online course contextualization · experiences and translating material to the local language....

ONLINE COURSECONTEXTUALIZATIONGUIDE FOR ONLINE COURSE CONTEXTUALIZATION

M E C h A

Middle Eastern Centerfor HumanitarianAdvancement

Acknowledgement

Funding

Humanitarian Leadership Academy provided funding to development of the framework

Citation

This Guide should be cited as Ismail H, Abou Hassan F, El Hamouch M, Online Course ContextualizationGuide. Global Health Institute, Beirut, Lebanon, May 2019

The principle contributors to this report are Hussein Ismail, Fida Abou El Hassan, Melissa El Hamouch and Mireille El Haber from the Global Health Institute.

The report was edited and revised by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy learning team.

Table of ContentsRecommendation for Use 1

Context of Use 1

Additional Resources 1

Contextualization Team 2

Executive Summary 2

Introduction 3

The Middle Eastern Center for Humanitarian Advancement 3

Need for Contexualization for Humanitarian Learning 4

Background 4

Defining Contextualization 4

Significance 5

Methodology 6

Step 1: Conducting a Scoping Review 7

Step 2: MECHA’s Experience in Contextualization 7

Step 3: Conducting Qualitative Assessment and Validation with Regional Experts 7

Step 4: Developing the Framework 8

The Framework 9

1. Phase 1: Preparation 10

1.1. Form a Team 10

1.2. Get Familiarized with Courses 12

1.3. Learning Personas 13

2. Phase 2: Content Adaptation 18

2.1. Modify written content 18

2.2. Modify Tools 19

3. Phase 3: Linguistic Adaptation 23

3.1. Translation 23

3.2. Use of Pre-Set Lexicon 23

4. Phase 4: Piloting and Evaluating 26

References 29

Acknowledgement

Funding

Humanitarian Leadership Academy provided funding to development of the framework

Citation

This Guide should be cited as Ismail H, Abou Hassan F, El Hamouch M, Online Course ContextualizationGuide. Global Health Institute, Beirut, Lebanon, May 2019

The principle contributors to this report are Hussein Ismail, Fida Abou El Hassan, Melissa El Hamouch and Mireille El Haber from the Global Health Institute.

The report was edited and revised by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy learning team.

Recommendation For UseThe Online Course Contextualization (OCC) framework is recommended by the Global Health Institute (GHI) for the contextualization of online courses. It aims to guide organizations and institutions through the processes of adapting existing learning material and tailoring it to different regions or target audiences. This framework was developed following an evidence informed methodology and based on the experience of regional learning practitioners. The development phase was also informed by GHI’s experience in the contextualization of online humanitarian courses to tailor them to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. As such, the content of English e-learning courses was Arabized based on the needs and context of the MENA region. Organizations, institutions and individuals potentially working on contextualization of learning material or trainings may benefit from our experience. The following recommendations are in response to the complexity of the contextualization process:

Context of Use

The OCC framework aims to facilitate the process of adaption of existing learning material and not the creation of full content from scratch. Particular sections and content of courses may need recreation however it is based on existing material. Hence the use of this framework for the creation of new courses is not recommended.

Additional Resources

High-quality contextualization of learning material by organizations necessitates substantial effort and resources. Although the OCC framework describes the contextualization process in details in terms of steps and personnel involved, others may opt to employ additional resources.

Executive SummaryWith the global shift towards internet use, online learning has become one of the main educational modality, and therefore delivering high quality distance learning is necessary. Although learning material from one context is not suitable to all locales, re-creating educational content from scratch might be an inefficient use of time. In order to limit duplication of efforts, contextualization is a useful method that adapts existing material rather than re-creating it. In other words, the linguistic, visual, cultural and contextual material is modified and tailored to suit a specific target audience. This means that content needs to be modified to become linguistically suitable, culturally relevant and functionally appropriate to the end users.

The Middle Eastern Center for Humanitarian Advancement hosted by the Global Health Institute (GHI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) aims to create a contextualization framework that offers a comprehensive step-by-step approach to efficiently adapt existing online courses and tailor them to the needs and cultures of different contextual locales.

In order to ensure that the framework developed is evidence informed, comprehensive and applicable, the MECHA developed a rigorous methodology that allowed building up on internal and external experiences, as well as published literature. We built upon 1) our experience in contextualizing online humanitarian courses by tailoring them to the MENA region 2) the results of a scoping review conducted by the MECHA at the Global Health Institute 3) and an assessment instigated with humanitarian learning experts.

Contextualization Team

Efficient contextualization requires time, effort, cultural and contextual awareness as well as expertise in different domains e.g. subject matter experts, researchers, bi-lingual translators familiar with the context of the courses, graphic specialists, photographers, information technology personnel and developers (IT), evaluation teams, regional experts, consultants, expert reviewers etc.

Personnel is identified as “project coordinators” who would be responsible for coordinating meetings and communication, managing documents and inputs from the rest of the team members and ensuring a high quality final product.

IntroductionThe Middle Eastern Center for Humanitarian AdvancementMECHA, the Middle Eastern Center for Humanitarian Advancement, is a center established in partnership between the Global Health Institute (GHI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA) for the delivery of humanitarian tools and programs in the MENA Region.

