Culture responsiveness in a Global Virtual Classroom: The case of the University of Tlemcen, Algeria

Abstract

As traditional lecture styles have become nowadays less desirable and profitable, more and more demands are made on the part of both teachers and learners. One way of helping teachers fulfil their students' `growing' needs in the age of globalisation is through the introduction of technology in the classroom. The present paper, therefore, intends to exploit the notion of cultural responsiveness in an international online course called `Global Virtual Class' henceforth GVC. The project, which falls within the area of cultural education, brings together partners from all the word continents and deals with intercultural issues appropriate to life in the target growing communities. It also focuses on teaching intercultural awareness through observing what people belonging to different cultures say and do. The aim of this paper is twofold; it first explains what a culturally responsive teaching is, then it gives an overview of how cultural issues are taught in GVC, to check at a further step the extent to which the use of the cultural knowledge of students via prior experiences, and performance styles can make learning more appropriate and effective in a GVC setting.