Creative and Critical Studies, Faculty of (Okanagan)
DSpace
UBCO
Kpedekpo, Barbara
Master of Arts - MA
University of British Columbia
“Heritage Through Pixels” is an interdisciplinary exploration that examines the intersection of cultural heritage, digital technology, and education in Ghana. This digital humanities project addresses the critical discussions surrounding the transmission and participation of cultural heritage in Ghana, the evolving role of technology in education, the transformation of storytelling practices in the digital era, and the creation of digital solutions that account for users' technological constraints in Ghana. The central research question investigates how digital technology, particularly smartphone technology, can be harnessed to promote the transmission and engagement of cultural heritage among Ghanaian youth. Contrary to the belief that digital technology alienates Ghanaian youth from their culture due to their increase engagement with digital technology, this research reviews and challenges this misconception. It incorporates the principles of minimal computing, which emphasizes accessible, resource-efficient digital approaches that reduce technological barriers, enabling a broader participation in digital humanities projects. This thesis presents a culturally resonant alternative that utilizes familiar digital tools in Ghana to foster a meaningful connection with cultural identity among the youth. The project introduces Digital Storytelling (DST) as an arts-based method, using ArcGIS Story Maps to create an interactive and engaging digital platform centered on Ghana’s bead-making arts—a vital aspect of the country’s cultural heritage. Through this platform, the project demonstrates how digital storytelling can serve as an effective medium for cultural heritage engagement and participation. This project embodies a multidisciplinary approach essential for addressing the complexities of cultural heritage transmission in the digital age by designing digital solutions that consider users' technological constraints, leveraging the digital proficiency of Ghanaian youth, and promoting continuous learning through accessible digital methods. It highlights the potential of digital technology to empower cultural heritage engagement among Ghanaian youth, ensuring that Ghana’s cultural identity remains vibrant, relevant, and accessible to the youth who represent its future.
HERITAGE THROUGH PIXELS: Digitization of Ghana’s Cultural Heritage with the Aim of Increasing Engagement and Participation Amongst the Youth by Barbara Kpedekpo B.A Culture and Tourism, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 2019 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies) (Digital Arts and Humanities) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) December 2024 © Barbara Kpedekpo, 2024 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled: HERITAGE THROUGH PIXELS: Digitization of Ghana’s Cultural Heritage with the Aim of Increasing Engagement and Participation Amongst the Youth submitted by Barbara Kpedekpo in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. Dr. Suzanne Gott, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisor Dr. Neha Gupta, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Hussein Keshani, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisory Committee Member Dr Karis Shearer, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies University Examiner iii Abstract “Heritage Through Pixels” is an interdisciplinary exploration that examines the intersection of cultural heritage, digital technology, and education in Ghana. This digital humanities project addresses the critical discussions surrounding the transmission and participation of cultural heritage in Ghana, the evolving role of technology in education, the transformation of storytelling practices in the digital era, and the creation of digital solutions that account for users' technological constraints in Ghana. The central research question investigates how digital technology, particularly smartphone technology, can be harnessed to promote the transmission and engagement of cultural heritage among Ghanaian youth. Contrary to the belief that digital technology alienates Ghanaian youth from their culture due to their increase engagement with digital technology, this research reviews and challenges this misconception. It incorporates the principles of minimal computing, which emphasizes accessible, resource-efficient digital approaches that reduce technological barriers, enabling a broader participation in digital humanities projects. This thesis presents a culturally resonant alternative that utilizes familiar digital tools in Ghana to foster a meaningful connection with cultural identity among the youth. The project introduces Digital Storytelling (DST) as an arts-based method, using ArcGIS Story Maps to create an interactive and engaging digital platform centered on Ghana’s bead-making arts—a vital aspect of the country’s cultural heritage. Through this platform, the project demonstrates how digital storytelling can serve as an effective medium for cultural heritage engagement and participation. This project embodies a multidisciplinary approach essential for addressing the complexities of cultural heritage transmission in the digital age by designing digital solutions that consider users' technological constraints, leveraging the digital proficiency of Ghanaian youth, and promoting continuous learning through accessible digital methods. It highlights the potential of digital technology to empower cultural heritage engagement among Ghanaian youth, ensuring that Ghana’s cultural identity remains vibrant, relevant, and accessible to the youth who represent its future. iv Lay Summary “Heritage Through Pixels” is an interdisciplinary thesis that combines narrative writing, critical theory and digital story telling to explore how digital technology, especially smartphones, can help preserve and promote Ghana’s cultural heritage among young people. The digital prototype, also titled “Heritage Through Pixels,” aims to challenge the