Cultural analysis in online course design: Promoting inclusive pedagogy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24136/10.24136/rsf.2024.016Keywords:
Online learning, Culturally inclusive instructional design, Culturally responsive pedagogy, Multicultural education, Cross-cultural communication, Cultural dimensions theory, Global educationAbstract
Online education has proven a groundbreaking advent, breaking down temporal and spatial barriers to learning and expanding access to education on a global scale. However, the international proliferation of online education has also led to increasingly multicultural and multilingual student bodies. Today, most online courses are designed using Western cultural values but are frequently accessed by non-Western students. Utilizing Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory and Hall’s High-Context Low-Context Cultural Theory as a theoretical framework, this review synthesizes the empirical research on promoting cultural inclusivity in online education. In doing so, it offers recommendations for designing online course materials to better accommodate the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. The findings of this study indicate that intentional online course design can promote measurable improvements in cultural inclusivity and cultural responsiveness, and that such interventions can create more equitable and effective online learning environments.
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