Work on situated cognition and affectivity holds that cognitive and affective processes always occur within, depend upon, and, perhaps, are even partially constituted by the surrounding social and environmental contexts. What some philosophers call a ‘mental institution’ consists of various tools and technologies that help people to solve a particular problem and scaffold their cognitive and affective processes in various ways. Examples include legal systems, scientific practice, and educational systems. I propose that insofar as it centers around technology and involves (...) a particular set of rules, practices, and shared expectations, the online learning environment can be understood as a mental institution. It shapes not only what and how students learn, but also how they understand the value and fundamental aims of learning. I argue that insofar as this mental institution both reflects and perpetuates neoliberal aims and values, it is in danger of limiting students’ communicative abilities and soliciting them to view higher education in distorted, limiting ways. (shrink)

This article addresses issues of linguistic and cultural diversity among students in international education settings. Can we develop approaches to teaching using computer-mediated communications that acknowledge and accommodate differences of language and culture? Or is an hegemony of the English language inevitable, along with associated cultural values and communicative preferences? These questions are discussed, and the issues illustrated, through analysis of two `global' teaching initiatives. The first is a Masters programme in Open and Distance Education offered partly online by the (...) UK Open University. The other is a three-year research and development project, conducted by academics in five European countries, aimed at enabling students to communicate and debate their perspectives on Europe in a series of `virtual seminars' linked to a resource website. Some practical strategies in support of pluralism in the electronic environment are offered. (shrink)