Introduction

Building engaging online learning experiences to be sustainable and reusable for always-evolving student populations is no easy task. In a higher education system that attracts students with different life stories, it is important to consider what biases are brought into the course development process and how the institution can adjust to more closely meet the needs of learners.

In this post, we will explore this design challenge from the lens of high- and low-context cultures. This framework, originating from anthropologist Edward T. Hall in the 70s, has been used to inform businesses, marketers, and educators on how to better communicate with wider audiences. We will consider how these ideas help us make digital environments that better serve our students.

Comparing high- and low-context cultures

In low-context cultures…

• Communication is direct– messages rely on carefully chosen words, and words are more important than the way they are delivered. Individual needs are addressed directly. For example, a student needing clarification may raise a hand during a lecture to ask a question.
• Emphasis on independence– value is placed on individualism and completing tasks, learning is transactional with a focus on clarity.
• Direct transmission of knowledge– knowledge is highly compartmentalized and can be more comfortably separated from context. When learning about new systems, understanding how things work independently makes the most sense. Information typically comes from the classroom, the traditional source of knowledge. 

In high-context cultures…

• Communication is indirect– voice, tone, and facial expression all carry significant meaning. Individual needs are addressed indirectly, and the group relationship may take precedence. For example, a student needing clarification may avoid interrupting a lecture by raising a hand and instead seek other sources for clarification. 
• Emphasis on interdependence– value is placed on relationships and shared understanding. There is a collectivist approach to learning.
• Multiple sources of knowledge– application of knowledge in real-world settings is important, and information without context is less valued. When learning about new systems, understanding how things work together makes the most sense. Information can be learned from a variety of experiences, including but not limited to the classroom. 

Cultural context in higher education. Why us?

Neither high- nor low-context cultures are considered better than the other. What is important is understanding where an organization lies on the context spectrum and how to use a balanced mix of both high- and low-context approaches to reach wider audiences.

It is vital to know that the United States is one of the lower-context countries (Hall 1989) and our higher education system is a low-context space (Ibarra 2001, 2009).

Digital learning environments, by default, rely on the written word and structured interaction. Context elements like body language, tone, and established relationships may be missing, sliding asynchronous courses even more towards the low-context end of the spectrum.

When we think about designing learning environments that incorporate diverse ways of thinking and are relevant to the different life contexts of students, we must acknowledge that we work in traditionally low-context systems and intentionally integrate high-context elements into our work.

This approach of mixing high-context practices into academic spaces was proposed by sociologist and educational researcher Robert Ibarra (Ibarra 2001). Ibarra suggested that this approach supports “multicontextual” learners– those from high-context cultures who do the extra work of adapting to participate in low-context academic institutions. 

“Multicontextual — a learned ability to survive in low context academic environments while maintaining high context characteristics in other aspects of life. Though academically successful, the consequences of this dual-world existence lead to conflicts, compromises, and even underperformance issues in academic life” (Ibarra 2009).

Multicontextualism in Digital Learning

Every course, teaching style, and discipline requires a unique approach to building an online course, so there is no “one size fits all” solution to supporting students navigating multicontextualism. Consider these questions and ideas below to think about small changes you can make to connect with learners from diverse backgrounds.

Questions to ask

• Is there a way to adjust this discussion or assignment to provide an opportunity for students to connect course concepts to their personal lives or community?
• How does the course language reflect the student-instructor relationship, student-course relationship, or student-discipline relationship?
• Are students invited to be part of a larger course community? How can that be built in this online space?
• How can lectures, videos, and readings show students the real-world application of what they are learning? 

Bite-sized ideas to try

• In a discussion that asks students to explain a topic, have students find and share an artifact that is meaningful to them or from their community (a photo, local news article, notable person in the field, a family story) that relates to the topic, and incorporate that situational element into their explanation.
• Use humanizing messaging in announcements, like addressing the group as “we” or a class nickname (“Good morning scientists,” “Hello UNIV 101Aers”)
• Share an instructor welcome page or video that acknowledges more than credentials– share a bit about your personal academic journey and challenges you overcame to reach where you are.
• Connect course concepts to real-world examples– this can mean large-scale (in a weekly overview, showing how what students will learn is related to future careers) or small-scale (for an individual calculation-based question, using sample data from communities that reflect students’ backgrounds).

References

Hall, Edward T. Beyond Culture. 1976. Anchor Books, 1989.

Ibarra, R. A. (2001). Beyond affirmative action : reframing the context of higher education / Robert A. Ibarra. University of Wisconsin Press.

Ibarra, R. (2009, March 9). Context diversity: Reframing higher education in the 21st century | campus compact. Compact.org. https://compact.org/resources/context-diversity-reframing-higher-education-in-the-21st-century