Discussions

Your Name and Title:

Anita Samuel

School or Organization Name:

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Area of the World from Which You Will Present:

Wisconsin, United States

Language in Which You Will Present:

English

Target Audience(s):

Educators, Online educators, Instructional Designers, Administrators

Short Session Description (one line):

Issues to consider when designing online courses for cross-cultural students and strategies for developing more inclusive online programs.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like):

Higher education institutions are offering increasing numbers of courses online. They are actively recruiting students from all over the world for the economic potential that these students represent. While some online programs have experienced success, others have failed. In addition to a number of other factors, one specific factor for success is the online course design and pedagogy (Rovai & Downey, 2010).  

A well-designed online course needs to have an “active-learning environment in which meaning is socially negotiated and students are actively engaged in the learning process” (Rovai & Downey, 2010, p. 146). When considering online programs that cater to a diverse student demographic, cross-culture and cross-border communication gain importance. An active learning environment is not static across cultures and needs to address the unique needs of students from culturally diverse backgrounds. Actively engaging cross-cultural learners also involves different pedagogical strategies.

What strategies then, can educators and designers employ to develop culturally sensitive online programs? How can we create more inclusive environments that are sensitive to the unique needs of our learners? In this presentation, participants will be encouraged to assess their educational experiences and pedagogical strategies and identify elements that might marginalize the learning experience of some students. Participants will also be provided with alternative strategies for course design which will engage all learners in the learning process and aid in student retention (Park & Choi, 2009).

References:

Park, J-H., & Choi, H. J. (2009). Factors influencing adult learners’ decision to drop out or persist in online learning. Educational Technology & Society, 12(4), 207-217.

Rovai, A. P. & Downey, J. R. (2010). Why some distance education programs fail while others succeed in a global environment. Internet and Higher Education, 13, 141-147.