The sociocultural implications of learning and teaching in cyberspace

Abstract

In this chapter, the author uses her own experiences as an adult learner in cyberspace to explore the social and cultural contexts of gender and national origin in adult learning.Over a decade ago, I voluntarily immigrated to the United States from Brazil for purposes of educational growth and emancipation. I was born and raised in a metropolitan area of southern Brazil that I would describe as progressive regarding its commitment to social reform on behalf of the poor. However, leadership opportunities for women were minimal, reflecting the social and cultural beliefs of traditional male-dominated Brazilian society, where men hold leadership positions in political, administrative, and business settings and women perform the traditional role of caretaker in the home and workplace (Hayes, 2001). Feeling powerless to move on professionally, I decided to obtain education in a new context.Even though immigrating to the United States freed me somewhat from traditional female roles, it challenged my assumptions about my learning. I came from a culture where group cooperation was emphasized, time was relative, thinking was holistic, affective expression was evident, extended family was the norm, the worldviews of other cultures were generally accepted, and interactions were socially oriented. In Brazilian culture, I displayed a field-dependent cognitive learning style, which is relational, holistic, and highly affective. A cognitive style comprises perception and personality and affects interpersonal behavior and the way a person processes information. A field-dependent cognitive style is characterized by a personality that presents characteristics of being socially dependent, eager to make a good impression, conforming, and sensitive to social surroundings. Conversely, field-independent and analytic thinking with limited affective thinking are characteristics of the Euro-American cognitive learning style (Sanchez and Gunawardena, 1998).

Participant Interaction in a Latin American Online Leadership Training Course

“…Although many educational programs in Latin America advocate for teaching to concentrate on the development of critical thinking, Fedorov (2005), reporting from Costa Rica, argues that there is still a significant gap between theory and practice, suggesting that this teaching style remains unfamiliar in most academic settings. This notion is also supported by Conceição's (2002) personal account with online education within the United Sates model of teaching:…”

Technology‐related research in HRD publications: An analysis of content and metaperspectives from 2000 to 2006

“…Taulbert (2002) reminds us of the risks associated with technology implementation, and that we must continue to acknowledge the importance of community and personal interaction as our workplaces become more automated. Likewise, community and societal issues such as gender, race, nationality, class, and education influence our experience with technology (Benson, 2004;Conceiçäo, 2002). These issues must be examined by HRD to ensure that technology is not a barrier to full participation in workplaces and organizations.…”

A Framework for Developing and Implementing An Online Learning Community

“… the value of using situated, meaningful, and relevant real-world tasks and activities to support students' learning, including their participation in a community of practice (Conceição, 2002;Pallas, 2001). Such task-based learning activities support learning through collaboration, allow sharing of multiple perspectives, and demonstrate learning in a more tangible and meaningful manner  an emphasis on clarifying and aligning learning goals to pedagogical strategies and assessment activities; using formative assessment strategies, and lecturer modelling of their understanding of research methods to help students see the relevance and allay their misconceptions from the first day of the course (Altinay & Paraskevas, 2007;Benson & Blackman, 2003).…”