Cross-cultural comparison: the introduction of new technology with postgraduate students in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom

Universities in the United Kingdom are developing collaborations with partners in the East often resulting in academic staff, with little understanding of Eastern cultures, imposing Western designed Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and lacking consideration of the learning styles and educational experiences of Eastern students. Nottingham Trent University (NTU) delivers a Professional Doctorate course collaboratively with Hong Kong College of Technology (HKCT). As part of the delivery NTU’s VLE is used and accessed by students in Hong Kong. Initially engagement with the VLE by HKCT students was almost non-existent. A recent visit to HKCT with the intention of engaging the students more thoroughly in the VLE revealed disengagement, not in the notion of using the VLE for learning but in the unconsciously ethno-centric bias of the design of course materials and use of the development of the VLE by academic staff. This paper presents interim findings of a research project to develop evidence-informed practice that will encourage HKCT students to engage more effectively with the material to enable a greater use of online learning, a deeper level of learning and a faster pace of progression. A literature search revealed no specific guidance to academics in relation to this area of practice. Hofstede (1985) opened the debate and stimulated dialogue about cultural differences and the need for culture to be acknowledged in teaching and learning