notion that technology alienates youth from their cultural heritage by demonstrating how it can, instead, serve as a powerful tool for meaningful cultural engagement. Through the use of ArcGIS Story Maps, this project creates an interactive platform that highlights Ghana’s bead-making arts, an essential aspect of the country’s cultural tradition. The platform integrates various forms of media, including maps, images, videos, and text, to provide a rich and immersive learning experience. This approach not only makes cultural education more engaging but also more accessible, allowing users to explore and connect with their heritage in innovative and impactful ways. v Preface This thesis, Heritage Through Pixels, represents the culmination of a research journey that I independently undertook, from the initial concept formation to the final thesis. I was fully responsible for conceptualizing the research question, analyzing literature, developing the methodology, designing the digital prototype, and writing every chapter of this thesis. I designed Figure 3, which outlines the framework used to plan and develop the digital prototype focused on Ghana’s bead-making arts, illustrating the strategic process behind its development. My supervisor, Dr. Suzanne Gott, played a pivotal role in this research, actively involved in shaping the concepts and providing significant guidance throughout the entire process. She contributed to the refinement of this thesis through constructive feedback and critical edits. Her insights also played a significant role in crafting the narrative for the digital prototype on Ghana’s bead-making arts. My supervisory committee, Dr. Neha Gupta and Dr. Hussein Keshani, offered both verbal and written contributions to strengthen this research and contributed to the refinement of this thesis through critical edits. No generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) was used for any aspects of this work. The resources, including photographs and videos, used in designing the prototype discussed in Chapter 4, were carefully sourced from academic publications, with guidance from Dr. Suzanne Gott. These materials were thoroughly reviewed and approved by the UBC Behavioural Research Ethics Board under certificate numbers H10-01213 and H13-00982. In accordance with ethical guidelines, all participants involved in these resources provided formal consent for their participation. vi Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii Lay Summary ............................................................................................................................... iv Preface ............................................................................................................................................ v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. viii Link to Digital Prototype............................................................................................................. ix List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... x Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... xi Dedication ................................................................................................................................... xiii Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 - Who Do You Say I Am? ........................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 - Connected by Culture ............................................................................................ 13 The Significance of Cultural Heritage to UNESCO ................................................................. 13 Tangible/Intangible Osmosis .................................................................................................... 15 Cultural Heritage in Africa ........................................................................................................ 16 Cultural Heritage in Ghana ....................................................................................................... 17 Cultural Transmission in Africa ................................................................................................ 19 Education and Heritage ............................................................................................................. 20 Culture in Ghana’s Education ................................................................................................... 22 Culture of Museums in Africa and Ghana ................................................................................ 24 Ways to Communicate Culture ................................................................................................. 28 Chapter 3 - How Stories Create Communities ......................................................................... 31 African Heritage in Storytelling ................................................................................................ 32 Learning Culture Through Storytelling ..................................................................................... 34 Storytelling in the Digital Age .................................................................................................. 35 Digital Storytelling in Education............................................................................................... 37 Components of a Digital Story .................................................................................................. 40 My Connections with Stories .................................................................................................... 41 Chapter 4 - Our Stories Matter ................................................................................................. 45 My Research .............................................................................................................................. 47 Knight Lab’s Timeline JS ......................................................................................................... 47 vii ArcGIS StoryMaps .................................................................................................................... 