Although the visual above is an obvious exaggeration, it is very important to consider the technological capabilities of the countries that contain the target audience. New technology is rapidly spreading across the world, but many countries do not have a vast telecommunications infrastructure to support the latest technology. It is tempting to use the latest technology in course development, but it is important to take into account the cost compared to the benefit of using the latest technology. Since developing countries have limited economic resources, it is important that Distance Education courses are designed in the best interest of the target country. Technology is a wonderful instructional tool, but if it does not conform to the available resources of the target audience it will not be effective.
Many people forget that culture is an underlying part of most educational courses.
When Distance Education courses are exported to other countries, it is important to consider the cultural implications. Many cultures do not support the western beliefs of feminism, individualism, and secularism. In order for the instruction to be effective, the Instructional Designer must take into account the culture of the intended audience. In most cases it is easier to merely translate a Distance Education course into another language rather than alter the instructional material to conform to the audience's culture. Although the course may be very effective in the originating country, if the course material is not relevant to the audience then it will be ineffective.