Abstract:

Group ­based activities and interactions are increasingly regarded as an essential design practice for effective online learning (Zhu, 2012). Not only is collaboration supported by dominant learning theories that underscore the importance of social learning through peers (e.g., Lave & Wenger, 1991; Vygotsky, 1978) but it is also considered as one of the essential skills for 21st century learners. Such activities have been associated with deeper learning, higher achievement (Garrison & Cleveland­Innes, 2005), and increased motivation. However, the integration of collaborative learning opportunities in online teaching is often lacking, especially in non­western contexts in Asia and the Middle East. Hofstede (1996) attributed such differences to the influence of culture on varying perceptions about teaching and learning. Culture impacts values and determines behavior (Frechette, Layne, & Gunawardena, 2014). Jung (2014) explains that one of the challenges to adopting teaching approaches is identifying where cultural universals apply to the teaching/learning process and where do not. Rogers, Graham and Mayes (2007) argued against a holistic view of culture, and proposed that the design of instruction needs to account for the influence of culture on instruction. This research study investigates this issue from instructors’ perspective in three different cultural contexts: Korea, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.

The study sought to answer the following research questions:
(1) How do university professors use the LMS for online collaborative learning activities across cultures?
(2) What roles do teachers’ cultural beliefs about teaching and learning play in their decision making?
(3) To what extent do they consider the learners’ learning culture?

A mixed­ method approach to data collection was used to answer the research questions. Twenty­eight instructors from Egypt, Korea, and UAE agree to participate in semi­structured interviews as well as fill out a questionnaire on cultural beliefs about teaching and learning.

Analysis of professors’ survey responses suggests that at least for the participants in this study, cultural beliefs do not seem to be attributed by nationality. It also suggests moderate use of collaborative activities. However, variations by country were detected. Most instructors responded that they do not consider students’ culture as a critical factor. The way of teaching is more related to student’s academic interest, level of achievement, learning skills including English proficiency, rather than their culture.

The relationship between instructor’s cultural beliefs about teaching and learning and their use of online collaborative learning requires further investigation, but some examples manifest a possible relationship. The results of this study have possible implications for design of online collaborative learning experiences in these three contexts, which manifest obvious differences.

Keywords:

Online learning, mulit-cultural education, design decisions, higher education.