An Evaluation of the Localization Quality of the Arabic Versions of Learning Management Systems

Abstract

The recent years have witnessed the development of numerous Learning Management Systems (LMSs) to address the increasing needs of individuals and institutions all over the world. For accessibility and commercial purposes, many of these LMSs are released in different languages using what is known as localization systems. In this regard, there has been a parallel between the development of LMSs on one hand and the localization systems on the other. One main aspect in the recent evaluation systems and studies of LMSs is localization quality. Despite the prolific literature on localization quality, very little has been done on Arabic localization. As thus, this study is concerned with the evaluation of the localization quality of the Arabic version of LMSs. In order to explore users' perceptions towards the Arabic versions of the LMSs, an online questionnaire was conducted. Participants were asked about their familiarity with LMSs and whether they used the Arabic versions of these systems. They were also asked about their experiences with the Arabic localization of these systems and whether they faced any problems in dealing with the Arabic version. The findings indicate that translation inconsistencies are the main problems with the Arabic versions of different LMSs including Blackboard Learn, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. These problems have negative impacts on the effectiveness and reliability of these systems in schools, universities, and training institutions. For the proper implementation of LMSs both localization and translation should go hand-in-hand. Localization developers and LMSs designers need to consider the linguistic the peculiar linguistic features of Arabic. The findings of the study have implications to translation programs in Arab universities and training institutions. Program designers should integrate translation technologies and localization systems into translation studies. They need to consider the changes within the translation industry. The study was limited to the study of translation quality in the Arabic versions of the localized LMSs. The localization quality of other software programs, games, websites, and applications needs to be explored. Finally, it is recommended to develop a quality matrix that encompasses all the dimensions and peculiarities of Arabic localization.

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