A review of the development of information technology and education: The role of culture

Abstract

Many studies have highlighted that IT's impact on learning outcomes depends on many antecedents. Culture has been identified as one such factor. This paper is a synthesis of three domains - IT, education and culture. It first traces the evolution of IT in education and the relationship between learning theories and IT. Subsequently, the role of culture in the field of IT and education is presented. The paper then proposes that instruction be designed in a culturally sensitive manner. Second, understandings of culture should be allowed to grow in conjunction with developments in IT and education. We hope that these suggestions would generate more research and insight on the intersection of IT, education and culture.