The Culture Based Model: Constructing a Model of Culture

Recent trends reveal that models of culture aid in mapping the design and analysis of information and communication technologies. Therefore, models of culture are powerful tools to guide the building of instructional products and services. This research examines the construction of the culture based model (CBM), a model of culture that evolved from historical and linguistic analyses of instructional products designed by and for African Americans. The findings extrapolated from the analyses reveal a treasure of cultural remnants. The cultural remnants provide evidence of how culture manifested in the instructional products. This data was further refined and generalized for a cross-cultural audience, resulting in the design factors of CBM. CBM is an intercultural instructional design framework that guides designers through the management, design, development, and assessment process while taking into account explicit culture-based considerations. The structure of CBM is presented and some ideas on its practical application are offered. Nationally and internationally, researchers and designers are experimenting with models and frameworks that can guide the design and analysis of information and communication technologies (ICTs). This demand continues to grow as the needs of diverse users and learners of these technologies must be met in an increasingly globalized world (Aykin, 2005; Edmundson, 2007a). To aid in this inquiry, models of culture have been applied to studies for theoretical, methodological, and practical applications. Therefore, it seems that there is a growing need for guidance in the design of ICTs and models of culture may provide that guidance. Models of culture have traditionally been constructed to explain humanity and our planetary existence, explore diverse learners and learning, and provide a framework for cross-cultural analysis, research, and design. These models of culture are multi-disciplinary and conceptualized in order to contemplate what is known, unknown, and yet to happen. In the field of psychology, researchers formulated models of culture to explain processes of the mind (D'Andrade, 1990; Quinn, 1987; Schank & Abelson, 1977). In anthropology, models of culture take a holistic examination of cultures looking for shared behavior and knowledge (Hall, 1976). Researchers in intercultural communications have designed models of culture to explain value systems, value orientations, and the differences in values across cultures (Condon & Yousef, 1975; Hofstede, 1980). Models of culture in the field of business help personnel to better understand how culture affects management and specifically the impact of cultural values and practices in business (Javidan & House, 2001; Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1998). In the field of instructional design (ID), models of culture focus on integrating culture in the design and development process and on improving learning through culture-based design specifications (Edmundson, 2007b; Henderson, 2007, 1996; Kim; 1999; Lee, 2003; Thomas, Mitchell, & Joseph, 2002). This multi-disciplinary inquiry suggests that models of culture provide a framework to examine cultures, guide the design of culture-based products and services, and foster cross-cultural communications, relations, and meanings. In this vein, this article provides insight into the construction of the culture based model (CBM), a model of culture. CBM is an intercultural, instructional design framework that guides designers through the management, design, development, and assessment process while taking into account explicit culture-based considerations. The model is intercultural because it operates inside, outside, and across cultures. The perception of what a "model of culture" can do and be used for is limited by the present state of available models. In examining the importance of models, delGaldo & Nielsen (1996) argue that models of culture act as databases for gathering information pertinent to the needs of a target audience; and therefore, designers need to understand the cultures and cultural context of their users or learners. The implementation of a model of culture in the design of instruction aids designers in the following: distinguishing between generic and specialized design specifications, internationalizing or localizing designs, identifying cultural biases, minimizing mistakes that are