Humanitarian Learning

HumanitarianConsultation

HumanitarianLearning Center

HumanitarianCertification

WORK STREAMS AND PRODUCTS

Development and delivery of learning materialfor the advancement of humanitarian actors,such as online courses, certificates and diplomas

Delivery of consulting services for enhancing the impactof humanitarian agencies efforts, including programevaluations, or learning needs assessments

Designing and Developing of contextualized toolsand ressources to be accessed by humanitarianpractitioners such as the contextualization frameworkand learning personas

Implementation and promotion of humanitariancertification models for the recognition of professionaladvancement.

MECHA is the leading platform for the professionalization of local humanitari-an advancement and the delivery of contextualized humanitarian initiatives in the MENA Region.

MECHA delivers contextualized humanitarian tools and programs for the MENA region, with a focus on quality learning, services and innovation, as well as recognition and certification.

MISSION

VISION

WORK STREAMS & PRODUCTS

Need for the Contextualization of Humanitarian Learning

BackgroundDeveloping new learning material requires resources and is sometimes unnecessary when high-quality educational courses are already available through various reliable establishments. In order to limit the duplication of work and efforts, contextualization of learning material is an efficient solution for existing courses that could be face-to-face, blended or online.

However, learning material from one context is not representative of all regions. Therefore, the most important considerations when adapting the content are the linguistic, cultural and contextual differences between diverse regions and target audiences.

The project adopted by MECHA focuses on the adaptation and Arabization of humanitarian knowledge through the contextualization and translation of humanitarian e-learning courses. Thus, these courses that cover essential humanitarian competencies can be tailored to and accessible by humanitarian practitioners in the MENA region through user friendly e-learning platforms.

Defining ContextualizationThere are numerous definitions for contextualization suggested by different authors in the literature. Some label it as “real-world” material (Beder & Medina, 2001) or “learning by doing” (Mazezeo, Rab, & Alssid, 2003), others describe it as: adult learning that aims at developing skills (Wlodkowoski, 2008), generating lessons based on the students’ experiences and backgrounds (Ambrose, Davis, Ziegler, & Kirwan, 2013), or basing the content of lessons on specific contexts that are familiar and important to the learners (Mazzeo, 2008). But more specifically and in terms of online courses, the Humanitarian Leadership Academy defines contextualization as “making materials, trainings, projects or programs specific and relevant to a context. This includes translations to local languages, adapting case studies to be relevant and/or altering the reference points in materials.” (HLA, 2017). MECHA describes contextualization as the process of modifying existing learning material to make it more relevant to a specific context through adapting content and visuals, altering and/or adding stories and experiences and translating material to the local language. Contextualization as per our definition can also be labeled as localization, which is the cultural and linguistic adaptation of a course to a specific audience or region (Edmundson, 2016). The goal is to provide existing information to people from a different “locale” in a way they can relate to and benefit from in terms of learning experience (Ghuman, Mahajan, Bhatia, Singh, & Kulkarni, 2017).

Due to the complexity of the humanitarian disasters and their persistent long term effects, the humanitarian response necessitates more flexible, context specific solutions and requires continuous learning and innovation to respond to humanitarian disasters and leverage the needs of affected populations. As a matter of fact, GHI in partnership with the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA), initiated its Middle Eastern Center for Humanitarian Advancements (MECHA) that serves as a regional hub for humanitarian learning and development through the establishment of fresh ecosystems and intellectual ecologies enabling the creation of new boundary-crossing knowledge environment.

Need for the Contextual izat ion of Humanitar ian Learning

SignificanceContextualization could be applied in different settings be-it educational, corporate/organizational, health or guidelines related, and more (Beder & Medina, 2001; Jacobson, Degener, & Purcell-Gates, 2003). When contextualizing, it is required to consider various factors both at the linguistic and non-linguistic levels. In the case of adaptation and translation of online material of any sort, whether educational or non-educational, there are a variety of elements to think through such as:

Failing to pay attention to the cultural layers of an end-product may result in its failure. For example, Microsoft used the color green for a specific region on the Indian map, which was portrayed offensively to local Indians because of their cultural context, since the color green in maps signifies that the territory is not Indian but rather occupied. Due to this cultural oversight, the product was banned in India (Best, 2004). Taking such considerations into account when adapting a “product” is necessary to meet the needs and customs of the end users, or else they may completely disregard the material provided, or not relate to it in a beneficial manner.

For the purpose of our study, we will focus on contextualization in educational settings. In this sense, contextualization aims to produce learning material and courses that focus on the learner’s needs to result in more effective learning experiences and higher retention rates of assimilated information (Perin, 2011). In fact, studies have shown that learners are more eager to learn when they are capable of applying the acquired knowledge to their lives (Berns & Erickson, 2001) or in other words within their context and culture. Here comes the importance of creating learning personas/target audiences in order to adapt the course to them, which will be described and clarified in more details later on in this guide.

Furthermore, the literature suggests that there has been a continuous need for contextualization of in-class courses (Perin, 2011). With the global shift towards internet use, online learning has been constantly growing (Ghuman et.al, 2017). Therefore, with the increased opportunities of e-learning, contextualization has also become essential in the online educational realm. Contextualizing learning material by making it more relatable to learners in terms of “real-world” content enhances the learner’s motivation and renders the learning more valuable (Ambrose, Davis, Ziegler, & Kirwan, 2013).

