ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study which describes how the design of a collaborative e-learning platform was informed by an investigation into cultural differences among students' learning practices. PoliDaido project is a case study on the use of e-learning in intercultural education contexts; it explores the Marshall's idea that electronic media and multimedia technologies promote communication and interaction between diverse groups with the purpose of helping students learn more about contexts. A key point of e-learning as a service is creating the conditions for the user to feel motivated to actually explore and use the service. Besides managing the interactions, the challenge of the project was to explore the potentialities of education in the dynamics of global economy, fostering positive collaboration and mutual respect in diversity. Through on line collaborative environments students and tutors can share an atmosphere similar to the one they are accustomed to in face-to-face design laboratories.
