A tale of two cities: computer mediated teaching & learning in Melbourne and Singapore

This paper examines the emergence of differing student behaviour in the use of ICT in Melbourne and Singapore. It seeks to explain the stark contrasts in intra-group communication and the use of online course materials in terms of cultural differences, drawing largely on Hofstede’s framework for cultural analysis. Hofstede found Australians to be highly individualistic and to have both low power distance and low uncertainty avoidance. Singaporeans were found to be towards the other end of the scale in each of these dimensions. These differences appear to go a long way towards explaining the observed behaviour. It is argued that academics need to take culture into account in the design of learning materials, particularly when the use of ICT is discretionary.