A System Design Approach of Gamification for disseminating Intangible Oral Expressions of Indigenous Textile Heritage

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a rising interest in using gamification to promote local intangible cultural heritage. Gamification can make cultural heritage more accessible and relatable by transforming traditional practices into interactive digital experiences. Traditional hand-woven fabrics of tribal communities of Northeast India represent their cultural expression and identity. However, industrialization and globalization have negatively affected the inheritance of the traditional weaving practice. Their traditional fabrics also carry a rich legacy of oral narratives, which are underappreciated and at risk of being lost due to lack of adequate documentation. This paper proposes a gamified system model to disseminate the oral cultural expressions associated with tribal fabrics and their textile heritage. It also integrates instructional design approach for creating a gamified learning environment for fostering cultural awareness and education among young generation of the tribal communities. This model may also offer a new approach for digitally archiving indigenous intangible cultural heritage.