Cultural Dimensions and Intercultural User Interface Design (IUID) in a Learning Management System: Indonesian and International Student Perspectives

Abstract

This article discusses how cultural values drive the ways students engage in a Learning Management System (LMS) and perceive its usability from the perspective of Intercultural User Interface Design (IUID). Universities around the world employ LMS as an integral part of online learning but the cultural significance of the interface design remains under debate as it is believed to be an enhancing aid for information processing and learning. Analyzing data from qualitative interviews and usability testing on Indonesian and international students in an international university in Indonesia, this article provides remarkable insights for both students and educators. Evidence shows that nationality-embedded cultural values as reflected in students’ personal characteristics regulate their learning behaviors. Cultural dimensions such as individualism versus collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity versus femininity are present in students’ attitudes toward online learning. For this reason, this study suggests that the cultural values and backgrounds of LMS users need to be taken into account in designing an online learning platform.