50 Making of the StoryMap (“Heritage Through Pixels”) ............................................................. 53 Limitations with ArcGIS StoryMap .......................................................................................... 59 Chapter 5 – Connected by Technology ..................................................................................... 62 Digital Technology in Africa .................................................................................................... 62 Minimal Computing in Africa ................................................................................................... 65 Phone Usage in Africa............................................................................................................... 67 Digital Initiatives in Africa ....................................................................................................... 68 Usage of Mobile Phones in Education in Africa ....................................................................... 69 Smart Initiative in Education - The Yoza Cellphone Stories Project in South Africa .............. 71 ICT in Ghana ............................................................................................................................. 73 The Need for Mobile Learning.................................................................................................. 74 Potential Problems with Digital Technology in Ghana ............................................................. 76 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 78 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................. 83 viii List of Figures Figure 1. Population pyramid showing Ghana’s population in 2020 census with emphasis on the youth as compared to the elderly ………………………………………………………… 2 Figure 2. Short presentation of Vega Foods Canned Fish Television Commercial ……… 42 Figure 3. Framework showing the planning process used to generate the StoryMap …… 55 Figure 4. Graph showing mobile phone ownership of individual, aged five and older in Ghana …………………………………………………………………………………………... 67 ix Link to Digital Prototype This QR code links to a digital prototype of “Heritage Through Pixels,” which supports this thesis by demonstrating how digital technology, particularly smartphone, can be harnessed to promote the transmission and engagement of cultural heritage among Ghanaian youth. x List of Abbreviations ArcGIS - Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System DST - Digital Storytelling ESRI - Environmental System Research Institute GES - Ghanaian Educational System (GES) GMMB - Ghana Museums and Monument Board ICT - Information and Communication Technologies ICT4AD - Information and Communication Technology for Accelerated Development ITU - International Telecommunications Union LDC – Least Developed Countries MB – Megabytes PAHM - Pan African Heritage Museum PISA - Programme for International Student Assessment UBC – University of British Columbia UBCO – University of British Columbia Okanagan UN - United Nations UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization xi Acknowledgements “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 NIV. This master’s program has been a truly life-changing experience and it would not have been possible without the support and guidance from many people. First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to God, whose grace, wisdom, and guidance have been constant throughout this journey. It is through His strength that I have been able to persevere and overcome the challenges that came my way. His love and faithfulness have been my foundation, and I am eternally grateful for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon me throughout this process. To my supervisor, Dr. Suzanne Gott, I extend my sincerest thanks. Your unwavering support, insightful guidance, and constructive feedback have been invaluable to the completion of this thesis. You have not only been a mentor but also an inspiration, encouraging me to think critically, pursue excellence, and always aim higher. Your dedication to my academic growth and career has left an indelible mark on me, and for that, I am profoundly thankful. I would also like to express my heartfelt appreciation to my church community, Trinity Church Kelowna, whose prayers and encouragement have sustained me during the most challenging times. Your collective faith in me has been a source of immense strength. The warmth, fellowship, and spiritual support I have received from each of you have been a beacon of hope, reminding me that I am never alone in this journey. Thank you for walking with me in faith and for your unwavering belief in my abilities. To my beloved family, no words can fully capture the depth of my gratitude. All your love, sacrifices, and endless encouragement have been the bedrock of this journey. You have always believed in me, even when I doubted myself, and your constant prayers have lifted me up in ways I cannot express. To Daniella, thank you for your patience, understanding, and unwavering support. You have been my greatest cheerleader and my confidant. xii To my dear friends, thank you for being pillars of support throughout this journey. Your encouragement, late-night conversations, and constant reminders to take care of myself have kept me grounded and motivated. You have shared in my triumphs and struggles, and for that, I am eternally grateful. Each of you holds a special place in my heart, and I am blessed to have you in my life. Finally, I acknowledge all those who have contributed to this thesis in ways both big and small. Your kindness, generosity, and support have made this achievement possible. Akpe na wò (Thank you all) xiii Dedication This thesis is dedicated to all those who have been shunned, ridiculed, or made to feel less than because they lack knowledge about their cultural heritage. To those who have ever felt disconnected from their heritage, misunderstood, or marginalized, know that you are not alone. This work is a testament to the strength and resilience within you, and a reminder that your story is