Configuring culturally relevant e-adaptive learning design to facilitate students’ digital communication skills acquisition

The purpose of this research was to configure a culturally relevant e-adaptive learning design for the English for Educational Technologists online course by integrating local communication values to facilitate students’ learning in mastering digital communication skills. The culturally relevant e-adaptive learning design configuration is called REGARD, an acronym for the five learning phase designs: Readiness (R), Exploration (E), Grouped Activity (G), Assessment (A), Reflection (R), and Decision-making (D). The research method employs research and development approaches. Eight experts reviewed the REGARD design prior to formative evaluation. Thirty-three students were actively involved in the learners’ evaluation. Closed and open questionnaires were used to collect data to validate the developed REGARD design, viewed from the perspectives of instructional design, learning materials, learning media, and information communication aspects. Descriptive statistical techniques were used to analyze the collected data. The results showed the overall scores given by all experts and student trials across the three stages of formative evaluation fell within the “Very Good” category according to the five-point criterion-referenced scale. These findings suggest that the REGARD learning design configuration within the learning management system (LMS) is valid and appropriate for use in the English for Educational Technologists course.