and individual learner needs and preferences 25 , 26

…”

Evaluation of a global blended learning MBA programme

“…It is claimed that e-learning overcomes many drawbacks that are inherent to traditional classroom teaching, especially its lack of flexibility in the use of resources (for example, Lam & Bordia, 2008;Williams & Williams, 2010). Goold, Craig, and Coldwell (2007) indicate that the online learning environment enables a greater number of students of diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, as well as of modes of study, to come together within the one virtual classroom. However, they warn that many of the clues that help enable staff and students to be culturally sensitive in physical classrooms are missing in the online world.…”

Distance Learning Technology, Current Instruction, and the Future of Education

“…A study undertaken at Deakin University in 2007 looked at the culture and cultural differences in the online environment and considers what strategies were effective in teaching a culturally diverse cohort of online students (Goold et al, 2007). They concluded that online learning environments enabled greater numbers of students of diverse educational and cultural backgrounds as well as modes of study to come together within the one virtual classroom.…”