1. The language

2. The order

3. The layout and the text (right to left or left to right)

4. The conversion of currencies

5. The measures and presentations numbers

6. The examples

7. The relevance of pictures

8. The acceptability of the wardrobes

9. The icons

10. The videos

11. The use of colors (to be culturally accepted)

12. The respect of local customs, beliefs and traditions

Ref: Gibb & Matthaiakis, 2006

Moreover, contextualization is a useful method to effectively utilize resources and limit inefficient duplication of effort by adapting existing material rather than re-creating it. Contextualizing e-learning courses also increases the quality of distance learning and provides access to contextualized customized knowledge to people from different regions; taking the context and culture of the target audience into consideration. Finally, in order to effectively contextualize learning material, content needs to become linguistically suitable, culturally relevant and functionally appropriate to the end users. This means that context, language, customs, images, icons, videos, colors and other features need to be shaped to the local environment.

MethodologyMECHA at GHI created a contextualization framework that offers a comprehensive step by step approach to effectively contextualize existing online courses and tailor them to the needs and cultures of a different target audience and region. In order to ensure that the framework developed is evidence informed, comprehensive and applicable, MECHA developed a rigorous methodology that allowed building up on internal and external experience, and published literature. The methodology for developing the framework followed four steps described below.

STEP 3

Conducting a QualitativeAssessment & Validation

with Regional Experts

STEP 4

Developping the Framework

STEP 2

MECHA’s Experience in Contextualization

STEP 1

Conducting a Scoping Review

MECHA’s Methodology for Developing the Contextualization Framework

STEP 1Conducting a Scoping Review

MECHA conducted a scoping review to identify the contextualization frameworks, processes or methodologies found in the literature. Following a specific search strategy, both academic journals and gray literature were explored to ensure that all data relevant to contextualization was captured. Based on that, the different components of contextualization were identified and compared to MECHA approach to contextualization.

Based on our experience and scoping, MECHA contextualized online courses following the different stages that are later explained in details. The four stages are the following: Preparation, Content Adaptation, Translation and Piloting.

MECHA followed different contextualization approaches when contextualizing. The processes of the different approaches were compared and evaluated. The assessment of the processes and their effectiveness enabled the team to choose the best-applied method for contextualization. An evaluation model was also developed to assess the different approaches based on various criteria.

Contextualization of trainings and modules is being implemented to some extent by different humanitarian organizations in the region. Although the humanitarian organizations are not necessarily following a systematic and academic approach for contextualization, the approaches of these organizations were examined. MECHA conducted an assessment with humanitarian learning and development experts in the region during the Regional Consultation Workshop on Humanitarian Learning organized in May 2018. These experts were selected from a range of non-governmental organizations, private and academic institutions designing or delivering trainings in the region. The MECHA conducted a mapping exercise, selected a sample among these actors, and ensured that the organizations and institutions selected covered the different humanitarian sectors. The assessments conducted during the workshop explored the potential contextualization processes followed by these experts, as well as their best practices and challenges. In addition, the team validated the results of the scoping review with these experts.

STEP 2MECHA’s Experience in Contextualization

STEP 3Conducting a Qualitative Assessment & Validationwith Regional Experts

Developping the Framework

STEP 4

The experience and evaluation of MECHA contextualization approach, the results of the scoping review as well as the qualitative assessment and validation with learning and development experts are the three evidence streams that informed the final development of the framework. Data from these three streams was synthesized and analyzed, and based on that, the framework was developed.

The Framework

Figure 1: Four Phases of the Contextualization Framework

Form the Team

Pilot and EvaluateTranslate the Content

Use a lexicon

Adapt Written Content

Adapt Tools and Visual Aids

Familiarize with the Content

Develop the Learning Persona

- Coordinator, content expert, translators, reviewer, digital specialist

- Understand the content and be aware of the regional and cultural norms

- Cater to the different learning styles of the relevant learning personas

- Adapt cases and examples relevant to the personas- Use references distinctive to the region- Apply scaffolding if relevant- Ensure cultural adaptation

- Adapt the following: pictures, icons, labels, animations, symbols, audio, web design, layout and colors

- Conceptual translation- Forward translation in duplicate- Reconciliation with content expert

- Pre-set lexicon- Standardized terminology

- Pilot the courses- External evaluation by end users- Internal evaluation by developers

01 02

03 04

PREPARATIONCONTENT

ADAPTATION

LINGUISTICADAPTATION PILOTING

1. Phase 1: Preparation

1.1. Form a TeamIn order to effectively contextualize online courses, it is necessary to assemble a contextualization team. Such a team consists of team coordinator/s, content or subject matter experts, translators, consultants, digital specialists and course developers. A main criterion is for team members involved in the contextualization process to understand the cultures of the targeted region as well as the context.

TEAM MEMBER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Table 1: Roles and responsibilities of contextualization team members

TEAM COORDINATOR

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT This person is a content expert who should be identified in the early steps of the project. Each course might have a differ-ent SME based on the course topic. For example, for a financial management course, an expert with financial mana-gerial background as an SME, however for a course on risk disaster management, the SME should be someone with experience in that particular domain. It is preferable for this expert to be a “native speaker subject expert”. Someone who fluently speaks the native language would be able to better retain and relay the desired meaning and learning material during the contextualization process in a way the target audience relates to.

