Technology-mediated learning across borders: A cross-cultural case-study

E-learning has entered the mainstream in higher education and many institutions are implementing technology-mediated learning at some level. However, many researchers have found that matching the meaningful interactions evident in traditional classrooms is a challenge still unresolved. This paper outlines an example of a course taught jointly in 2010 over three months by two graduate programs in management at the University of Tsukuba in Japan and the Grenoble Ecole de Management in France through a video-conferencing system and other ICT tools. The authors used a hybrid style of e-learning that was aimed at increasing collaboration among instructors and students remotely located. This research first reviews the existing literature and practice of e-learning of graduate programs along with their shortcomings and merits, and analyzes a pilot course taught last year. We also present the results of a questionnaire survey of students during the course and provide practical recommendations for developing and managing a hybrid course balancing the positive aspects of e-learning with the benefits of face-to-face instruction, while suiting the participants´ cultural learning idiosyncrasies.