Because of the method(s) of communication in a particular class, gender and cultural differences can lead to a different mix of voluntary communication in the online or blended class setting from that of a traditional classroom. Given the hybrid nature of courses taught by the School of Infor-mation at the University of South Florida, a comparison can be made among the same students in class using different methods of class communication. Comparisons between graduate, under-graduate and student-athletes in School of Information courses can also be made. This paper ex-amines the differences experienced by students of varying cultural backgrounds in their willing-ness to participate in class discussion depending upon the type or types of communication media used and will discuss the implications for effective course design.