This person should be involved in the whole process from initiation to completion in order to ensure cohesion and structure of the process. He/she will be the contact point with the remaining team members, and the person who follows up with all personnel and steps of the project to make sure everything is going according to the project plan.

TRANSLATOR When contextualizing a course to a different region and target audience whose native language differs from the original learning material, it is crucial to not only adapt the material but to also translate the entire course. Hiring an expert translator is not enough. This step actually requires professional bi-lingual translators who also have background knowledge of the region’s culture and at least a certain level of knowledge regarding the subject matter. You may opt for translation by more than one translator (at least one should have the content and cultural background knowledge), and in this case, you will need to hire a transla-tion reconciliation expert. This person will be responsible for reconciling the translated versions and combining them into one final translated version.

CONSULTANTS It is preferable to hire content experts, translators and others as consultants since their position is not necessarily constant and the organization will hire various people based on the required expertise and knowledge of each specific topic/course.

DIGITAL SPECIALISTS This could be one person or more depending on his/her skills. The digital specialists have two main roles focusing on the visuals. The core responsibility is to go through all the images, illustrations, icons and videos to identify which ones need to be altered. Then the specialist will need to compile new visuals that are suitable to the contextualized course. For example, for a course being contextualized to the MENA region, a picture of a “sloppy joe” dish will need to be changed to a Middle Eastern dish such as “Hummus and Tabbouleh”. This also applies to people, regions etc. that need to fit the MENA region’s “appearances”. Tattoos show-ing for example are considered inappropriate in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

COURSE DEVELOPER Hiring a course developer might be necessary depending on the final required output by the organization. If the end result is having the course ready and uploaded on a learning platform, a course developer must create the course structure and insert all of the contextualized material, images, videos, knowledge check questions, and so on into the system used (for example this could be by creating a SCORM file on RISE or Storyboard). The choice of course format and systems used depends on various factors such as: the capacity of the organization, the technological platform that will support the course, the internet speed in the targeted region, and more importantly the preference, ease of use and accessibility of the target audience.

1.2. Get Familiarized with CoursesIt is essential that the team is familiar with the context and cultures of the targeted region as well as the courses that need contextualization. As such, the contextualization team must get familiarized with courses, go through the modules, analyze and detect potential customization requirements in terms of written content, images, videos, cases, examples etc. Based on research and the knowledge of the target audience, culture and context of the region, the contextualization team suggests potential required changes to the courses, which can be further amended and verified by a context expert. The following actions should be taken into consideration in order for the contextualization team to get familiarized with the courses:

ACTION

Understand the cultural backgroundof the end users and target region

DESCRIPTION

Navigate through the course

Table 2: Familiarization with courses

It is preferable for the involved contextualization team members to have extensive experience in and cultural knowledge of the region (in certain cases, additional research may be required to fully understand this)

This will allow the team to identify course objectives and target audience as both are main determinants to consider when contextualizing learning material

Check the structure of the coursepersonnel and budget is required for each course: How many modules does it contain? How long is the course? What does it entail (case studies, multiple choice questions, essay questions, videos etc.)? Who will need to be part of the team?

Identify the learning preferences of thetarget audience

Does the target audience learn better through videos, case-studies, multiple choice questions, short answers questions etc.? This will help shape the structure of the course and better tailor it to the target audience’s learning needs and preferences.

Check the content and resources of thecourse

This is necessary in order to identify a subject matter expert with the required background experience and knowledge on

Check the visuals This will determine the extent of contextualization and person-

re-creation of videos, subtitling of videos, audio edits? (Check section “2.2 Modify tools” for more details).

Know the literacy level of the users beingtargeted

This will guide the contextualization process in terms of linguis-tics by contextualizing the linguistics of the learning material according to the literacy level of the target audience. In other words, vocabulary and terminologies can be chosen based on the literacy level being targeted.

Identify the internet infrastructure andpreferred or more common digitaltechnology in the region

This helps choose the appropriate technology and platform that would host the learning material. The design of the course and the platform to be utilized need to be user friendly, which is why it is important to understand the former.

1.3. Learning Personas

1.3.1. The need to build learning personasTailoring a course to the needs of the target audience is important. However, learners’ requirements and learning styles vary based on “levels of expertise and prior knowledge, cognitive abilities, motivation” and specific competences they may wish to acquire (Klasnja-Milicevic, Vesin, Ivanovic & Budimac, 2011). In fact, the literature suggests that there are four basic learning styles, and these are: the activist, the reflector, the theorist, and the pragmatist.

In fact, it is essential to cater to the various and preferred learning styles and environment of the learners (Klasnja-Milicevic et.al, 2011). This is a main reason why educators and course developers need to analyze and understand their audience.

In addition to the different learning styles, learners have various functional and emotional needs that also need to be taken into account when developing learning personas.

ACTIVIST

REFLECTORTHEORIST

PRAGMATIST

EMOTIONALNEEDS

FUNCTIONALNEEDS

Table 4: Emotional and Functional Needs

In contrast, the learners also have a set of functional needs that affect them in a more practical way and include elements such as structure, gaining certifi-cates, utilizing resources and guides etc. The functional needs focus on the learning model and method with affinity towards a “technical approach”.

The emotional needs affect the person’s learning process and include various elements such as motivation, enthusiasm and responsi-bility among others. These elements actually focus on the individual’s characteristics and traits considering a “soft approach”.

