Adapting an Educational Software Internationally: Cultural and Linguistical Adaptation

Abstract

This study protocol proposes an adaptation of the participatory and iterative process framework for language adaptation (PIPFLA). The adapted model follows five dimensions for a cross-cultural equivalence model: semantic, content, technical, criterion, and conceptual. Iterative adaptations were conducted through the Delphi technique of expert consultation that comprised nursing professionals from academic, administrative, and practice fields, professional translators, and students’ online focus groups to arrive at consensus. The adapted process of PIPFLA proposed in this paper uses a standardized and transparent documentation, including expert judgment. Neither systematic reviews nor empirical research currently published describe the methodology used with enough details to allow for replication or improvement. This work illustrates innovation that takes concepts related to cultural adaptation of tools and applies these ideas to cultural adaptation of an online learning platform, based on the use of committees and codebook development strategies.