Part of my research explores cross-culture and disabilities in online learning. My colleagues and I have done research like these:
Kotera, Y., Chircop, J., Hutchinson, L., Rhodes, C., Green, P., Maxwell-Jones, R., Kaluzeviciute, G. & Garip, G. (2021). Loneliness in online students with disabilities qualitative investigation for experience, understanding and solutions. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. 18, 64. DOI: 10.1186/s41239-021-00301-x
Kotera, Y., Cockerill, V., Green, P., Hutchinson, L., Shaw, P., & Bowskill, N. (2019). Towards another kind of borderlessness: Online students with disabilities. Distance Education, 40(2), 170-186. DOI: 10.1080/01587919.2019.1600369
Kotera Y, Gorchakova V, Maybury S, Edwards AM, Kotera H. (2022). Comparison of academic motivation between business and healthcare students in online learning: A concurrent nested mixed-method study. Healthcare. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10081580
Kotera, Y., Edwards, A.M., Garip, G., Chircop, J. & Aledeh, M. (2022). Effects of online mental health classes on mental health and stigma: A controlled before-after study with one-month follow-up. SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine. DOI: 10.1007/s42399-022-01225-x
Those papers are welll-read, and colleagues at the University of Porto, Nuno and Catarina, invited me to give a talk at a public discussion session.
The session took place in a museum owned by, and built in the University. The University of Porto was very close to the most beautiful bookshop in the world, Livraria Lello. A day before the session, I took a little walk to see this bookshop from outside. There was a long line for people to see inside.
In Portugese culture, these events start a bit later than the scheduled. The session was scheduled to start at 10:30, but UoP colleagues told me that it would start at 10:40. As expected, around 10:35, many people arrived. Intersting to witness cultural difference about time: in the UK, this session would have started at 10:30 (or possibly 10:35), and in Japan, it would have started at 10:30 and zero second! (In fact, I attended a Toyota Quality Control Conference, and saw the timetable organised on a minute-basis e.g., Introduction 9:00-9:12, Country A presentation 9:12-9:37...).
Our session was moderated by Simone, and Pedro, Roberta and I discussed the items made by Simone's team.
Many interesting points raised by us panels and the audience. What I was hearing over and over is that the importance of educators speaking the language that their students can understand. Are our choices of words appropriate? How about the speed, tone, and the amount of information at one go? This is certainly emphasized in research and grant application but is also important in teaching.
One purpose of my cross-cultural research relates to this too. By finding out our differences, we can be more understanding to each other. For example, if we encounter a reaction by someone that you didn’t expect, you wouldn’t think “What’s wrong with you?😡”; instead you may think "How come this person reacted that way?🤔" Having cross-cultural understanding can help make sense of it. Without that knowledge, you may label this person incomprehensible or crazy.
Understanding others from their perspective is important. That may be why a psychotherapy intervention "Empty Chair" (aka "Position Change" described in my book chapter) is so well-used.
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