Teaching and training on intercultural issues online has become more pervasive than ever in a global mediated world. In 2014, Facebook had more than 2 billion participants; more than 85% of adult U.S. Americans use the Internet, and many, especially young adults, access their social networking sites (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) accounts multiple times a day. In addition to the way it is changing interaction, technology is also changing the way intercultural issues are taught and trained. This discussion compares face-to-face classroom teaching and learning with online offerings, highlighting the complex contrast in the approach to the content, the degree of richness in the medium, language issues, communication- and learning-style differences, and, finally, the adapting of approaches to assessment online.

Early portrayals of online communication and ...