eLearning+Discussion+of+comparison+and+contrast

 ** Comparison and contrast ** The development of educational culture begins in the early stages of schooling and this form of culture will influence how students will view knowledge and how they will act within the eLearning environment during their tertiary studies. It would appear that both countries, New Zealand and Japan, are moving towards eLearning at different rates. The movement in Japan seems to be more directed and controlled by standardisation processes and government policies, whereas the eLearning development in New Zealand appears to be faster paced and as a response to market drivers such as attracting a greater number of students and enrolments. Even though Japan is highly advanced with technology with 77.5% of the population owning a personal computer, compared with 63% of New Zealanders (Statistics New Zealand Tatauranga Aotearoa, 2011), the use of Information Technology within junior, high and senior high schools is limited (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2008). Recent government policies in Japan have resulted in an increase in the amount of technology that is being used in the tertiary sector. Although this will assist eLearning the students who enter tertiary and higher education come with set preferences to learning. In using the overview of value orientations proposed by Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1998) the contrasts between the two educational cultures becomes apparent.

//**Individualism **// ||= Communitarianists regard themselves as primarily part of a community, value group achievements, and tend to assume joint responsibility. ||= Individualists regard themselves primarily as individuals, ideally achieve alone, and value personal responsibility. || //A brief overview of// cultural //value orientations.// Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1998, as cited in Dunn & Marinetti, 2002,// p 29). // 
 * = ** CULTURAL **** DIMENSIONS ** ||= **JAPAN** ||= ** NEW **** ZEALAND ** ||
 * = //**High Uncertainty Avoidance -v- Low Uncertainty Avoidance **// ||= Cultures with a high uncertainty avoidance score try to avoid ambiguity. Teachers are expected to have all the answers and students are comfortable in structured learning situations. ||= In cultures with a low uncertainty avoidance score, students are comfortable with unstructured learning situations, open-ended questions and discussions. ||
 * = //**Universalism -v- Particularism **// ||= Universalist cultures tend to adhere to societal rules and not to make exceptions for particular circumstances. ||= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">Particularists adopt a relative perspective, pay more attention to unique circumstances, and feel obligations to personal relationships. ||
 * = //**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Communitarianism -v- **//
 * = //**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Neutral –v– Affective **// ||= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">For neutral cultures, the nature of interactions should be objective and detached. Feelings should not be openly revealed, and self-possessed conduct is admired. ||= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">For affective cultures, it is acceptable to express openly thoughts and emotions—verbally and non-verbally. ||
 * = //**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Ascription -v- Achievement **// ||= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">Ascription-oriented cultures attribute status depending on birth, kinship, gender, and age but also connections and educational record. They make extensive use of titles. ||= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">Achievement-oriented cultures judge people according to what they have accomplished. They make limited use of titles and respect to superiors is accorded depending on their knowledge and performance. ||
 * = //**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Diffuse -v- **////**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Specific **// ||= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">For diffuse cultures, personal contact pervades every human transaction and relations with others tend to be indirect. ||= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">Specific cultures tend to separate personal from professional life and people are more direct, purposeful, and transparent when relating to others. ||

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Predominantly Japanese students have a more traditional concept of knowledge and learning, and they have experienced an education that is based on a Confucian value system (Aoki, 2010). Social rules must be followed with the role of the teacher being recognised as the ‘transferor’ of knowledge. This knowledge is not usually challenged and students will respond to teachers’ questioning when they are certain that they will get the answer correct. This high uncertainty avoidance is heightened in situations that may cause them to lose face or if social constraints are present. <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">New Zealand students are more likely to take risks and they are predominantly more accepting of <range type="comment" id="837437">‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍student centred learning situations ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ where the learning is less teacher controlled (Jandt, 2007). The concept of constructivism in New Zealand education is not new and many students have experienced shared learning and knowledge development. ‍‍‍‍‍Transmission style of delivery is still prevalent within senior secondary‍‍‍‍‍ and tertiary education with a new trend emerging towards constructed learning in some institutions. New Zealand students will be more likely to challenge a teacher’s knowledge and in many learning environments this is actually encouraged as part of developing critical thinking skills.

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">We invite you to join in our discussion so together we can learn. Do you agree with our analysis? Are there other observations you would like to share?

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