How Cultural Values Shape Chinese Students’ Online Learning Experience

Distance education has been regarded as a Western teaching model that emphasizes individual development, learner’s autonomy, active learning, and mutual communications. When Chinese students, who are accustomed to a teacher-led, passive, and reticent way of learning, take online courses in the West, they are likely to encounter a series of disorientations and even difficulties. This doctoral study explores the role of cultural values in shaping Chinese students’ online learning experiences in American universities. Through a qualitative research design, 11 Chinese graduate students from 6 public universities in the Southeastern United States were selected and interviewed about their online learning experiences. The data analysis revealed that Chinese cultural values had a significant impact on their online learning experience and behaviors, and there was a process of cultural negotiation and construction. This book is informative for those teaching online courses to Chinese students, and for researchers interested in cultural studies and distance education.