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SETTING THE STAGE
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Online asynchronous
Disability Awareness course
American instructor
Includes non-US learners, English proficient
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MULTIFACETED CHALLENGES
Symptom
Possible Reasons Research Tools Possible Solutions
Reluctance to
participate
Lack of problemsolving skills
High dependence
on you, structure
Concerns about
assessment
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RELUCTANCE TO PARTICIPATE
Symptom
Possible Reasons
Research Tools
Possible Solutions
Reluctance to
participate
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RELUCTANCE TO PARTICIPATE
Symptom
Possible Reasons
Research Tools
Possible Solutions
Reluctance to
participate
Power distance,
hierarchy
Foundational
research on
cultural
dimensions
• Explain
extensively
• Create a safe
zone
• Allow anonymity
• Use techniques
less reliant on
language
• Use Global
English
• Include practice
Face saving
Language skills
Country
Navigator™
Instructional
technique
Country-specific
research on
learning, educ.
system
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FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH
Hofstede’s National Cultural Dimensions
http://geert-hofstede.com/unitedstates.html
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CULTURE TOOLS
Country Navigator™
The Essentials
www.CountryNavigator.com
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RELATED TOPICS
Global English for Global Business
http://writing.co.nz/globalenglish/index.htm
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EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
KEY WORDS
• Education
• eLearning
• Multicultural
• Intercultural
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LACK OF PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS
Symptom
Possible Reasons
Research Tools
Possible Solutions
Lack of problemsolving skills
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LACK OF PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS
Symptom
Possible Reasons
Research Tools
Lack of problemsolving skills
Education system:
roles, methods
Country
Navigator™
Content relevance
Exposure to U.S.
How they think!
Possible Solutions
• Use previous
recommendations,
especially practice
Culture Wizard™ • Explain facilitated
learning
Directed
• Scaffold content to
research on
contextualize
content itself in • Offer multiple ways
country context
to access content,
to participate
Learner analysis
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CULTURAL TOOLS
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CONTENT RESEARCH
“People with disabilities in China, prior to the year 1980, were referred to with
discriminatory terms such as, "can fei," which means, "the handicapped and
useless." There is still a great deal to be accomplished in order to realize the full
equality, participation, and sharing of people with disabilities in China.
Within the Chinese community disability may be considered a stigma. Oriental
metaphysical concepts consider each individual's life span as a link on a chain,
where each individual is seen as the 'product of all the generations of his or her
family from the beginning of time'. Due to this link with ancestors, the existence
of disability is sometimes explained as coming from ancestral spirits, trying..
Generally when a child with disability was born the child would often be
regarded as a burden and as bringing shame on the family. The parents would…
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HIGH DEPENDENCE ON STRUCTURE
Symptom
Possible Reasons
Research Tools
Possible Solutions
High dependence
on you, structure
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HIGH DEPENDENCE ON STRUCTURE
Symptom
Possible Reasons
Research Tools
Possible Solutions
High dependence
on you, structure
High level of
uncertainty
avoidance
Foundational
research, online
cultural tools
Teachers’ roles
versus students’
Learner analysis
Language skills
Localization
resources
• Extensive
explanations,
including
detailed syllabi,
expectations,
schedules
• Alternate
methods (video)
• Early access to
course materials
Learner input!
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LOCALIZATION RESOURCES
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CONCERNS ABOUT ASSESSMENT
Symptom
Possible Reasons
Research Tools
Possible Solutions
Concerns about
assessment
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CONCERNS ABOUT ASSESSMENT
Symptom
Possible Reasons
Concerns about
assessment
Social
All those
expectations for
discussed
education, passing previously
Uncertainty
avoidance
Unfamiliar with
techniques (PBL)
Research Tools
Possible Solutions
• Explain ‘success’
• Describe
assessment and
testing, “error”
techniques
Current research
• Connect to
motivation
Learner analysis
• Expect ‘cheating’
Learner input!
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LEARNER INPUT
Speaking for the 'Communist' generation, I remember how back in primary
school, we were constantly encouraged to keep quiet (even in the canteen!) and
literally to sit with our hands behind our backs. Small wonder then that to this
day, most of us are uncomfortable with receiving praise, giving instructions to
others, being presented with choice etc.
--Martin Kralik, LinkedIn posting about Russian culture
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LEARNER RESEARCH
Solutions offered by the learners themselves:
• Providing a well-defined and predictable course assessment
schedule for preplanning
• Awareness of cultural contexts in plagiarism practices
• Multiple assessment methods and process-oriented
assessment adaptive to different cultural styles
• Providing more information on the cultural contexts or
explanations of the culturally specific terms of the case study
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CULTURAL ANALYSIS/AUDIT
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CULTURAL DISCONTINUITY
Cultural discontinuity is defined as “a lack of
contextual match between the conditions of
learning and a learner’s socio-cultural experiences.”
(Wilson, 2001, p. 52)
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OUR ULTIMATE GOAL
 Equitable learning outcomes
Time
Effort
Results!
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The CAP* Model
Progressively more complex…
The Course
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
The Learners
Examples
1: Content
Computer
skills, math
Company
policy
Supervision
Leadership,
ethics
1: Environmental
Time, distance, resources,
technology, geopolitical
2: Approach
2: Socio-Economic
Values, religion, gender
differences, social status
3: Media
3: Communications
Language, symbolism,
gestures, body language
4: Other
4: Cultural Dimensions,
esp. in education
Individualism, power
distance, low vs. high
context, uncertainty
avoidance, time orientation
5: Other
Learning styles
Adaptations
Translate
Localize
Reusable
Learning
Objects
Originate
Other
*Cultural Adaptation Process – an iterative, research-based process that allows educators, trainers, and instructional
designers to accommodate the learning styles, preferences, and characteristics of learners in other cultures/countries.
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THE MULTIFACETED CHALLENGE
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CONCLUSION
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Research differences
Prioritize needs
Recommend changes
Test recommendations
Implement
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RESOURCES
 Seminal cross-cultural research
 Hall, E. T. (1981). Beyond culture: Into the cultural unconscious. Garden
City, NY, Anchor Press.
 Hofstede, G. H. (1997). Cultures and organizations: Software of the
mind. London; New York, McGraw-Hill.
 Trompenaars, A. and C. Hampden-Turner (1998). Riding the waves of
culture: Understanding cultural diversity in global business. New York,
London, McGraw Hill.
 Websites
 http://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html
 Country Navigator: www.CountryNavigator.com
 Multilingual Magazine: http://www.multilingual.com/issueDetail.php
 Learning Times Podcast “Culturally Appropriate Instructional Design”:
http://www.ltgreenroom.org/episodes/213
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RESOURCES
 My Publications
 Edmundson, A.L. (In press). Cultural implications in online learning. Hershey,
PA, IGI Global.
 Edmundson, A. L. (2011). Cases on globalized and culturally appropriate elearning: Challenges and solutions. Hershey, PA, IGI Global.
 Edmundson, A. L. (2010). Training for multicultural audiences. Washington,
D.C., ASTD Press.
 Edmundson, A. L., Ed. (2007). Globalized e-learning cultural challenges.
Hershey, PA, Idea Group, Inc.
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