The learner …> needs to be inspired to learn> needs an immediate demonstration of values> needs to maintain his/her enthusiasm> needs to be motivated and interested> wants to see continuous progress in his/her skills and knowledge> wants to be coached throughout the learning process> wants to see progressive impact in his/her learning skills> wants to feel that the training is rich and effective> wants to feel that the time he/she is spending is worth it> wants to feel that he/she is contributing to the platform and is not only a recipient > likes to act first and consider the consequences afterwards> likes to come up with new ideas after trainings> likes to collect data and take the time to work towards an appropriate conclusion> likes to feel like he/she is part of a broader community and is being praised> likes to feel the progress in his/her skills throughout the learning process> prefers to learn alone, but transfer the knowledge to his/her colleagues> is practical and likes to make practical decisions and solve problems

The learner …> needs a learning partner to help him/her throughout the learning process> needs to have flexible timing to access the learning material> needs models, concepts and facts in order to engage in the learning process> needs to be coached throughout his/her learning> needs practical examples that reflect his/her academic experience> wants to gain a certificate at the end of the course> wants to learn by doing by applying the skills he/she is being exposed to> wants to involve him/her-self fully and without bias in new experience> wants to have access to the learning material and facilitator guides at any time> wants his/her ideas to be taken into consideration> wants the learning process to be flexible> wants to take his/her time while learning, and wants to study the angles before he/she takes any moves> wants to think thoroughly and observe other people in action > prefers to learn in groups > prefers to learn alone or though pair learning> is not very familiar with technology> is keen on trying out ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice

Examples of functional needs:Examples of emotional needs:

Understanding the learner’s profile enables course developers to provide learning experiences, activities and material that fit the learning style of the target audience (Klasnja-Milicevic et.al, 2011). This will maximize the effectiveness of the learning experience. However, this does not only apply to face-to-face classroom education settings, but online learning must also consider the learner’s needs to enhance the educational experience (Klasnja-Milicevic et.al, 2011). Therefore, in electronic mode of learning, developing detailed learning personas to whom courses would be tailored is highly recommended. This increases engagement and efficiency of the learning experience. Courses must be tailored based on the developed learning personas in order to meet the needs of a diverse regional target audience. This facilitates the design of the messages to achieve the desired objectives of each course.

1.3.2. How to build learning personasIn order to develop clear learning personas, several aspects such as the diversity in work experiences, geographical locations and different types of work need to be recognized and considered. Generating learning personas profiles for the MENA region allows organizations to better design the learning content and respond to the needs of the humanitarian practitioners in the region.

Assessment of humanitarian workforce in the region: This could be done through a consultation workshop with regional experts. GHI’s consultation followed a participatory engaging approach, hosted diverse practitioners from various sectors and different countries including Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Yemen and Libya. The participants represented several humanitarian agencies working in the region.

Development of persona indicators: The indicators to be taken into consideration when developing the learning personas are: age, gender, work experience, career level, job competency requirements, and emotional and functional needs.

Addition of information to character list: Develop personas of humanitarian practitioners from the MENA region that have different backgrounds, levels of experience, and learning styles. Each group was handed the biography of a “humanitarian character”. The set of bios of potential humanitarian workers were prepared by GHI in consultation with experts to ensure that the characters cover a mosaic of practitioners from the region, thus ensuring a diversity in employment, nationality, education, experience, gender, age, preferred learning styles and so on. The groups were able to develop personas based on the given information and share their expertise in tailoring and adapting workshops.

Validation of personas: A final total of eight personas was generated, presented, adapted and validated by the diverse groups.

Below is an example of a learning persona template built for the MENA region:

Figure 2: Examples of a learning persona template

-

-

About YazanYazen is an intelligent and enthusiastic Iraqi guy, working with ministry of health on the development of humanitarian projects. He studied international

and French. He usually develops strategies and proposals for humanitarian projects, thus he likes to be knowl-

sectors. He likes to read and enjoys learning about theoreti-cal frameworks and academic research.

His Emotional Needs

- Likes to observe progress in the training- Needs to feel that the training is

- Needs reliable content and needs proof of evidence- Feels he is making a contribution to the platform- Must be inspired to be innovative post training- Needs global ideas and context that can be formed into a logical frame-work and applied

His Functional Needs

- Flexible timing - Access to material anytime

Access to personal and digital platforms- Like to try out new ideas

Needs to feel that Innovation is matched to practical and theories applicable to humanitarian setting - Wants feedback both ways

When Designing for Yazan

You must- Acknowledge experience

Provide referenced and accurate learning material with variety- Provide blended learning material

Integrate theoretical learning with work based experience

Allow him to share his experience and ideas with ability to ask questions- Inform him about the objectives and requirements

You must not- Waste his time with games- Limit his contribution- Restrict resources and references to one language- Force him to work in groups but provide options for individual research

Name: Yazen

Age: 25

-

-

-


Form the Team


Use a lexicon













01 02

03 04

PREPARATIONCONTENT

ADAPTATION


2. Phase 2: Content Adaptation

2.1. Modify written content Cultural Adaptation by Context Experts

Cultural adaptation is one the most significant step in contextualization. Contextualization teams must be culturally aware of and sensitive to the target locale. This means that learning content needs to be specifically tailored to the cultural background of the learner because failure to do so may hinder the learning process. Certain cultural standards might be acceptable to an audience but offensive to another. Cultural adaptation can range from simply modifying names and regions in order to fit the culture, to changing case studies and even re-creating certain content. Allowing the learner to relate to the material enhances knowledge transfer.

