The differences of learning strategies and environmental preferences of open and distance learners considering the cultural dimensions of Hofstede

The aim of this study is to determine whether the learning environment and strategy preferences of open and distance learners differ according to Individualism and Collectivism which is one of Hofstede's cultural dimensions. The participants of the study are the students who enrolled on the Open Education Faculty in 2018-2019 academic year. In this study, cross-sectional survey design was used. The scales used in this research are the Individualism and Collectivism Scale and the Resource Management and Learning Strategies Scales. The scales were applied to 420 participants but analyzes were made on 408 participants. Learning environments were attached to the scales and participants were asked to select the environments they used most. According to the results of the analysis, Individualism and Collectivism were considered as two different dimensions. There was a significant relationship between "practising the pilot tests in e-learning services", "taking advantage of counseling services in e-learning services" and individualism. A significant relationship was found between "using the practices in the exercise questions in e-learning services ", "benefiting from e-seminar question solutions", "taking advantage of counseling services in e-learning services" and collectivism. There was a negative relationship between individualism and time management, self-regulation, and help-seeking. However, there was a linear relationship between individualism and persistency. There was a positive relationship between collectivism and time management, self-regulation and help-seeking and a negative relationship between showing persistency. It was seen that high level collectivists and low level individualists use learning strategies more than low level collectivists and high level individualists. Keywords: Open and distance learning, Cultural dimensions of Hofstede, Individualism and Collectivism, Learning strategies, Learning environments