1. What are the main thoughts you carry away ...

From the article, I learn a lot of things with regard to cross cultural issues. I understand that cultural differences are important elements that we should take into consideration when we design online learning materails. Points I learn is that what does it mean cultural competency, what factors contribute for cross cultural conflict, difference between the western and other society culturs in learning and suggestions proposed to consider in online learning design to narrow culutral differences.

2. Are there any specific research ideas ...

The quotation by John Dewey and Berger and Luckmann and Bennet are important ideas included in this article to the design of online learning course

3. Can you think of any (ideas, studies, articles, or authors) that might be missing from this article - but which should be included?

I think this is a short article. For a beginner like me, it leaves many questions to understand croos-cultural issues in online learning. For example there are many instructional design models, here mentioned only one model ADDIE.  For example some researchers says learning is a social process and uses a different instructional design models. It may be more appropraite model to include cultural issues in online instruction design

 4.  Do any of the suggestions for future research interest you in particular, and why?

The research ideas suggested are good. But immediately what comes to mind is that we are designing online instruction for people with different cultures. Can it be achievable? I want to quot Dewey's word " ... when a student finds the curriculum relevant to his or her life situation". A student one from US and the other from Ethiopia  can take the same course, thanks to the internet technology. The technology allows but do we think that they have the same goal and target? I think no. Because they come from different socio-economic background, they will not have the same interest and goal. There is another suggestions, online learning should be design with different layers so that it can address different learner groups but with one layer design. I don't think so.

In additon to the suggestion - I also suggest prototyping approach. course materials are designed and distributed to the target learners and then we gather the pros and cons of the first vesion, from that feedback, with internet it is possible to gather feedbacks, we may able to design an online course material that can address different cultural groups.