important, your heritage is valuable, and your journey to understanding and embracing your identity is powerful. May this thesis serve as a beacon of hope, affirming that you are seen, heard, and honored. Introduction Cultural heritage is, above all, fragile and precious, therefore, a great amount of attention needs to be paid in order to maintain its uniqueness. It is recognized as inherited and living traditions, social practices, rituals, and festive events—knowledge, as well as practices, that allow us to better understand previous generations and contemporary identities. With the continuous deepening and advancement of technology in our daily lives, how can digital technology contribute to the progress of cultural heritage knowledge, preservation and engagement among Ghanaian youth? My thesis, “Heritage Through Pixels,” is an attempt to fill the gap by exploring the intersections of cultural heritage, education and digital technology. Cultural heritage encompasses intangible ethics, principles, and values, while ensuring the continued existence of these values (UNESCO 2011). The acceleration of development in society, particularly the advancement of technology, has created a divide or gap between younger and older generations. Differences in values, opinions and outlook between generations might result in conflict and difficulties in communication. This difference in opinions and outlook, as well as ways of communication, has created a shift in Ghana’s cultural heritage transmission. Ghana, a multiethnic country, with over fifty different ethnic groups in West Africa has a demographics that depict a very youthful population (Figure 1). According to Ghana’s 2021 Population and Housing Census data, Ghana's population of 31 million is composed of roughly 35% children (ages 0-14), 38% young adults (ages 15-35), and approximately 4% elderly individuals (ages 65 and older). Figure 1. Population pyramid showing Ghana’s population in 2020 census with emphasis on the youth as compared to the elderly. Source: Ghana 2021 Population and Housing Census General Report Volume 3B Interestingly, Ghanaian youth are perceived to have little or no interest in cultural heritage, despite their active engagement with digital technology (Markwei and Appiah 2016; Silverman 2014). Technologies and technological applications such as mobile phones, smartwatches, laptops, the internet, social media and instant messaging applications are viewed as Western imports and are thought of as a product of dominant Western culture. The idea that technology could be viewed as a "western thing," or engagement with western cultures, is rooted in historical, cultural, and economic factors. The Industrial Revolution marked a significant technological shift in the latter eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Western Europe, North America and some settler-colonial societies. During the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, western countries have been at the forefront of technological innovation (Ali 2016). This advancement in technological innovations reinforced the viewpoint that western culture was inherently superior over other cultures. The idea of being modern and advanced has often been linked to developing new technologies in Western media. Western media frequently portrays technological innovations as symbols of progress, modernity, and a better future. This narrative reinforces the perception that countries and cultures that lead in technological development are more advanced and forward-thinking. In many countries outside the West, using technology is sometimes viewed as a way to fit in or be seen as successful. This association can shape how societies view progress, where embracing new technology becomes synonymous with being part of a modern, advanced culture. Furthermore, the idea that technology could be viewed as a “western thing” is because many of the world's top-ranked universities and research institutions in technology and science are in western countries where English is the dominant language in the field of technology, both in terms of programming languages and documentation―which can contribute to the perception that technology is primarily associated with western countries. Perhaps all these factors could make one assume that technology is a “western thing,” but it is important to recognize that technology is a global phenomenon with contributions and advancements from various regions and cultures. We may judge technology based on representation, thus simply studying our screens and the images of ‘white’ people that dance across them and failing to take up the challenge of understanding how these systems are made, maintained and operate and how they can benefit non-western people (McPherson 2012; Nakamura 2014, 920). As a Ghanaian woman with a multicultural background, I am uniquely situated within a rich epistemic standpoint to produce research that speaks to Ghanaian youth who might be able to understand their language but do not feel confident speaking it or be labelled as “other” due to their lack of engagement with their heritage. In this thesis I explain “other” as not being an exemplar of one’s ethnic group or not representing the typical characteristics of one's ethnic group. In my case, I am perceived as not being an exemplary Ewe because I am unable to speak my local dialect. Growing up with mixed ethnic influences, I reflect on challenges faced due to cultural differences and a lack of knowledge about my Ewe heritage, which left me feeling like an outsider in my own community. This personal struggle mirrors a larger issue I’ve observed in Ghana: the disconnect between the local population and their heritage. I discovered how educational content on culture had little to do with local tourism and cultural engagement for Ghanaians. Instead, there is a predominant focus on diasporic tourism, limiting the scope of cultural education and engagement for the local population. This limitation often overlooks the rich potential for Ghanaians to connect more deeply with their own heritage. Despite efforts made by Ghana since her