Data Collection Procedure
The researcher informed the students of the rationale for the study and provided them with an information letter and consent form. These asserted that there would be minimal risk associated with participating in the study because anonymity and privacy would be assured, and because the results of the study would not influence the students’ course grades. Participants were made aware of the fact that they could withdraw from the data-collection process at any time. Students were given the consent form before the beginning of the data collection. They completed the questionnaire in the last week of classes, a process that required about 20–30 minutes. Anonymity was maintained by asking respondents not to write their names on the answer sheets and to submit them to the TA.
The researcher received and began to analyze the data only after the final examination and the submission of the course grades. Of the 100 participants who provided consent forms, 67 returned their answers. Follow-up interviews were conducted with a random selection of 20 participants. Informal discussions were held with each participant to provide enriched views on whether and to what extent there exists a reciprocal and correlative relationship between online learning and culture. The researcher made field notes of the discussions for later analysis.