Cultural Factors in Users’ Evaluations of User Interfaces and Interactions: Exploration and representation of usage in Jordanian contexts

Culture shapes most human behaviour, including interaction with computers. In much Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research, culture is assumed to impact design preferences. However, many cultural variables identified in the general literature have no clear link to design preferences. In this thesis, we develop a new model, the Diamond Model, to structure a wide range of cultural variables. This is used to organise a literature review of cultural variables and their impact in HCI, as well as to identify instances of Jordanian cultural variables, which is the focus of field studies in this thesis. The balance and range of cultural variables in the Diamond Model suggests that culture should have impact beyond design preferences, and should also influence how users react to, explain and evaluate difficulties when using computers. To investigate whether this was the case, a series of field studies was carried out to explore the balance between the impact of culture on design preferences and on reactions to usage difficulties. Each field study found Jordanian instances for cultural variables in the Diamond Model, but also added further cultural variables that had not been identified in either the general or the HCI literature. In the process, we identified more cultural variables that influenced reactions to usage difficulties in Jordan than influenced design preferences. This thesis presents the Diamond Model, applies it to existing literature on culture and HCI, and uses it to structure analysis of results from three field studies. The result is an extended Diamond Model with specific Jordanian instances of cultural variables. However, this alone may not help software developers to understand how culture impacts HCI in Jordan. To complement the Diamond Model, we developed a novel approach called “Dramatic Sketches” to communicate impact of cultural variables on HCI. We present example Dramatic sketches and conclude with guidance on developing software for Jordanian contexts

Cultural factors in users' evaluations of user interfaces and interactions : exploration and representation of usage in Jordanian contexts

Culture shapes most human behaviour, including interaction with computers. In much Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research, culture is assumed to impact design preferences. However, many cultural variables identified in the general literature have no clear link to design preferences. In this thesis, we develop a new model, the Diamond Model, to structure a wide range of cultural variables. This is used to organise a literature review of cultural variables and their impact in HCI, as well as to identify instances of Jordanian cultural variables, which is the focus of field studies in this thesis. The balance and range of cultural variables in the Diamond Model suggests that culture should have impact beyond design preferences, and should also influence how users react to, explain and evaluate difficulties when using computers. To investigate whether this was the case, a series of field studies was carried out to explore the balance between the impact of culture on design preferences and on reactions to usage difficulties. Each field study found Jordanian instances for cultural variables in the Diamond Model, but also added further cultural variables that had not been identified in either the general or the HCI literature. In the process, we identified more cultural variables that influenced reactions to usage difficulties in Jordan than influenced design preferences. This thesis presents the Diamond Model, applies it to existing literature on culture and HCI, and uses it to structure analysis of results from three field studies. The result is an extended Diamond Model with specific Jordanian instances of cultural variables. However, this alone may not help software developers to understand how culture impacts HCI in Jordan. To complement the Diamond Model, we developed a novel approach called “Dramatic Sketches” to communicate impact of cultural variables on HCI. We present example Dramatic sketches and conclude with guidance on developing software for Jordanian contexts.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Culture in the design of mHealth UI:An effort to increase acceptance among culturally specific groups

Purpose: Designers of mobile applications have long understood the importance of users’ preferences in making the user experience easier, convenient and therefore valuable. The cultural aspects of groups of users are among the key features of users’ design preferences, because each group’s preferences depend on various features that are culturally compatible. The process of integrating culture into the design of a system has always been an important ingredient for effective and interactive human computer interface. This study aims to investigate the design of a mobile health (mHealth) application user interface (UI) based on Arabic culture. It was argued that integrating certain cultural values of specific groups of users into the design of UI would increase their acceptance of the technology. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 135 users responded to an online survey about their acceptance of a culturally designed mHealth. Findings: The findings showed that culturally based language, colours, layout and images had a significant relationship with users’ behavioural intention to use the culturally based mHealth UI. Research limitations/implications: First, the sample and the data collected of this study were restricted to Arab users and Arab culture; therefore, the results cannot be generalized to other cultures and users. Second, the adapted unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model was used in this study instead of the new version, which may expose new perceptions. Third, the cultural aspects of UI design in this study were limited to the images, colours, language and layout. Practical implications: It encourages UI designers to implement the relevant cultural aspects while developing mobile applications. Originality/value: Embedding Arab cultural aspects in designing UI for mobile applications to satisfy Arab users and enhance their acceptance toward using mobile applications, which will reflect positively on their lives.</p

