MIXING LEARNING, CULTURE AND USER INTERFACES: IS THERE A RECIPE FOR THAT? A cross-cultural design proposal

The aim of this work is to propose an effective design strategy to deliver complex information to a multicultural audience. Following this notion, this project attempts to recognise how the principles of interface design and learning could be applied in cross-cultural communication. To carry out this proposal, an e-learning course aimed at international students was developed. E-learning was chosen as an ideal starting point to perform an interface analysis, as through learning effectiveness is possible to assess efficacy in communication, giving a chance to evaluate an interface design under specific parameters. To propose a method that could address this goal, it became clear that the application of a multidisciplinary approach was crucial. Therefore, the proposed design strategy seeks to find the links between interface design heuristics, learning principles and cultural factors analysing a group of 349 international students from five different nationalities registered at the Bauhaus University of Weimar (Winter Semester 2015/16). Using the design strategy detailed in this document, an interface for an e-learning course was developed and, it will be implemented in the context of a pilot test during the Summer Semester 2017