Educational Technology International

The Korean Society for Education Technology (한국교육공학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Cultural Sensitivity and Design Implications of MOOCs from Korean Learners' Perspectives: Case Studies on edX and Coursera

  • Received : 2015.09.04
  • Accepted : 2015.10.09
  • Published : 2015.10.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Culture is a crucial concept that forms the thinking and behaviors of a group of people, and it influences interactions in learning. Thus, it is also essential to consider cultural sensitivity in online learning technologies and instructional design as education is a set of learning actions based on values and perceptions. MOOCs, the latest online learning platform, are global online learning platforms that provide global learners with free and various learning resources including courses from different world-class institutions. Despite globalization having brought learners closer to sharing similar learning resources, the actual experiences with the resource are expected to vary according to cultures, mainly because learning behavior is a set of outcomes based on cultural differences. Taking this into consideration, this study aims to examine MOOCs from a cultural perspective in order to facilitate global learners, especially Korean learners, to utilize MOOCs with user-friendly services and contents. To achieve this objective, the study first identified and developed an evaluation criteria to examine the cultural sensitivity of MOOCs and conducted case studies on courses from major MOOC providers including edX and Coursera. From the findings, design recommendations of contents and courses on MOOCs were suggested to provide Korean learners with optimal learning experiences.

Keywords

References

  1. Cha, H., Oshlyansky, L., & Cairns, P. A. (2005). Mobile phone preferences and values: the UK vs. Korea. Paper presented at the International Workshop on Internationalisation of Products and Systems, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  2. Cho, Y., Mallinckrodt, B., & Yune, S. (2010). Collectivism and individualism as bicultural values: South Korean undergraduates' adjustment to college. Asian Journal of Counselling, 17(1/2), 81-104.
  3. Choi, J. (2014). A cultural revolution in online education: MOOC. Academic Association of Global Cultural Contents, 14, 179-198.
  4. Cogburn, D. L. (2002). Globalization, knowledge, education and training in the information age. UNESCO. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/webworld/infoethics_2/eng/papers/paper_23.htm
  5. Hall, E. T. (1983). The dance of life. New York: Doubleday.
  6. Hofstede Centre. (2010). South Korea. Hofstede Centre. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/south-korea.html
  7. Hofstede, G., & Hofstede, G. J. (2005). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
  8. Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., & Freeman, A. (2015). NMC horizon report: 2015 K-12 edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.
  9. Kim, E. A. (2015). Hofstede's cultural dimensions: Comparison of South Korea and the United States. Paper presented at the Cambridge Business & Economics Conference 2015, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
  10. Lawson, M. (2005, August 9). Berners-Lee on the read/write web. BBC. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4132752.stm
  11. Levine, R. V. (1997). A geography of time. New York: Basic Books.
  12. Lewis, R. D. (2006). When cultures collide: Leading accross cultures (3rd ed.). Boston: Nicholas Brealey International.
  13. Marcus, A., & Gould, E. W. (2000). CROSSCURRENTS. Cultural Dimensions and Global Web-User Interface Design. Interactions, 7(4), 32-46.
  14. National Institute for Lifelong Education. (2015). Lifelong learning for all through massive open online courses. Paper presented at the World Education Forum, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
  15. Naughton, J. (2010, August 15). The internet: is it changing the way we think? The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/aug/15/internet-brain-neuroscience-debate
  16. Nisbett, R. E. (2003). The geography of thought: How Asians and Westerners think differently... and why. New York: Free Press.
  17. North, S. M., Richardson, R., & North, M. M. (2014). To adapt MOOCS, or not? That is no longer the question. Universal Journal of Education Research, 2(1), 69-72.
  18. Parrish, P., & Linder-VanBerschot, J. A. (2010). Cultural dimensions of learning: Addressing the challenges of multicultural education. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(2), 1-19.
  19. Preece, J., Rogers, Y., & Helen, S. (2007). Interaction design: Beyond human-computer interaction (2nd ed.). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
  20. Rao, P. (2011). E-learning in India: the role of national culture and strategic implications. Multicultural Education & Technology Journal, 5(2), 129-150.
  21. Reinecke, K. (2010). An approach to cultural sensitivity. (Doctor of Science), University of Zurich.
  22. Sahlberg, P. (2004). Teaching and globalization. Managing Global Transitions, 2(1), 65-83.
  23. Shah, N. (2013). Cross cultural considerations for users interface design. Human Factors International. Retrieved from http://www.humanfactors.com/newsletters/cross-cultural-considerations-for-user-inter-face-design.asp
  24. Tarc, P. (2012). The uses of globalization in the (shifting) landscape of educational studies. Canadian Journal of Education, 35(3), 4-29.
  25. Tracey, R. (2013). The definition of a MOOC. Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/the-definition-of-a-mooc
  26. Trompenaars, F., & Hampden-Turner, C. (1997). Riding the waves of culture: Understanding diversity in global business. New York: McGraw-Hill.
  27. Voros, T., & Choudrie, J. (2011). Uncertainty avoidance and technology acceptance in emerging economies: A comparative study. Paper presented at the Annual Workshop of the AIS Interest Group for ICT in Global Development 2011.
  28. Williams, R., Karousou, R., & Mackness, J. (2011). Emergent learning and learning ecologies in web 2.0. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(3), 40-59.
  29. Wursten, H., & Jacobs, C. (2013). The impact of culture on education. Hofstede Centre. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/tl_files/images/site/social/Culture%and%education.pdf
  30. Yang, R. (2011). Educational research in Confucian cultural contexts: reflections on methodology. Comparative Education, 47(3), 395-405.
  31. http://www.coursera.org
  32. http://www.edx.org
  33. http://www.kocw.net