Dramatic Sketches: A New Interaction Design Resource for Communicating Contextual Factors

User-centred design approaches focus on understanding usage contexts and evaluating usage through primary data. Collecting primary data is more feasible for contexts that project teams can directly access. Otherwise, secondary sources may be the only practical source of contextual information (and even when it is not, secondary data can still be valuable). When designing software for localization across global markets, comprehensive collection of primary data may be infeasible, but existing secondary data could be made more accessible via an appropriate design resource. In this paper, we present Dramatic Sketches as a resource for representing cultural factors. We relate a set of Dramatic Sketches to three field research studies in Jordan and show how a few Dramatic Sketches and auxiliary Micro Sketches can compactly communicate many cultural factors

Designing Culturally Appropriate Responses to Culturally Influenced Computer Usage Behaviors

Cultural variables impact across a wide range of behaviours when interacting with computers. The Diamond Model provides an organizing structure for these variables and their instances from specific territorial cultures. Instances of cultural factors in Jordan impact at several levels on computer usage. Where such impact is adverse, culturally appropriate responses are required. Such responses need to be at the appropriate level from individual user behaviors, via organizational IT and work policies, national educational and economic policies, and global IT practices. We present examples of adverse interactions between cultural variables and computer users’ behaviors in Jordan and propose a range of culturally appropriate responses at the individual, organizational, national and global level

Dramatic Sketches: A New Interaction Design Resource for Communicating Contextual Factors

User-centred design approaches focus on understanding usage contexts and evaluating usage through primary data. Collecting primary data is more feasible for contexts that project teams can directly access. Otherwise, secondary sources may be the only practical source of contextual information (and even when it is not, secondary data can still be valuable). When designing software for localization across global markets, comprehensive collection of primary data may be infeasible, but existing secondary data could be made more accessible via an appropriate design resource. In this paper, we present Dramatic Sketches as a resource for representing cultural factors. We relate a set of Dramatic Sketches to three field research studies in Jordan and show how a few Dramatic Sketches and auxiliary Micro Sketches can compactly communicate many cultural factors

Examining the Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Social and Computer Anxiety in E-Learning Settings: Students’ Perceptions at the University Level

The learning environment usually raises various types of anxiety based on the student’s abilities to use technology and their abilities to overcome the negative feelings of an individual being watched all the time and criticized. Hence, learners still feel anxious while using computers and socializing in an e-learning environment. Learners who are faced with computer and AI tools are confused and frustrated. The uneasiness stems from anxiety or uneasiness, which is highly evident in daily interaction with computers and artificial intelligence tools or devices in e-learning contexts. The uneasiness stems from anxiety or uneasiness, which is highly evident in the daily interaction with computers and artificial intelligence tools or devices in e-learning contexts. To investigate this phenomenon empirically, a questionnaire was distributed among a group of undergraduate students who are studying different majors. This study aims to investigate the role of social anxiety and computer anxiety in an e-learning environment at the university level. Universities in the Gulf area are among those implementing e-learning systems. In spite of this, recent studies have shown that most students at Gulf universities are still resistant to using online systems; hence, it is necessary to determine the type of anxiety that creates such resistance and their relationship with other external variables such as motivation, satisfaction and self-efficacy. Students would be more likely to use e-learning tools and participate more effectively in their courses using the accessible electronic channels when the degree of anxiety is low. In this study, we have proposed a theoretical framework to investigate the role of social anxiety and computer anxiety in e-learning environments in the Gulf region. We examined how different variables such as satisfaction, motivation and self-efficacy can negatively or positively affect these two types of anxiety