A New Visualization Approach to Re-Contextualize Indigenous Knowledge in Rural Africa

Abstract

Current views of sustainable development recognize the importance of accepting the Indigenous Knowledge (IK) of rural people. However, there is an increasing technological gap between Elder IK holders and the younger generation and a persistent incompatibility between IK and the values, logics and literacies embedded, and supported by ICT. Here, we present an evaluation of new technology that might bridge generations and preserve key elements of local IK in Namibia. We describe how we applied insights, generated by ethnographic, dialogical and participatory action research, in designing a structure in which users can store, organize and retrieve user-generated videos in ways that are compatible with their knowledge system. The structure embeds videos in a scenario-based 3D visualization of a rural village. It accounts for some of the ways this rural community manages information, socially, spatially and temporally and provides users with a recognizable 3D simulated environment in which to re-contextualize de-contextualized video clips. Our formative in situ evaluation of a prototype suggests the visualization is legible to community members, provokes participation in design discussions, offers opportunities for local appropriation and may facilitate knowledge sharing between IK holders and more youthful IK assimilators. Simultaneously differing interpretations of scenarios and modeled objects reveal the limitations of our modeling decisions and raises various questions regarding graphic design details and regional transferability.

An approach to user interface design with two indigenous groups in Namibia

“…Based on previous findings of a dominant location-based conceptualisation of cultural practices in the Herero culture (Rodil et al, 2011) we have pursued a 3D graphical approach to provide for a local re-contextualisation. Thus in 2011 we began co-designing a tool to enable the elders in creating 3D graphical digital scenarios to visually support locally recorded videos/audio by adding a context created by 3D objects .…”

Tapping into local lore

“…Detailing the whole premise for the research project and the 3D visualization approach is beyond the scope of this paper, and we refer to [1,6] for further details. In short, we are embedding the audiovisual recordings of IK into a spatial representation of the local environment.…”

“…Specifically, we are working with IK in the form of stories and performances captured in a growing set of audiovisual recordings from rural areas. Early project attempts to appropriate classic text based interfaces for managing and browsing this data set have failed [6]; not least due to semiliteracy, language barriers, lacking prior exposure to Western form-filling metaphors and keyboard/mouse interaction, and other reasons now commonly reported in the HCI4D literature [4]. It was evident that other solutions needed to be explored, and one of the promising directions has been to use 3D visualization [6].…”

Process as an element of UX in collecting Indigenous Knowledge: A case study in South Africa

“…Rural communities have over the years gained Indigenous Knowledge (IK) that has helped them to survive; sustain their lives and their environment for future generations [3,4]. Most of rural societies are living in the resource constrained environments and are underdeveloped and for this reason, they often find other means to sustain a living such as agriculture and other cultural activities.…”