Cultural diversity online: student engagement with learning technologies

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Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this research is to focus on how students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds encounter online learning environments, and to assess the extent to which cultural factors impact on learners' engagement with online learning. Design/methodology/approach – The study explores how a culturally diverse cohort of students engage with the organisational, technological and pedagogical aspects of online learning depicted in Conole's (2004) “framework for e-learning”. A total of 241 students in online learning programs in a large university in South Australia were surveyed, yielding a response rate of 65 percent. Findings – Analysis indicated that cultural differences do have an impact on participant satisfaction with organisational and technological issues, with local respondents indicating significantly more positive perceptions than international respondents. Significant also was a reported lack of peer engagement and intercultural communication. Research limitations/implications – First, the study was restricted to students in one large university in Australia, using one in-house online learning system, and studying business courses. Future research could replicate the study across a range of universities and across different countries, which would enhance generalisability. In addition, researchers can expand the model used in this study, testing other variables which impact on online learning. Practical implications – These differences in reported engagement with online learning reflect differences in students' experience of online courses as culturally inclusive, and have implications for the quality of online education. These reported experiences may be linked to the amount of communicative interaction among students. Originality/value – The paper examined the cultural aspects of student engagement with the organisational, technological and pedagogical components of online learning. Its findings suggest a direction to improve the quality of learning for all students by constructing a culturally inclusive online learning environment.