Graduate Thesis Abstract
Interactive Media and Cultural Heritage: Interpreting Oral Culture in a Digital Environment
Oral traditions and expressions in African cultures include a variety of forms: short stories, tales, riddles, proverbs, legends, myths, traditional songs and poems, prayers, theatrical performances and many more. African cultures use these avenues to pass on the knowledge of their society, values and the collective history of their tribes, which keeps their cultural identity alive.
This study explores how oral culture can be leveraged in the digital environment. To do this, all the forms mentioned above will be assessed on how they translate into the digital realm. Almost all the methods above involve some form of interaction, whether it is touch, question and answers, dances, acting or just clapping. There is also the important area of sound inflection, with which a good storyteller can bring the story to life in the minds of the listeners. The challenge that I anticipate and will try to resolve is how these delivery methods that rely on the surroundings and settings can be simulated in the digital environment.
This project is based on the hypothesis that the interactive environment will be more favorable for storytelling over the traditional book among the Diaspora communities. I will be testing a sample digital book created using the Apple iBooks Author software on the iPad environment to gather data to prove or disprove my hypothesis. I will then use the data to inform a future version of the digital book that will be used as a self-standing educational tool on any mobile device. I hope that this approach could be used as a template for documenting appropriate cultural heritages around the world.
I strongly believe that the more cultures are documented, the more we can all gain an understanding of one another which could lead to better communication and fewer wars and conflicts. I see this project as a step in that direction.