Cultural Considerations of Online Pedagogy

Abstract

This chapter provides readers with foundational knowledge of how cultural factors mediate online learning and instruction in global education-based on a review of contemporary scholarship. The authors first describe three approaches--social scientific, interpretive, and critical-- to theorizing the role of culture in online pedagogy. Then, for each approach, the authors review the existing literature and discuss how that theory applies to online pedagogy, specifically identifying the assumptions, the contributions, and the limitations of each theory. The objective of such a review is to highlight pressing issues and theoretical gaps related to cultural factors in the context of online learning. Finally, the authors present practical suggestions that provide readers with the knowledge needed to create effective online materials for students from other countries and cultures.