| Abstract: | The amount of resources being poured by Western universities, companies, and governments into creating educational content
to be exported (via the Internet) to other cultures is astounding. Those assigned to accomplish this task are left with the
great challenge of meeting the needs of learners who come from cultures that are foreign to them, and who often have very
different abilities and expectations than originally assumed. This study explores the cultural competence in the lived experience
of 12 professionals who have been involved with such efforts. Often they have had to question their assumptions, recognizing
flaws in their own thinking and in the organizations that support them, and tried to alter their practice accordingly. Their
awareness of cultural differences and the importance and impact of these differences in their practice will be discussed. |
