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Framework for understanding localization
“Localization” is a term you’ll hear often in the open educational resources world, so it’s worth a post to sketch out a few aspects of the issue. Localization refers to the process of taking an educational resource developed for one context, and making it appropriate for one or more other contexts. Examples of localization include translation of materials into other languages, updating content to reflect field developments, and converting a lesson from MS Office format to html embedded in a Blackboard site.
There are at least four uber-categories of localizations:
- Currency: Updating materials to reflect new knowledge in the field.
- Cultural adaptations: Modifications made to render materials more culturally appropriate, such as translation into other languages and substitution of referenced examples (such as commercial products) with more familiar equivalents.
- Academic adaptations: Materials created within one academic system are often modified to fit into a new system, accounting for student skill level and preparedness, subject sequencing, and time available.
- Technical adaptations: Modifications made to adjust for the technical platform on which the content is delivered, such as the conversion of materials created in MS Word for classroom use to html formats intended for distance learning.
This of course barely scratches the surface of the complexities surrounding localization, but it’s a start at least.
