Distance education has been regarded as a Western teaching model that emphasizes individual development, learner's autonomy, active learning, and mutual communications. When Chinese students, who are accustomed to a teacher-led, passive, and reticent way of learning, take online courses in the West, they are likely to encounter a series of disorientations and even difficulties. This doctoral study explores the role of cultural values in shaping Chinese students' online learning experiences in American universities. Through a qualitative research design, 11 Chinese graduate students from 6...