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Cultural Dimensions of Multimedia Design for Instruction

Cultural Dimensions of Multimedia Design for Instruction. NECC Conference June 30, 2003 Seattle, WA Davina Pruitt-Mentle Educational Technology Outreach http://www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu/. What does culture have to do with education?. Definitions of Culture.

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Cultural Dimensions of Multimedia Design for Instruction

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  1. Cultural Dimensions of Multimedia Design for Instruction NECC Conference June 30, 2003 Seattle, WA Davina Pruitt-Mentle Educational Technology Outreach http://www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu/

  2. What does culture have to do with education? NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  3. Definitions of Culture • Many definitions of culture and few agree as to the exact definition • RE: multicultural interface/multimedia design • Culture stands for the way of life of a people, the sum of their learned behavioral patterns, attitudes and material things (Edward Hall, 1959, The Silent Language) • Culture is the collective programming of the mind, which distinguishes the members of one human group from another (Hofstede, 1980). NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  4. What Does Culture Have To Do With Education Related to Technology Design and Utilization? What are the consequences for students from different cultures working with US educational software? NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  5. Cultural Expectations The different backgrounds of people may cause them to have different expectations and attitudes towards different interfaces. The different expectations affect the way they learn to use and understand the technology. NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  6. Research • Research indicated that culture does influence interface acceptance(Evers and Day, 1997) • Acceptance of interfaces was related to the user’s cultural background and users from different cultures were found to not only have different preferences in interface design but also use different processes of acceptance (Evers and Day, 1997; Choong and Salvendy, 1998; Griffith, 1998) • Design preferences that were especially related to culture were colors, menus, input devices, sounds and multimedia. • Research indicated differences in acceptance, anxiety and attitudes toward computer use(Collis and Williams, 1987; Marcoulides and Wang, 1991; Igbaria, 1996; Weil and Rosen, 1994; Allwood and Wang, 1990; Omar, 1992; Sensales and Greenfield, 1995; Makrakis, 1992; Hall, 1959) NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  7. Drawing from International Business Cultural Miscues When Coca-Cola first went to China and wrote their name phonetically using Kanji, the characters spelt out “bite the wax tadpole”. Coco, a perfume by Channel, is the word “crap” in Portuguese. Dogs are thought of the lowest form of life in some cultures. In the Middle East, calling somebody a dog can be a powerful insult. This is also true in countries such as Spain and Portugal. Having the image of a dog on the computer screen is part of the interface (Apple moof, PowerPoint dog, Word help icon) would not be advised for those markets (Fernandes, 1996) NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  8. Business Cultural Models • Globalization • Internalization • Localization • Technical Localization • National Localization • Cultural Localization Jacob Nielson (1994) NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  9. Drawing from International Business Cultural Miscues • Globalization • Product is “neutral” • “One size fits all” • Removing all culturally specific features from the software • Changes at the interface level--not functionality • Internationalization • Same as globalization • But “culture” limited to national boundaries • e.g., Globalization = Hispanic; Internationalization= Mexico, El Salvador • Culture is not bounded by nations • One culture in many nations • One nation with many cultures Fernandes.Global Interface Design. 1995 NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  10. National Localization • The new product is able to fully support all written & spoken language, punctuation, and formats and to solve the particular needs associated with a given group. • Translating text, date, time, number formats other aspects such as images, symbols, icons, and pictures are localized NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  11. Cultural Localization • Targets other issues such as appeal, correctness, quality and taste • Modifies flow of information and functionality • Produces designs that are appropriate for a culture's values , tastes and history • Attractive • No undesired messages • Intuitive NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  12. Localization in US Educational Arena • Even though many of our students come from different countries (increasing immigrant population) few educational resources redesign their products to relate to this particular population NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  13. US Bias • Educational software used in the US has been designed using real world examples around North American culture and therefore many consider to cultural bias NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  14. Making learning resources more accessible and flexible to a wide range of learners is a major concern of educators today. In order to do this- “...educators must recognize that ‘their ways’ are ways that are usually based on values and principles that may differ then others. And others’ ways are just as important”. Brislin & Yoshida (1994) call this process ethnorelative Cultural Dimensions to Multimedia NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  15. The way to deal with diversity is not to deny it or ignore it, but to learn about differences so they don’t impair communication NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  16. The first step in effective intercultural communication is acceptance of diversity • Examine your own values • Examine values of others • Look at the implications of these values for education • Determine where the differences lie • Determine how to best overcome the differences NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  17. Language spoken written symbols Non-verbal communication body facial expression gestures Symbols company logos religious images flags Cross-Cultural “Cross Wiring” NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  18. Spoken & Written Language • All languages have a number of forms/styles and different registers for different types of situations • Diglossia/multiglossia-custom of using different languages for different purposes (Fishman, 1971a) • Spanish  English • formal  informal • colloquial  regular • Different dialect/ different sub-cultures • American vs. English (British) • Northern vs. Southern vs. Cajun vs. “street” NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  19. Spoken & Written Language: Language Reflects Environment • Amazon area - no word for snow • Americans - snow, powder snow, sleet, slush, blizzard, ice • In Northern Germany, “ein Glas Weisswein bitte” (a glass of white wine, please) or specify Moselwein or Rheinwein • In Southwest Germany- expected to specify type of wine, vineyard and year NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  20. Spoken and Written Language: We Translate Concepts That Fit Our Priorities • Navajo do not have a word for late (time is relative) • Mandarin Chinese, one word (qing) represents various hues of blue and green • Americans tomorrow means midnight to midnight • Spanish-speaking mañanameans in the future • Chinese do not have a word for communication • letter exchange • transportation traffic • Administration (educational setting) • American  superintendent/ dean • French  upper-level clerical staff NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  21. Written Communication • Understand Patterns of Organization • East Asian cultures organize material based on relationships rather than on linear progression • Canadians like to have recommendations at the beginning of a report NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  22. Written Communication: Dates • American - May 6, 2010 or 05/06/2010 • German - 6. Mai 2010 or 6.5. 