Across Africa: Reflections on cross-cultural communications during an Internet-Supported blended learning university co

1. Across Africa: Reflections on cross-cultural communications during an Internet-Supported blended learning university course Prof Johannes Cronjé Prof Seugnet Blignaut http://hagar.up.ac.za/catts/abchome.html

2. Context

3. Pretoria

4. Khartoum

5. Rationale Local Global Divide

6. Rationale • Intercultural communication is a process of reducing uncertainty about messages and relationships(Dodd, 1995). • constructivism could be a useful worldview for approaching cultural problems in distance education(Bonham, Cifuentes & Murphy, 1995)

7. Theoretical Background • Hofstede: Culture is …“the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another” (2000 p. 9) • 1968 – 1972 • Staff of the IBM corporation • 72 countries surveyed

8. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions • Power distance • Uncertainty avoidance • Individualism/Collectivism • Masculiting/Femininty • Long-term/Short-term orientation

9. Research question • How is shared meaning constructed in a technology-rich environment in terms of each of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions?

10. Limitations • Hofstede provides no figures for long-term v short term orientation for SA or Arab-speaking countries. • Sudan is not on Hofstede’s list, but corresponds closely with his definition of Arab-speaking countries (Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates). • Hofstede’s research limited to IBM employees. My participants are education students.

11. Defining Sudan as an Arab state Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lybia, Saudi Arabia, UAE

12. Data sources • Research journal • Informal discussions with • Students • Colleagues • Administrators • Emails • Student essays • Artefacts • Powerpoint • Authorware • Access • Websites

13. Websites • http://www.geocities.com/atika_elmubark/ • http://www.geocities.yahoo.com/maieidris_186 • http://www.Geocities.com/huda2000ciehttp://www.geocities.com/raniaeltahir • http://www.geocities.com/ranoyty • http://geocities.yahoo.com/sustelarnmemberhttp://www.geocities.com/ezeldensust/ezelden.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/izeldeen2002/http://www.geocities.yahoo.com/mohannad19772003/ • http://www.geocities.com/mohannad19772003/ • http://www.geocities.yahoo.com/amiar772002/http://www.geocities.com/mohammedtahir_ismaelhttp://www.geocities.com/sustelarnabdurrhman2000http://www.geocities.com/mohammed_cie • http://geocities.com/sustelarnabdurrhman2000/ • http://www.geocities.com/mohammed_cie

14. Low Power distance High 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 US SA SU Power Distance (SU80; SA49; US40) • “…the extent to which the less powerful members of organisations and institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally.”

15. Power distance indicators • Controlled access to information • Rigid hierarchies • Emphasis on social & moral order • Focus on expertise and authority • Social prominence: leaders vs citizens, customers or employees

16. Controlled access to info This massage by the tongue of all group that the date you determined for us to  Submit the assignment or/and research about evaluation of CDis holiday according to the university calendar, that means we are not able to attend university on this day so we need extra day or to delay it to other date that you determine later after Eel we will be very pleased if you delay it another thing that all group is not ready to handle it on the exact day you identified We are in fire position waiting your replyYour Sudan university group sustelarnWith our best wishes No official year timetable

17. Rigid hierarchies

18. Social and moral order • I talk that but please don’t tell other; XXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX. (Stuff deleted for obvious reasons)

19. Focus on expertise & authority • What you need from us to know? By other words: what we will be going know…all things…General idea..Something exactly..?What is purpose of this term?

20. Social prominence • About reply to me thanks very much my teacher. Thanks..Thanks ..Thanks • Dear my teacher, Salam, sorry for ask you more questions

21. Low Uncertainty avoidance High 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 US SA SU Uncertainty avoidance SU68; SA49; US46 • “…the extent to which a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations.”

22. UA indicators • Limited choice • Error prevention

23. Limited choice

24. Error prevention • I worry about everything happen here; I worry to E-language – I can’t good to read all those material send to us , I don’t know what I want to doing . • Please, teacher: I need time – table about the work after the evaluation essay other than that leave to us – it not clear.

25. Individualism Collectivism 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 SU SA US Individualism SU38; SA65; US91 • “…the degree to which individuals are supposed to look after themselves or remain integrated into groups, usually around the family.” (91 = Collectivist)

26. Indicators of individualism • Personal achievement emphasised • Success demonstrated through materialism • Controversial rhetoric & encouragement of extreme claims • Focus on youth & activity • Social emphasis on the individual • Emphasis on extrinsic personal goals • Morality: Emphasis on truth rather than relationships • Change: Emphasis on new rather than traditional

27. Individualism in the project • Very little discussion on the group list • Much cooperation in spreadsheet tasks • Atika • Request for group feedback • All in the minibus

30. Femininity Masculinity 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 SU Masculinity SU53; SA63; US62 • “…the distribution of emotional roles between the genders … from ‘tough’ masculine to ‘tender’ feminine.” USSA

31. Traditional age/family distinctions Games & competition to win Utilitarian Blurring of gender roles Mutual cooperation rather than winning Poetic & aesthetic Indicators: Masc. V Fem

32. Masc/Fem? • Group composition: 7F, 5M • Mother’s name? • Aesthetics?

33. Masc/Fem

34. Beyond dimensions • That’s a nice shirt! • Do you like it? • Friday and Sunday • Easter wishes • How are you? concogratiolation to this chiritian day. I wish you have a good day. We ask ALLAH to keep you from harm and warm. and you have good health and happyness. • Ramad’an

35. Conclusions • No conclusive evidence that Hofstede’s dimensions apply • Other things happen that are not covered by Hofstede • Construction of own meaning works • A blend of rigidity and flexibility is required

36. Recommendations • The curriculum should be designed in such a way that it provides relevant experiences from which students can construct their own learning. • Interpretation is personal and the student’s point of view must be valued, but not at the expense of primary concepts. • Active learning tasks should incorporate assessment strategies that determine the extent to which experience has been converted into skills.

37. More recommendations • Multiple collaborative perspectives should be focused on primary concepts. • The curriculum should be adapted “on the fly” if the real-life situation demands it. • Testing should be unobtrusive and focused on determining areas where the student should improve.Administrative flexibility should be designed into the system from the outset.

38. Final words it is aprivilige for me to be your student. and i promis you that i do my best to realize what you expect from me (IN SHAA ALLAH)