Demographic Impacts in IT Education: Research Agendas

Culture impacts upon use, useability and decision-making processes that surround Information Technology (IT). Radical changes in the demographic profile of New Zealand cause us to reflect on the impact of such changes, as the underlying culture of the country must change with the demographic changes. This process gives rise to some interesting questions, including whether we still accept Hofstede’s analysis of New Zealand as an individualistic country. Pacifika, Asian and Maori are collectivist cultures. One important question is what impact do demographic changes have on educational requirements, given that Maori experience of IT differs from mainstream New Zealand, and given that Maori and other collective cultures form an increasing proportion of the population, particularly in