Analyze Culture Issues in the E-Learning Environment
Introduction
In the world that we live in now, heavy relies on computers and the internet just to complete basic everyday functions from alarm clocks that wake us to ordering groceries on a device and picking up the items up at a designated area. In the institutions of education, the same fact holds true. It is noteworthy that academic institutions have also increasingly been dependent upon technology in order to facilitate instruction and operations (Alalshaikh, 2015). The world today is driven by technological forces that were designed to make life easier in many different facets from an assembly line in the auto industry to research topics on the internet. They were designed to provide efficiency that would drive down the cost of manufacturing and for a student to be able to research many different topics for a paper. Mainstream has portrayed the necessity to be able to use the innovative technology tools that can be used to be more productive in less time, however, there are some regions of the world where this is often a privilege rather than a need. There also some regions where the government understands the digital divide and made an intervention that closes that gap.
Issues regarding technology and access
Information and communication technologies (ITC) insisted that there are some that may be in what is considered to be a rich country, but yet lack the understanding of how to utilize the technology that is available to the team. The study was for the inclusion and exclusion group for internet access the inequality also comes in terms of those that have access, but now only the basic skills to operate the devices used to those are considered to be highly skilled not only in using the device but who are creative and develop in that environment. As technology, diffused and relative prices went down, heterogeneous personal and group abilities became the fault lines for assessing the changing degree of inclusion in the ICT-based economy. The gap of concern mutated from being between haves/have-nots, i.e., an emphasis on supply-side deployment of technology and infrastructure, to one of the rudimentary/ advanced uses and practices, i.e., an emphasis on the users’ range of abilities to benefit from gadgets and services (Mendonca Crespo & Simoes, 2015).
In a research conducted it concluded that the relationship had similarities by virtue of the nature of the topic, having access to technology devices and being able to access the internet. They gave insight that low-income families and countries were at a disadvantage in comparison to those that had access, however, there were some that did have access, but were lacking the knowledge to be able to use the ITC to its full potential. The problem of low Internet penetration is complex, multifaceted, and hinders social, economic and political developments. This problem resides within seemingly entrenched societal inequalities and is exacerbated by factors of economics, inappropriate policy framework, infrastructural problems and many social ills of illiteracy as well as the absence of social and cultural capital toward technology (Oyedemi, 2011).
The theory that most of the researchers had been the advancement of technology would eventually get the point that it will be very affordable and available for everyone to use. The other side of that would be that if given an opportunity to have access to the internet and digital devices, would the use of it be intuitive for users. Due to the rapid development of information technology, time and space are no longer the problems in communication. Computers and the Internet have become necessities in our life. An increasing number of people rely on information, communication, and technology to obtain the latest global news and information. For example, the smartphone with 3G wirelesses connects us to Facebook anytime and anywhere. We no longer have to stay in the office to work. With a tablet and cloud computing, work can be done in any place (Chen and Liu, 2012). The paradigm in using technological devices shifts and the access to the internet using ICT is becoming increasingly cheaper, the information elites’ capability and knowledge of computers and the Internet are similarly increasing, resulting in a widening gap between the information-rich and the information-poor. Those with inferior socioeconomic status are unable to gain access to information technology and knowledge, and this lower usage of resources makes them become part of the information-poor.
Content Delivery
While learning online can be challenging for a novice user or someone who has limited resources to gain access to the internet may also show signs of not truly understanding the content. The instructor and the instructional designer of the course may find it thought-provoking to develop a course where content selection and placement is critical. A common tendency to make overgeneralizations and stereotypes (for instance, using Hofstede’s national level dimensions on an individual level) that do not take into account sub-cultures and individual distinctiveness. Culturally sensitive people acknowledge how much culture (as well as individuals) can change and evolve over time. In other words, it is a challenge to “learn to address cultural differences without either minimizing them or stereotyping people” (Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002, p. 119). Some may take for granted that once the information is posted that it should be understood just the way the instructor intended it to be. However, because of the online classes that are offered worldwide, the content may not be as comprehended by all. The global village nature of the world has become more salient in recent years and people from different cultures are communicating more and more with each other. The collaboration between different cultures has also been increasing dramatically. It has, therefore, become very important that current generation of students has acquired multi-cultural awareness and cross-cultural collaborative skills before it embarks on to the work environment (Junfeng, Kinshuk, Huiju, Sue-Jen, & Ronghuai, 2014).
The way the course is taught
In the cross-culture learning environment, the instructor will have to ensure the students are able to navigate the course and understand the expectations of the course. Instructors and students need to address the problem linked with the synchronous courses being taught across time zones and between institutions and being aware and understanding the differences between groups of students and their levels of proficiency in being able to use ITC resources. Another barrier to cross-cultural communications may be the different languages. It is also time-consuming since the instructors need to communicate and negotiate with teachers from other countries, and there may be difficulties in grading due to the differences in the academic quality standards among different cultures (Junfeng, Kinshuk, Huiju, Sue-Jen, & Ronghuai, 2014).
Instructors teaching classes will have to take into account that students can be anywhere in the world when taking online classes and therefore there could be time differences as another factor to consider. When posting assignment due dates, will there are group assignments, logging on the course and listen to live lectures, adding a post to a discussion board are key aspects of the course that will have to be taken into consideration. If there are lectures, will the student be able to understand what is being taught? The instructor has to be aware of cultural holidays if someone is taking their course where their holidays differ for those of the country that is offering the course.
Strategies That Can Be Used by Online Instructors
Xiaojing, Shijuan, Seung-hee, and Magjuka (2010) reported findings of a case study that examined the perceptions of international students regarding the impact of cultural differences and emerging cross-cultural issues in their online MBA course. The study used both one-on-one and focus group interviews with international students and found cultural differences do not negatively affect a student’s online experience, but may actually enhance the online environment with culturally rich learning experiences. The authors suggest the need for a culturally inclusive learning environment.
The study also revealed that online instructors need to design courses in such a way as to remove potential cultural barriers, including language, communication tool use, plagiarism, time zone differences and a lack of multicultural content, which may affect international students’ learning performances. (p.177).
Xiaojing et al. concluded a culturally inclusive learning environment needs to consider diversity in the course design to ensure full participation by international students.
If you have students in other countries where English is a second language, post the course notes in the student’s native language. If the instructor speaks in a language that’s not of the native language the lecture can be recorded and translated for the student. The instructor should be mindful of the cultural differences in the interaction between men and women. Some may not allow pictures to be posted in their bio’s. Some cultures may reserve the specific times during the day that is off limits so when conducting synchronous classes those times must be observed. When having classes in groups, some cultures may not allow men and women interaction when they are not family. A strategy that could be put in place, is to have the students remain anonymous by the class such as assigning student numbers and do not have the class post a bio.