Cultural Dimensions of Multimedia Design for Instruction NECC Conference June 30, 2003 Seattle, WA...

Cultural Dimensions of Multimedia Cultural Dimensions of Multimedia Design for InstructionDesign for Instruction

NECC Conference

June 30, 2003

Seattle, WADavina Pruitt-Mentle

Educational Technology Outreachhttp://www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu/

June 30, 2003 NECC 2003: Davina Pruitt-Mentle2

What does culture have to do What does culture have to do with education?with education?


Definitions of CultureDefinitions 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).


What Does Culture Have To Do With What Does Culture Have To Do With Education Related to Technology Education Related to Technology

Design and Utilization?Design and Utilization?

What are the consequences for students from different cultures working with US educational software?


Cultural ExpectationsCultural 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.


ResearchResearch

• 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)


Drawing from International Drawing from International Business Cultural MiscuesBusiness 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)


Business Cultural ModelsBusiness Cultural Models

• Globalization

• Internalization

• Localization– Technical Localization– National Localization– Cultural Localization

Jacob Nielson (1994)


Drawing from International Drawing from International Business Cultural MiscuesBusiness 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 culturesFernandes.Global Interface Design. 1995


National LocalizationNational 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


Cultural LocalizationCultural 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


Localization in Localization in US Educational ArenaUS 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


US BiasUS 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


Cultural Dimensions to MultimediaCultural Dimensions to Multimedia

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


The way to deal with diversity The way to deal with diversity is not to deny it or ignore it, is not to deny it or ignore it,

but to learn about differences but to learn about differences so they don’t impair so they don’t impair

communicationcommunication


The first step in effective intercultural The first step in effective intercultural communication is acceptance of diversitycommunication 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


Cross-Cultural Cross-Cultural “Cross Wiring”“Cross Wiring”

• Language

– spoken

– written

– symbols

• Non-verbal communication

– body

– facial expression

– gestures

• Symbols

– company logos

– religious images

– flags


Spoken & Written LanguageSpoken & 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”


Spoken & Written Language: Spoken & Written Language: Language Reflects EnvironmentLanguage 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


Spoken and Written Language: We Translate Spoken and Written Language: We Translate Concepts That Fit Our PrioritiesConcepts 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 mañana means 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


Written CommunicationWritten 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


Written Communication: DatesWritten 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


Spoken and Written Language: Spoken and Written Language: High-Context vs. Low-ContextHigh-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


High - ContextHigh - 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


Spoken Language: Spoken Language: Why is this important for educators Why is this important for educators

regarding multimedia?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


Non-Verbal CommunicationNon-Verbal Communication

Body Facial Expression Gestures


Non-Verbal Body LanguageNon-Verbal Body Language

Rules regarding standing and position distance

Face-on for Arabs 45 degree angle for Anglo-

Saxons Side-to-side for Chinese



• Smiling in Japan is strongly associated with nervousness, social discomfort, or sorrow


Non-Verbal Body LanguageNon-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



• In Asian and Middle-eastern cultures it is appropriate for the same sex to walk hand in hand but not the opposite sex


Symbols/IconsSymbols/Icons


SymbolsSymbols

• 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: Hand Gestures: Symbols: Hand Gestures: emblemsemblems

V-for victory in US is obscene in some European countries


Symbols, Idioms and Symbols, Idioms and MetaphorsMetaphors

• Americans use militaristic origin terminology

• Many cultures choose a more cooperative approach


Symbols, Idioms and Symbols, Idioms and MetaphorsMetaphors

• 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


Hofstede’s Dimensions of Hofstede’s Dimensions of CultureCulture

• Dutch cultural anthropologist

• 1978-1983

• Rated 53 countries

• Identified 5 cultural dimensions

• Rated on indices for each dimension

• Normalized to values (0 to 100)


Hofstede’s Five DimensionsHofstede’s Five Dimensions

• Power Distance

• Individualism vs. Collectivism

• Masculinity vs. Femininity

• Uncertainty Avoidance

• Long- vs. Short-Term Time Orientation


Power DistancePower 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



• High Power

http://www.brainpop.com/

http://www.pbs.org/






• Lower Power

http://www.education-world.com/index.shtml

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/index.htm





Individualism vs. CollectivismIndividualism vs. Collectivism

Individualist WebQuests

http://www.gowcsd.com/master/ghs/math/furman/linsystem/call_me.htm

http://www.tctc.org/schoolinfo/CLUEm/Chartsandgraphs.htm

http://www.gowcsd.com/master/ghs/math/furman/linsystem/call_me.htm


Individualism vs. CollectivismIndividualism vs. Collectivism

Collectivist WebQuests

http://www.softcom.net/users/dteach/beautiful/

http://u2.lvcm.com/esullivan/webquest.html


Masculinity vs. FemininityMasculinity vs. Femininity

• Masculine roles– assertiveness– competition– toughness

• Feminine roles– home and children– people– family



High masculinity

WebQuests/Games

http://www.amaisd.org/nheights/zennadi_&_james_project.htm

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/play/index.html

http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/history/VonBraun/SpaceAge.html



Femininity

WebQuests/Games

http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/mission/iss/

http://64.70.189.55/games/d_fashion.shtml


Uncertainty AvoidanceUncertainty Avoidance

• The extent to which uncertainty and ambiguity are tolerated


High Uncertainty AvoidanceHigh Uncertainty Avoidance

http://www.mjh.isd194.k12.mn.us/mwalker/

http://www.dmrtc.net/~embrys/aesindex.htm http://webquest.sdsu.edu /


Low Uncertainty AvoidanceLow Uncertainty Avoidancehttp://www.powayschools.com/projects/dolly/


http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/


ConclusionsConclusions

• 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

Different students/cultures require Different students/cultures require different technology/web designs and different technology/web designs and

strategies for optimal learningstrategies for optimal learning


Contact InformationContact Information

Davina Pruitt-Mentle

Director, Educational Technology Outreach

College of Education

University of Maryland

2127 Tawes

College Park, MD 20742

(301) 405-8202

[email protected]

Presentation available at

http://www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu/conferences.html

Cultural Dimensions of Multimedia Design for Instruction NECC Conference June 30, 2003 Seattle, WA...

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