Modelling for Value Systems in a Diverse Online Program in the Caribbean

Introduction

Instructional design is a relatively new field, with its historical roots drawing from a number of other fields which include cognitive science and behavioral psychology (Reiser, 2001, 2001). This field, has expanded with the onset of the use of the technology in educational practices, and then furthermore with the eLearning movement (Kidd, 2009). As eLearning and online learning became somewhat of a founding principle for which instructional design could be guided, the research in the field also expanded to accommodate factors that were not typically present in traditional instruction (Moore & Kearsley, 2011; Reiser, 2001). One factor that provides an ongoing discussion is the differences that contribute to the uniqueness of each available online learning context is culture. This factor allows for online learning experiences that are derived from belief systems in an effort to create what is subjectively deemed a successful learning outcome. The subjectivity of the value of the product is important, not only to those who offer the online learning experience, but most importantly to those who are the recipients of such outcomes.