DISTANCE LEARNING AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY: POTENTIAL USERS' PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study examined the impact of cultural differences (individualism‐collectivism) on potential users' receptivity towards distance learning. Using a sample of 424 students enrolled in two northeastern universities, we addressed three research questions: Would an individual's culture affect his or her receptivity towards distance learning? Would an individual's culture affect his or her preference for particular distance learning media? Would an individual's culture affect his or her preference for distance learning in a particular course type? Findings reveal that an individual's culture affects his or her overall attitude towards distance learning. Specifically, we found that individualists' motives and communication patterns are in synch with distance learning as a medium of instruction or communication; whereas collectivists' motives and communication patterns shun any form of mediated instruction or communication as in distance learning. Implications and direction for future studies are discussed.