Cultural diversity and educational inclusivity: International students' use of online information

Abstract

The complex nature of Australian higher education is intensified by the increasing cultural diversity of its student population and the escalating use of ICTs (information communication technologies) in teaching and learning (Boezerooy 2002; Harman 2004). This is a dynamic environment, responsive to technological advances and educational internationalisation, in which educators seek to reconcile the common goal of equitable outcomes with myriad differences in learner attributes and needs. Corresponding trends in curriculum design foster an independent, flexible and critical approach to learning, the development of both generic attributes and discipline-specific knowledge, and the incorporation of information literacy into the learning process. This paper reports findings of the first part of an investigation into international students' use of online information. It presents a snapshot of the learners' experience, and discusses the role of information literacy education in this dynamic educational setting. The experiences of a group of students from nine different countries are analysed to illustrate aspects of cultural and linguistic diversity and their possible influences on study-related online information use. Key outcomes of this phase of the investigation are discussed, including the need to explore the potential of an inclusive information literacy response to enhance the online information use and learning outcomes of all students in a culturally diverse educational context.

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