Cultural Diversity in Online Education: An Exploration of Instructors' Perceptions and Challenges

• In Event: Honoring Diversity in Online Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study explored online instructors’ perspectives and understandings of cultural diversity, instructional strategies they use to address cultural diversity, and the challenges they face in their efforts to address issues related to diversity in the online learning environment. Drawing on multicultural research theory and cultural diversity, we analyzed interview data and online activities of fifty online instructors from three universities. The study findings pointed to six themes (perceptions of cultural diversity in online learning, cultural diversity depends on academic discipline, instructional strategies that promote cultural diversity, collaborative online learning activities, addressing the impact of multicultural education, and challenges of cultural diversity in online learning) related to instructors’ perspectives and challenges on diversity issues in online teaching and learning.

Authors

• Alex Kumi-Yeboah, University at Albany - SUNY

• Patriann Smith, University of South Florida

• James Dogbey, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi