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Rogers, P.C., Graham, C.R., & Mayes, C. (2007). Cultural competence and instructional design: Exploration research into the delivery of online instruction cross-culturally. Education Technology Research 55 197-217

The growing of online education motivates the authors to integrate cultural issues into online education research because they found out the Western culture may dominate online education which may influence learning for those from other cultural backgrounds. They investigated the relationship between culture and online education through the role of instructional designer and found there were few researches on exploring the lived experiences of instructional designers. They formed the following research questions:

(1) Are they aware of the differences between themselves and the cultural group for whom they are designing instruction?

(2) If so:

(a) How did they become aware of these differences?

(b) What importance do these differences assume in their thinking?

(c) How does understanding cultural differences affect instructional design practice?

They conducted a grounded theory study because there is no appropriate existing theoretical framework for this complex multi-faceted issue. They adopted snowball-sampling technique to find their cases and attained 12 cases/participants.

In their study, instructional designer have awareness of cultural differences but they are a limited awareness.  Being aware of significant differences between cultures does not mean that we are aware of what all of those differences are or of all the ways in which they influence learning. Several elements were identified to be connected to issue of awareness, including General cultural and social expectation, Teaching and learning expectations, Language and symbols, and Technological infrastructure and familiarity. The second research question, how we increase awareness of culture differences was investigated through the opposite, what the barriers are? Barriers they proposed include IDT focus on content development, lack of evaluation in real-world practice, and organizational structures and the role of instructional designers. They concluded impacts of cultural awareness on instructional design practice through the following dimensions in response to the problem of the barriers:

(a) Separating deeper principles from particular application: though culture might influences initial receptivity to various forms of once learners get used to new forms they can find them very helpful, such as collaborative learning. Instructional designers, thus, should think deeply about the principles and separate them from the application one already knows. It is possible to find ways of utilizing these principles across contexts.

(b) Identifying gaps where bridges are needed: through immersion in the culture, integrating learner feedback in learner analysis, and in formative evaluation

(c) Allowing for more flexibility in the design process

(d) Educating other stakeholders (e.g., the client and subject matter expert)

Wang, Chun-Min & Reeves, (2007).Thomas. The Meaning of Culture in Online Education. Chapter 1, The Meaning of Culture in Online Education: Implications for Teaching, Learning, and Design (pp. 1-17)

This chapter first explains why study culture is important in online education and state the problem to conduct a research on this topic. Culture issues are important in online education is owing to its global access. The ultimate problem of this kind of research is the definition of culture. The authors list several classical studies revealing the definition of culture and changes of research orientation through time. They tend to explain culture in terms of analyzing culture through different dimensions, including Geert Hofstede's five national culture dimensions and Edward Hall's high- and low- context cultures. They also found there is few studies investigating cultural issues in online learning and expect there will be more studies because of the urgent need that online education is getting more widely accepted. Several culture issues in online education were presented. For example, language differentials, reasoning patter differentials, technical infrastructure differentials, and learning styles differentials. Then this chapter discusses the pedagogical concerns of online education in a diverse culture context. Online education requires different pedagogies from traditional classrooms and thus investigations on pedagogies in different culture context are necessary. The authors focus on instructional design considerations and hope instructional designers and online education instructors to be sensitive and more research-based studies will be conducted.

Based on the authors literature review work, they proposed guidelines for building culturally- sensitive online learning environments for instructors, students, and designers through several empirical studies. Common principles among the three are to be flexible and hold multiple perspectives among the members of the online classrooms. However, there is a lack of holistic viewpoints in these studies even if they adopted the model of multiple cultural dimensions. As a consequence, the authors indicated the need to conducts studies that have thicker connection between cultural contexts and applications. In other words, to develop a theoretical framework of how new construction of knowledge occurs in this complex context. They also suggest having studies done across nations and adopting perspective from other disciplines may help.

Here is the video from Team 3's synthesis presentation. The class watched the Phantom Menace Review in class towards the beginning of the semester. This just seemed like a good way to sum up the course.

The time has finally come for our final synthesis. Here is how our time is going to broken down:

First, we are going to start by asking you take a short survey about the course.

Then we are going to ask you to explore education theory through the lens of soviet-era yugoslavian mixed-mode experimental documentary film. We will be asking you to write your reflections as (surprise twist!) individuals, without talking in groups or with the class at large.

Here is the film clip.

Here is the form where you will be posting your reflections.

Now that you posted your individual reactions, let's get into groups and discuss reflect on the clip, then post your reflections using this google form.

Next up, is a short film we made. We will see if it generates any discussion. (embed coming soon)

For the fourth act, we will break into groups and discuss the following:

Education, in its deepest sense and at whatever age it takes place, concerns the opening of identities - exploring new ways of being that lie beyond our current state. Whereas training aims to create an inbound trajectory targeted at competence in a specific practice, education must strive to open new dimensions for the negotiation of the self. It places students on an outbound trajectory toward a broad field of possible identities. Education is not merely formative - it is transformative. (Wenger, 263)

Given this - how has your sense of self and identity been changed by your primary education? secondary ed? undergrad education? By your graduate education? By this class? has the trajectory of your identity been informed by community memberships? How did the various education experiences listed above "open new dimensions for the negotiation of the self"? In other words, were these educational experiences designed? by whom? how did the design ""open new dimensions for the negotiation of the self"?

We will conclude with a discussion of the results of the survey taken in the beginning of class.

1.     How could the design of the school/classroom lead to a more engaging environment?

2.     What types of technology can help create a greater sense of belonging within, and

                   perhaps outside of, the classroom?

3.       Does a sense of belonging increase engagement/productivity/learning?

               Should a price tag be placed on education?

          Individual Team discussion questions:

Team 1 (students/ learners)- When do you feel more belongingness at school?  Which learning environment makes you feel more comfortable and productive?

Team 3 (teachers/guides) - Will you consider technologies as part of your community building and student belongingness objectives? How can technologies be integrated to facilitate links to communities and tie them to school lessons?

Team 4 (administrators/organizers)- How can you facilitate student belonging...transitioning to society/community? Would you create, adopt standards that include technology?   What would be a common definition of "productivity" ?  Should there be more relevant and  meaningful  measures of learning goals and costs?

Rethink learning, assessment and teaching

Overall Purpose: To create a school environment that helps students feel part of not only the school community, but as important members of larger society. (Help them become engaged, active members of a national and global community)

Consider.....

What kinds of technologies might be used to this end? (blogs, wikis allow parents, adult experts to contribute to students' learning)

How would your added measures affect/contribute to learning?

Resource 3

Barnes, S. B. (1999). Education and Technology: A Cultural Faustian Bargain. Bulletin of Science, Technology, and Society , 19 (1), 11-16.

This article was written before computers were as widely used as they are now.  It was more interesting to read about the cultural aspect of this article.  The author discusses many of the positive and negatives of computer use in schools.  She also goes into a discussion about McLuhan and whether or not the "medium is the message" as McLuhan writes.  Barnes also talks about what it means to be computer literate.  The definition has changed as the technology and I believe this is a conversation that we are still having today.

When speaking to the cultural implications of computer use, Barnes mentions that by just providing access to the information does not mean it will be used or understood by all.  We need to still be concerned with teaching basic literacy skills and not become too focused on teaching computer skills.