The Meaning of Culture in Online Education: Implications for Teaching, Learning and Desgin

Abstract

Individual online learning courses and even entire online degree programs are increasingly a part of the mainstream in higher education. Steadily-improving online delivery systems and an emphasis on globalization have encouraged more and more higher education institutions to try to reach diverse learners around the world. In light of the growing population of learners from various cultural backgrounds engaged in online education, there is an urgent need to understand how culture affects online education. This chapter presents a review of the literature regarding cultural dimensions in online education, and draws implications from this literature for design and research in this area.