Intercultural Understanding among Asian Participants in a Blended e-Learning Course
Geetha Udayangani Kulasekara
The Open University of Sri Lanka
Sherlyne A. Almonte-Acosta
St. Paul University, Philippines
Uranchimeg Tudevdagva
Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Mongolia
This paper explores the intercultural learning experience of participants in the eLearning Development and Implementation (eLDI) Asia 2011 blended online course conducted by the University of Philippines Open University in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Germany.
The course consisted of 250 study hours (200 hours online and 50 hours face-to-face) for six modules on almost all aspects of e-learning course development. During the online phase learners were supported by expert online tutors from Asia, under the guidance of two umbrella tutors. They facilitated learning using different kinds of interactions via synchronous and asynchronous communication tools and Web 2.0 social networks. There were collaborative activities, individual activities, and educational games to further support the learners in developing their knowledge.
The participants were educational specialists and training experts from six different countries in Asia, with varied educational backgrounds, cultures, and languages. This paper aims to describe the intercultural understanding that transpired in the entire e-learning process. How is intercultural understanding manifested in the online and face-to-face interactions between and among learners and tutors? What are the factors of intercultural understanding that were evident in the process? The paper presents answers to these questions following a qualitative research method.
Key words: e-learning; intercultural understanding, Asian learners, qualitative research