Designing a Culturally Appropriate Distance Learning Platform for Students in the Tłıchǫ Region of the Northwest Territories

• Main Author: Tejas Ambarani
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Distance Learning; User Interface Design; User Experience Design; Human-Centered Design; Indigenous communities; Tłıc̨hǫ; Education; Remote Education; Decolonizing Education; Canada; Indian; Northwest Territories
• Online Access: https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/6f32a05f-863e-43c0-af2f-0005d84394a5; https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-18r7-1a93

In January 2020, (as part of my master’s programme before my thesis), I began a creative collaboration with the community representatives from the Tłı̨chǫ region of the Northwest Territories. I worked as part of a team of four designers for three months, where I had the opportunity to read, learn, and understand the history and culture of Indigenous people and the Tłı̨chǫ region. This Master's thesis is the next phase of this collaboration which has enabled me to learn more about their community and help establish a strong collaborative relationship. I have been an outsider in the many places I have lived in throughout my life. For example, I am from India, but I lived in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and now Canada. Reading and understanding Indigenous history has made me reflect on my role as a settler. Decolonization is a significant issue cited throughout this research, which has also made me reflect on the impact of colonialism in my life. As an Indian, my grandparents and family relatives still remember and are impacted by the oppressive rule of Britain in India before our independence. Numerous Indians were stripped of their culture, lands, and families like the colonialism in Canada. Seventy years after independence from the British, India is still impacted by colonial rule. Despite my multi-cultural background, I have been exposed and impacted by the colonial system, through the language (English) I speak, to the television I watch and the books I read. It is important to be aware that despite my background and experience in working with different cultures, I must avoid making biases in assuming there is one specific way of going through the process and avoid the assumption of a “right” or “wrong” way of doing things. Lastly, my multi- cultural background as a designer has taught me the significance of customizing design experiences by considering the role of culture and values of the people you design for.