Bridging the Cultural Gap of Online Learning: Implications and Strategies

Just as internet access has shifted from a 20th century novelty to a modern-day basic utility, so has the popularity of learning a specialization online become the norm and not the exception. Despite the growing demand for providing online courses/programs on a global scale, attrition rates remain unfavorably high compared to traditional face-to-face learning. Although research related to online teaching methodology has made much progress, there remains a plethora of studies related to cultural barriers in the virtual world of learning. In this literature review of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Model, the implications of the framework’s four indexes—power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism-collectivism, and masculinity-femininity—are considered alongside with practical strategies for overcoming teaching methodological challenges.