Before I was in Tanzania, I attended CATaC (Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication), held in Tartu Estonia and presented my dissertation research.

A summary of the dissertation has been submitted for publication, but for a sneak preview, you can either email me for a copy of the dissertation or read the abstract for the short paper below…

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 themselves, 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.