The Influence of Individualism–Collectivism and Power Distance on Use of Feedback Channels and Consequences for Learning

We examine the influences of individualism–collectivism and power distance on the use of feedback channels (face-to-face or electronic) and how they impact student-learning performance in a blended-learning environment at an American university. Some components of individualism–collectivism and power distance were related to choice of feedback channel. The number of on-line forums in which a student participated was positively related to learning performance as measured by multiple choice tests. In contrast, average number of postings per forum was negatively related to learning performance. Contrary to expectations, no direct relationship was found between the use of any of three face-to-face feedback-seeking channels and learning performance.