As mentioned previously, for each course, a subject matter expert should be identified based on his/her background. This content expert examines the courses, adapts the case studies and the examples into local ones such as using references that are distinctive to the target region, changes the names and regions in order to fit the culture, and also gives recommendations for the visual contextualization. Finally, it is preferable to revise and validate adaptations prior to re-publication.

Here are some examples of questions to keep in mind throughout the process of identifying contextualization requirements if the course is being contextualized to the MENA region:

QUESTION DESCRIPTION

Table 5: Examples of Contextualization Requirements

In contrast, the learners also have a set of functional needs that affect them in a more practical way and include elements such as structure, gaining certificates, utilizing resources and guides etc. The functional needs focus on the learning model and method with affinity towards a “techni-cal approach”.

Are the names used in the courses representative of the region or should they be changed?

If the humanitarian case study focused on action to be taken when facing an earthquake, it could be modified to describe action to be taken when handling displacement issues as this is currently a major issue in the MENA region that is more pressing. In other words, case studies need to be representative of the target region in order for the learner to relate to such cases. This way, the participant will gain knowl-edge targeted at issues he/she would actually face in his/her work environment of his/her region, and as such will be able to better respond to such challenges.

Are the humanitarian case studies relevant to the region?

When people in pictures do are not representative of the target region (MENA region for example), it would be benefi-cial to change these pictures and choose people who “look Arab” in order for the target audience to better relate.

Can the learner relate to the people in the picture in terms of features and looks? In other words, are the people in the pictures representa-tive of the region?

2.2. Modify ToolsVisual adaptation is a major step for effective contextualization. In fact, visuals can express diverse meanings in different cultures, and therefore must be taken into account and effectively modified. All types of visuals should represent the context of the target audience and region, and be aligned with the cultures and traditions of the learners. Organizations may opt to choose any of the previously mentioned techniques or even a combination of more than one such as dubbing and subtitling for example.

Example of a before and after picture that was contextualized to the MENA region:

Before contextualization Contextualized to the MENA region

A picture or example of humanitarian assistance as a result of a tsunami in Indonesia could be replaced by humanitarian assistance following con�ict injuries in Hodeidah, Yemen. This is one way of contextualizing examples and pictures to humanitarian needs more speci�c to the MENA region.

Are the regions described representa-tive of the targeted locale?

Gestures in pictures need to be taken into account as some are acceptable in certain countries but o�ensive in others. For example, a pointing �nger can be considered non o�ensive in many regions but is considered somewhat rude in certain parts of the MENA region.

Are any of the gestures o�ensive to the target audience?

A certain level of conservative attire is expected in the MENA region, hence some pictures should incorporate veiled women, and other pictures should include non-veiled women but dressed conservatively to a certain extent.

Is the clothing appropriate?

Pictures Videos Web Design Colors Audio

Pictures

Pictures can be extracted from free digital libraries, or purchased from online digital libraries, or even staged and photographed. One example of digital libraries that could be used in most regions is Istock, and this is due to its extensive variety in options. However, pictures and animation must be purchased from this library and therefore opting it depends on available funds. There are other options both free or cost-based that can be found below:

SITE LINK DESCRIPTION

Picography

Epicantus

Free Nature Stock

Kaboompics

Jay Mantri

Life of Pix

Re:splashed

Skitterphoto

Snapwire Snaps

Superfamous

Unsplash

Smithsonian Institution – Flickr

PhotoEverywhere

http://picgraphy.com

http://epicantus.tumblr.com

http://freenaturestock.com

http://kaboompics.com

http://jaymantri.com

http://www.lifeofpix.com

http://www.resplashed.com

http://skitterphoto.com

http://snapwiresnaps.tumblr.com

http://images.superfamous.com

https://unsplash.com

https://www.flickr.com/photo/smithsonian

http://designerpics.com

Free hi-resolution photos

Pictures on demand

High quality stock photos

Need to attribute

Photo database

Photo database

Photo database

Photo database

Photo database

Need to attribute

Old and new photosfrom the Smithsonian

Colorful objectsDesignerPics http://designerpics.com

Travel photos search by country

Figure 3: Examples of digital libraries

The use of appropriate and culturally acceptable colors is essential because the same color may have different meanings or perceptions in different countries. For example, the color red symbolizes danger in States but festivities in China (Camilo, 2017).

In the Middle East, the color red symbolizes caution and danger, the color blue is sometimes associated with safety and protection, in certain Arab cultures the blue-eyed shaped amulet is believed to protect against the evil eye, green is associated with strength and fertility, black often represents mourning, white represents purity, virtue, innocence and peace etc.

Audio

Audio recordings that are not culturally relevant need to be contextualized, translated and re-recorded. There are various possible adaptation processes that could be used to contextualize audio. These basically include “Audio voice-over Translation”, “Dubbing “, “Audio Recording Transcription”, and “Subtitling”. This can be applied to various media channels such as recordings, broadcasts, conferences and videos. However some options might be more expensive than others and require more effort and formatting, therefore the choice should be made based on the need, but also the timeframe and budget available.

