Authors:
Wesam Shishah
1
and
Elizabeth FitzGerald
2
Affiliations:
1
University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
;
2
The Open University, United Kingdom
Keyword(s):
Culture, Group Work, Teamwork, Higher Education, Design, HCI, CSCW.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Collaborative Learning
;
Computer-Supported Education
;
Course Design and e-Learning Curriculae
;
e-Learning
;
e-Learning Platforms
;
Information Technologies Supporting Learning
;
Simulation and Modeling
;
Simulation Tools and Platforms
;
Social Context and Learning Environments
Abstract:
Online teamwork is an instructional strategy widely used in education courses to ensure active knowledge
construction and deeper learning. There is a challenge for online course designers and technology designers
to create group environments that encourage participation, and have the ability to enhance positive attitudes
toward group work. It is hypothesised that incorporating cultural factors into the design of teamwork
technology has the potential to encourage participation and increase students’ positive attitudes towards group
work. This paper looks to do exactly that, although the definition of culture in this paper is limited to the
individualism–collectivism dimension. The paper summarises our findings from interviews conducted with
lecturers and students who have experience with teamwork. It then presents culturally-related design strategies
which are identified from cross-cultural psychology literature and our interviews finding. Finally, it
demonstrates how culturally-relat
ed design strategies are incorporated into the IdeasRoom prototype design.
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