Culture, economic, social and political factors

Culture, economic, social and political factors must all be considered when designing teaching and/or training resources for online courses. Culture is sometimes blamed for mis-communications. Cultural differences in body positions and movements, eye movement, hand movements, and handshakes make it easy to misunderstand individuals from a culture different than your own. Even smiles are perceived differently in various cultures. Attitudes concerning human relationships differ, too.

Culture differences

Culture differences affect the quality of communication. There are several ways to prevent or reduce the number of mis-communications. Avoid words derived from culture, such as drive-in, sit-in, cover-up, and blurb. Groovy, cool, hot, extreme, and other slang words, whether in the dictionary or not, may be difficult for people of other cultures, as are double verbs such as 'give away.' Colloquialisms may or may not have similar meanings in other cultures, and as such should also be avoided.

Economic differences

Economic differences often determine what exposure an individual has had to online technology. Rather than assume that everyone online has all the neatest and newest gadgets, such as Flash or other plugins, we should keep in mind that the online learner may not have these and may not understand the process of getting even those that are free. Another difference is the equipment available to the learner. Some learners will have state-of-the-art computers and peripherals with broadband access, while others will have used computers several years old and be attending classes over a slow dial up connection. All course materials should be provided in multiple formats to allow all learners to have access. If the learner does not have Flash and his or her computer will not support it, the same information must be available in another format, such as plain text. It may not be as pretty and, well, flashy, but it will allow the learner to understand what is expected in the course.

Social differences

Social differences are often, though not always, tied in with economic differences. In some countries, it is considered extremely rude to question instructors or those of higher rank. In others, it is a common occurrence, and is expected student behavior. It is true, even in this country, which is supposed to be a classless society, that there are social differences between classes. For instance, most people would dress up if invited to have brunch at the White House with the First Lady.

Impact of information technology

Information technology has caused a great impact on the need to consider such concerns in developing online courses, especially those on the open Internet rather than behind university firewalls. Students from different geographical areas can share their cultures with other students in the online classroom, exposing all learners to diverse ideas and differing cultural viewpoints. When online course developers learn the cultural standards of their students, they are in a better position to help their students succeed.



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