Audio voice-over translation: in this process, voices are recorded in the contextualized language over the original audio recording, which can still be heard in the background. However, this is not the most practical choice because the outcome of this method results in sound overlap.

Dubbing: this process is simply “re-recording” by narrating the initial audio recording in the target language and completely replacing the initial recording with the “dubbed” one, thus eliminating any potential sound overlap.

Audio recording transcription: this process converts the audio into a written document. This document would be inserted as a separate entity, for example as a text box under the video. Hence, the learner can read the document at his/her own pace while watching the video.

Subtitling: this process also converts the audio into a written document, however subtitles are inserted within the video and are chronologically synchronized with the speech, which means that the learner will read the subtitles while following the pace of the video. This requires additional digital expertise and time in terms of inserting the exact subtitles at the right time in the video.

Videos

Videos in particular need to be translated by native professionals to either be subtitled in the local language, or voiced-over recorded, or lip-sync dubbed or recreated completely. Other videos may need to be re-created with different cases and examples from the target region, and filmed in the target language and/or subtitled. These option depend on two factors: time and available funding, however estimating pricing is difficult because prices vary based on country, photographer, person being filmed, timing required to film the video etc. therefore organizations might want to request quotations from different suppliers and then choose accordingly.

Additional Tools

Web design

The design of the online platform also needs to be taken into consideration. The layout is a significant factor that might need to be modified. In the Arabic language for example, content is read from right to left as opposed to left to right in the English language. Therefore, texts and visuals will need to be altered accordingly.

Colors


Form the Team


Use a lexicon









01

03 04

PREPARATION






02

CONTENT ADAPTATION

3. Phase 3: Linguistic Adaptation

3.1. TranslationCultural Adaptation by Context Experts

Linguistic adaptation is a major necessary step of contextualization, particularly when contextualizing content to a different locale whose first language is different. This entails translation and possible adaptation in a way that conveys the desired message and meaning to the learner, as opposed to a simple mechanical translation that only focuses on grammar and sentence structure. In certain cases, it may even require re-authoring. Since this is a major step, it is crucial that translation be performed by professional translators and also revised and validated by expert translators experienced in the content that is being contextualized. This will help ensure accurate and high-quality translation.

Scaffolding

Sometimes translation is not enough and it is important to note that in such cases, “scaffolding” may be necessary. This means that additional supporting information may be used to better clarify a certain notion that may be unfamiliar to the target culture.

3.2. Use of Pre-Set LexiconThe creation of a set lexicon is beneficial in order to ensure consistent terminologies when translating. The purpose of creating a “Humanitarian Lexicon” in such a case for the MENA region for example is to establish and make available a list of terms and definitions used in the humanitarian field both in English and Arabic. First of all, this would disseminate a common language to ease and improve contextualization if more than one translator is translating. Secondly, this will provide consistency of terminologies across courses and clear understanding with regard to the usage of humanitarian Arabic terms by different regions, organizations and disciplines.

Figure 4: Lexicon development methodology

IDENTIFICATION OF THE TERMS

1. Identify major glossaries on humanitarian terms

2. Compare terms & select the most frequent (50 terms)

3. Needs assesment humanitarian practitionners (vague terms in their fields)

4. Analysis of results and selections of the 50 terms

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

8. Dissemination of the results and validation

TRANSLATION &INTERPRETATION

5. Consolidation/translation of the terms in duplicate

6. Expert validation of the translated terms

7. Interpretation of the terms by the translation team

VALIDATION &NORMALIZATION

Below is one potential methodology for developing a lexicon with a set of 50 humanitarian terms:


Form the Team

Pilot and Evaluate







01

04

PREPARATION

PILOTING





02

CONTENT ADAPTATION

Translate the Content

Use a lexicon



03

LINGUISTICADAPTATION

4. Phase 4: Piloting and Evaluating It is necessary to test the contextualized courses through different channels to obtain feedback on all levels. As such, effective evaluation can be ensured through two different paths.

Quality assurance

Incorporating valid external feedback into the contextualization of courses enables their improvement. As such, quality assurance should be implemented as main evaluation step, in order to ensure the attainment of quality standards of the contextualized courses, prior to their delivery. This allows for the improvement of the courses in order to deliver high quality content within each course and integrate the feedback of a cohort of people that will resemble the learners later on. Furthermore, in order to ensure objective feedback, quality assurance should be implemented with an external group of reviewers. An example of quality assurance survey can be found below, however these surveys may vary in terms of questions and required feedback in accordance to the requirements set internally by each organizations.

COURSEDESIGN

Table 6: Course Evaluation

Is the content clearly presented and structured in a logical, consistent, and uncluttered manner?

12

STRONGLYAGREE

AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLYDISAGREE

5 4 3 2 1

Is the course designed in a way that facilitates active and self-directed learning?

3 Does the course contain clearly stated instructions to learners that provides orientation to its structure?

4 Does the design enable ease of navigation?

5 Do the navigational instructions make the organization of the course easy to follow?

COURSECONTENT

8

9

STRONGLYAGREE


5 4 3 2 1

10 Did the knowledge check questions allow the use of acquired knowledge?

11 Were the knowledge check questions clear and beneficial?

6 Is the content appropriate to course level?

7

Were the learning objectives covered throughout the course?

