Educational technology is a growing field and online education is becoming available to an increasingly international audience, there is a need to adapt these online education programs to satisfy cross-cultural needs.
I will show you how cultural dynamics (power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity) relate to the four challenges of online course design (design style, facilitation, assignment type, and nature of feedback).
Let’s begin!
Power Distance
Indicates the extent to which a society expects and accepts inequalities between its people and an unequal distribution of power and responsibility within its institutions (Hofstede, 2001).
Countries with a high level power distance have clear differences in terms of power, status and wealth, and relationships between superiors and subordinates.
High Power Distance: Mexico, Malaysia, France, Greece, China
Low Power Distance: New Zealand, Norway, UK, Germany, Ireland
Uncertainty Avoidance
Uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which people feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations (Hofstede, 2001).
It is the extent to which people are made nervous or tense by situations that they perceive as unstructured, unclear or unpredictable. High uncertainty avoidance societies prefer structured situations with formal rules and clear details.
High Levels of Uncertainty Avoidance: Greece, Portugal, Japan, Spain, Belgium
Low Levels of Uncertainty Avoidance: Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland
Individualism–Collectivism
Relates to the degree to which people in a country prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of groups, and the extent to which a culture values individual versus collective achievement or well-being (Hofstede, 2001).
Individualist Leaning USA, Germany, Italy, Australia, Denmark
Collectivist Leaning: China, Peru, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia
Masculinity–Femininity
Relates to the degree to which countries value assertiveness, achievement and materialism
(Hofstede, 2001). Masculine cultures also promote competition, meritocracy, decisiveness and strong leadership. There is no natural emphasis on social or gender equality, with gender roles often defined rigidly.
By contrast, ‘feminine’ societies promote harmonious relationships and place an emphasis on social partnership and gender equality.
Masculine Leaning: Japan, Italy, Mexico, Serbia, Russia
Feminine Leaning: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands
Cross Cultural Challenges in Online Education
Properly designed online courses need to address elements such as how information is design and presented, the structure and facilitation of the content, what learning outcomes apply, how student learning is assessed and how feedback is provided.
Let’s look at each element.
Design and Presentation
Cultures vary in terms of their attitudes to presentation formats, imagery, color and textual presentation.
High power distance societies expect and accept formal imagery such as titles, crests, logos, etc. Users in feminine societies will embrace artistry and attach greater value to aesthetics. For high uncertainty avoidance cultures users may like to know the implications of their options before they ultimately decide.
Facilitative Information
Relates to course options, requirements of study, how learning is to be achieved and how objectives are going to be met.
In high uncertainty avoidance cultures, students will tend to prefer precise instructions, detailed guidance on assignments and strict timetables. In contrast, online courses designed for learners from low uncertainty avoidance societies might be more comfortable with looser guidance, broad assignments and flexible timetables.
Assessment and the Nature of Assignments
Typically online courses rely on written assignments for assessment purposes. One question instructors generally face is whether or not assignments should be assigned on an individual or group basis?
In individualist cultures, learners primarily value personal achievement. Learners may be more competitive and less accepting of group-based assignments due to the relative value they attach to personal action and development.
In collectivist leaning societies, concern will be more expressed for the progress of the study group, and learners may be more naturally inclined towards group-based assignments.
Nature of Feedback
Feedback is even more critical in the case of online education as it gives the students the knowledge that instructors are carefully watching how things are progressing in the virtual classroom. The nature of the feedback can vary from formal and critical to more constructive, tentative or informal feedback.
As students in high power distance societies are more likely to show a higher level of respect upon the instructor and they are unlikely to directly challenge. With this type of learner, feedback can be strong and critical.
More Considerations for Each Element
On-line design:
- High power distance: design courses with ordered and symmetric imagery and presentation; use formal and appropriate imagery to display authority (e.g. logos, crests, etc.)
- High femininity: use artistry and aesthetics to design courses
- High individualism: open access and provide freedom of choice from the start
- High uncertainty avoidance: slowly release information and let users know the implications of actions
Facilitative:
- High uncertainty avoidance: provide exact instructions, detailed guidance on information assignments and strict timetables, a model/example to follow
- Low uncertainty avoidance: flexibility, unstructured learning situations
Assessment and Nature of Assignments:
- High individualism: stress individual assignments or individual contributions in group nature of assignments
- High collectivism: assign grades on equality principles
- High uncertainty avoidance: avoid independent problem solving exercises
- High masculinity: emphasize individual assignments
- High femininity: stress group assignments
Nature of Feedback:
- High power distance: provide definitive and assertive feedback, be ready to provide standard feedback answers
- Low power distance: provide feedback more diplomatically, be prepared to be contested and to defend answers
References:
Agodzo, Divine. (2015). Six Approaches to Understanding National Cultures: Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions. 10.13140/RG.2.1.5041.8009.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations across Nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.