Needs for developing culturally oriented supportive learning with the aid of Information and Communication Technologies

Abstract

This article demonstrates the inadequacy of access and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and networked learning for many people in non‐Western societies and for those who belong to ethno‐cultural minority groups. Especially, immigrants have great needs in the domain of learning the language of the host country as a foreign or second language. In addition, another important issue is the development of multi‐language websites (such as educational programmes, curricula, and software) in order to bring out culture as an important dimension which should be incorporated in modern ICT implementations. This paper synthesises evidence from the literature about culture and technologies in order to gain new insights in the fields of Intercultural Education and ICTs and gives insights for the development of ICT learning materials that are accessible to multicultural users and respect their different cultural needs, in particular to those users from non‐Western societies.

Keywords:

• Intercultural learning
• ICTs