Were the cases and examples culturally appropriate to the MENA region?

Did you find that the examples and cases are relevant to the MENA region?

COURSELINGUISTICS

STRONGLYAGREE


5 4 3 2 1

12 Did you �nd the concepts and terms relevant and appropriate?

13 Was the language clear and easy to understand?

COURSETOOLS & VISUALS

STRONGLYAGREE


5 4 3 2 1

14 Were the pictures relevant and context speci�c to the MENA region?

15 Were the videos relevant and context speci�c to the MENA region?

16 Did the course contain enough resources?

17 Did you �nd the colors to be friendly and appropriate?

18 Do you have any other comments for improvement?

Please indicate where the mistakes (if any) are located in the course:

COURSETITLE

Introduction

Topic 1

Topic 2

Topic 3

Topic 4

Continuous quality improvement:

At the end of each contextualized online course, participants are requested to fill an evaluation feedback form. This feedback form enables gathering information straight form the end-user and feed into the ongoing evaluation of the courses. This type of continuous evaluation would assist in consistently adapting and incorporating participants’ feedback into the contextualization of courses. Feedback from these surveys should be compiled and examined. A team meeting would be held accordingly in order to re-evaluate and amend the courses based on the participants’ feedback. This process should be repetitive and consistent: for example courses can be re-examined each time thirty users complete the course and fill out the feedback form.

Figure 5: Feedback loop

QUALITY ASSURANCE

By external “experts” in order toensure that standards are up toquality level

CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

Delivering the course online with afeedback form at the end of thecourse

Continuous collection of feedbackfrom end users

Compiling feedback bycontextualization team after each30 user registration

Amending the courses accordingto the feeback collected

REFERENCESAmbrose, V.K., Davis, C.A., Ziegler, M.F., & Kirwan, J. (2013). A Framework of Contextualized Teaching and Learning: Assisting Developmental Education Instructors. Adult Education Research Conference, Kansas State University Libraries.

Beder, H., & Medina, P. (2001). Classroom dynamics in adult literacy education. Cambridge, MA: The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, Harvard Graduate School of Education. (NCSALL Reports #18)

Berns, R. G., & Erickson, P.M. (2001). Contextual teaching and learning: Preparing students for the new economy. Louisville, KY: University of Louisville, National Research Center for Career and Technical Education.

Best, J. (2004). Causing offence costs Microsoft millions. Retrieved from http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/windows/0,39020396,39164112,00.htm

Camilo. (2017). Cultural Adaptation of Images. Retrieved from http://verbisinc.com/cultural-adaptation-of-images/

Edmundson, A. (2016). Cultural Adaptation of E-Learning. Retrieved from https://www.mtmlinguasoft.com/wp-content/uploads/MTM-LinguaSoft-cultural-adaptation-of-elearning.pdf

Ghuman, A., Mahajan, J., Bhatia, S., Singh, J., & Kulkarni, M. D. (2017). Empowering e-learning with localization. In E-Learning & E-Learning Technologies (ELELTECH), 5th National Conference on (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

Gibb, F., & Matthaiakis, I. (2006). A framework for assessing web site localization. Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. EL 25, 6. Retrieved from www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm

Humanitarian Learning Academy. (2017). Contextualisation of Learning Pathways Guide.

Jacobson, E., Degener, S., & Purcell-Gates, V. (2003). Creating authentic materials and activities for the adult literacy classroom. Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Klasnja-Milicevic, A., Vesin, B., Ivanovic, M. & Budimac, Z. (2011). E-Learning Personalization Based on Hybrid Recommendation Strategy and Learning Style Identification. Computers & Education, 56(3), 885-899. Retrieved from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/50831/

Mazzeo, C. (2008). Supporting student success at California community colleges. Prepared for the Bay area Workforce Funding Collaborative by the Career Ladders Project for California Community Colleges.

Mazzeo, C., Rab, S. Y., & Alssid, J. L. (2003). Building bridges to college and careers: Contextualized basic skills programs at community colleges. Brooklyn, NY: Workforce Strategy Center.

Perin, D. (2011). Facilitating student learning through contextualization. Assessment of Evidence Series. CCRC Working Paper No. 29. New York, NY: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Wlodkowski, R. J. (2008). Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A comprehensive guide for teaching all adults (3rd ed). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

AUB Global Health

AUB Global Health

ghi_aub

ghi_aub

Global Health Institute, AUB

ONlINE COURSE CONTEXTUALIZATION-GUIDE

CONTACT USGlobal Health Institute

American University of Beirut, Old Pharmacy Building

PO Box 11-0236 | Riad El-Solh | Zip Code 1107 2020Beirut, Lebanon Tel: +961-1-350000 ext. 4832

© 2019 American University of Beirut

[email protected]

AUB Global Health

AUB Global Health

ghi_aub

ghi_aub

Global Health Institute, AUB

ONlINE COURSE CONTEXTUALIZATION-GUIDE

CONTACT USGlobal Health Institute

American University of Beirut, Old Pharmacy Building

PO Box 11-0236 | Riad El-Solh | Zip Code 1107 2020Beirut, Lebanon Tel: +961-1-350000 ext. 4832

© 2019 American University of Beirut

[email protected]

online course contextualization · experiences and translating material to the local language....

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