2010 • International (increasing usage) 2010 May, 6 or 2010, 05, 06 NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  23. Spoken and Written Language: High-Context vs. Low-Context • Edward Hall, distinguished cultures on the basis of the role of context in communication • High-Context - less words more “other clues” (ex. Japan) • Low-Context - words, words, words (ex. German Swiss) • US middle of the Low-context range NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  24. High - Context • View word-level-only messages as unsophisticated, childish, and rude • Prefer-allusion to classical texts, parables and proverbs, understatements and antiphraxis (saying something in terms of what it is not) Asian thought pattern - negative space • “I have some small experience in that”- world-famous mathematician’s life work NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  25. Spoken Language: Why is this important for educators regarding multimedia? • Verbal (audio) now part of multimedia • Like Assistive technology - can choose gender/dialect • Translator difficulties • order of words varies in different languages • translation can not interpret formal vs.. informal NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  26. Non-Verbal Communication • Body • Facial Expression • Gestures NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  27. Non-Verbal Body Language • Rules regarding standing and position distance • Face-on for Arabs • 45 degree angle for Anglo-Saxons • Side-to-side for Chinese NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  28. Non-Verbal Communication • Smiling in Japan is strongly associated with nervousness, social discomfort, or sorrow NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  29. Non-Verbal Body Language • In Buddhist Thailand never cross legs • The sole of the foot is the furthest part from heaven and the least sacred. To show the bottom of the foot to someone is to show disrespect NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  30. Non-Verbal Communication • In Asian and Middle-eastern cultures it is appropriate for the same sex to walk hand in hand but not the opposite sex NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  31. Symbols/Icons NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  32. Symbols/Icons NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  33. El Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is a fiesta with deep meaning to Mexicans China, death is not mentioned even by homonyms (words that sound like other words) Symbols NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  34. Symbols: Hand Gestures: emblems • V-for victory in US is obscene in some European countries NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  35. Symbols, Idioms and Metaphors • Americans use militaristic origin terminology • Many cultures choose a more cooperative approach NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  36. Sports have provided U.S. with numerous metaphors Many cultures do not understand baseball/football terms like: Bases are loaded Got to first base Out in left field Third down, nine to go Symbols, Idioms and Metaphors NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  37. Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture • Dutch cultural anthropologist • 1978-1983 • Rated 53 countries • Identified 5 cultural dimensions • Rated on indices for each dimension • Normalized to values (0 to 100) NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  38. Hofstede’s Five Dimensions • Power Distance • Individualism vs. Collectivism • Masculinity vs. Femininity • Uncertainty Avoidance • Long- vs. Short-Term Time Orientation NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  39. Power Distance • High Power Distance cultures believe that the more powerful people must be deferred to and not argued with, especially in public • Based on gender, age, seniority, position • Low Power Distance cultures believe ideas/people are assumed to be equal NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  40. Power Distance http://www.brainpop.com/ • High Power http://www.pbs.org/ NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  41. Power Distance http://www.education-world.com/index.shtml • Lower Power http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/index.htm NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  42. Individualism vs. Collectivism http://www.gowcsd.com/master/ghs/math/furman/linsystem/call_me.htm Individualist WebQuests http://www.tctc.org/schoolinfo/CLUEm/Chartsandgraphs.htm NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  43. Individualism vs. Collectivism http://www.softcom.net/users/dteach/beautiful/ Collectivist WebQuests http://u2.lvcm.com/esullivan/webquest.html NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  44. Masculinity vs. Femininity • Masculine roles • assertiveness • competition • toughness • Feminine roles • home and children • people • family NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  45. Masculinity vs. Femininity http://www.amaisd.org/nheights/zennadi_&_james_project.htm http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/history/VonBraun/SpaceAge.html High masculinity WebQuests/Games http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/play/index.html NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  46. Masculinity vs. Femininity http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/mission/iss/ Femininity WebQuests/Games http://64.70.189.55/games/d_fashion.shtml NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  47. Uncertainty Avoidance • The extent to which uncertainty and ambiguity are tolerated NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  48. High Uncertainty Avoidance http://www.mjh.isd194.k12.mn.us/mwalker/ http://webquest.sdsu.edu / http://www.dmrtc.net/~embrys/aesindex.htm NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  49. Low Uncertainty Avoidance http://www.powayschools.com/projects/dolly/ http://www.education-world.com/index.shtml http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/ NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

  50. Conclusions • Become familiar with your own values • Explore and recognize the values of others • Understand the implications of these values for education • Determine where the differences lie • Determine how to best overcome the differences • Expose students to diverse resources • Choose diverse examples • Examine “cultures” within your school • Consider/”double check” your design strategies NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle

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