independence to promote traditional practices and unify the nation (De Witte and Meyer 2012), there is growing concern about cultural erosion among today’s youth, who are increasingly influenced by Western cultures. Ghanaian youth are perceived as a demographic with little or no interest in their culture due to their keen interest in digital technology, which is often dominated by western content. Education has long been recognized as a vital tool in the transmission of cultural heritage (UNESCO 2003). It serves as a bridge between generations, ensuring that both tangible and intangible traditions are preserved and passed on. This connection between education and cultural heritage is particularly significant in regions like Ghana, where cultural identity plays a central role in shaping the nation. As formal and informal education systems in Ghana integrate heritage into their curricula, it becomes increasingly necessary to explore innovative methods to engage the youth in cultural heritage transmission. My aim is to prove that Ghanaian youth are not disinterested in their cultural heritage because of their keen interest in digital technology, which is often condensed with western content. I aim to present a creative option that recognizes that interest of the youth in their culture as well as offers an approach to engage with culture through technology. The use of an interdisciplinary approach, informed by my experience as a Ghanaian, will contribute to addressing the problems stated above as well as exploring the potential of digital technology for cultural heritage education and engagement. In "Introduction: The Questions of Minimal Computing," Roopika Risam and Alex Gil explore how minimal computing addresses the challenges of unequal access to technology, particularly within the Global South, where infrastructure limitations often prevent full participation in digital humanities. They argue that digital humanities projects, which frequently rely on expensive, high-tech resources, can be exclusionary. Minimal computing, however, offers an accessible, sustainable, and adaptable approach that allows technology to thrive in resource-constrained environments by adapting to local contexts. Rather than relying on specific platforms or software, minimal computing encourages a flexible decision-making process based on what is available and the needs of each unique environment. This approach emphasizes choosing tools and methods that suit the constraints of local environments—whether financial, infrastructural, or even restrictions on freedoms of movement or speech. Minimal computing can be understood with a set of guiding questions designed to help scholars to identify what is essential for a project in these resource-constrained environments. It asks: 1) “What do we need?”; 2) “What do we have?”; 3) “What must we prioritize?”; and 4) “What are we willing to give up?” By working through these questions, Risam and Gil (2022) argue that minimal computing helps scholars develop meaningful projects that are feasible within the limits of their resources, creating pathways for inclusive digital humanities work worldwide. This argument parallels the rise of digital storytelling, which similarly transforms how narratives are shared by leveraging the accessibility of mobile devices. As Penny Garcia and Marsha Rossiter (2010), Neil Davey and Grete Benjaminsen (2021) suggest, the power of digital storytelling lies in its ability to blend media like text, images, and video, enabling even those with limited resources to engage. Mobile phones, particularly in the African context, play a key role here, serving as affordable and portable tools that allow people to create and share content despite technological limitations. Bryan Alexander (2017) notes that smartphones have become central to digital storytelling, accelerating both the creation and consumption of stories. In environments with constrained infrastructure, such as those discussed by Risam and Gil, mobile phones highlight the value of recognizing and utilizing existing resources to build on local strengths. In the sections that follow, I will focus on a practical strategy that demonstrates how minimal computing and mobile technologies can reshape digital humanities and storytelling, particularly in resource-constrained environments, making these fields more equitable and accessible. Through a digital storytelling research process, I seek to encourage the use of technology, specifically smartphone and web-based applications, for engagement and participation with Ghanaian cultural heritage. For this thesis, I aim to design an interactive digital resource tool to provide Ghanaian youth with in-depth insights into an aspect of Ghana’s heritage to enable them to explore, share, and celebrate their heritage. As an interdisciplinary studies project, the structure of this thesis is not confined to traditional academic boundaries, but rather a combination of different disciplines is explored for this research. By relying on my experiences and knowledge as a Ghanaian youth and placing these discriminatory encounters at the center of my research practice, I critically reflect on and theorize how technology is part of a twenty-first century “child’s village”—community that is crucial to the development and well-being of its young people—and must not be ignored especially in participation of cultural heritage (Teichert and Salman 2021, 293). I will focus on the idea of “reclamation,” as explained by Terrance Houle, an Indigenous interdisciplinary media artist and a member of the Kainai Nation/ Blood Tribe in Canada. During an artist workshop at the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus (UBCO) Houle described “reclamation” as finding new ways to stay in touch with Indigenous cultural heritage.1 Rather than attempting to return or experience cultural heritage in its original form, twenty-first century citizens must learn to embrace global advancement such as digital technology and find ways through which one can connect and engage with their local heritage. This thesis will focus further on discussions surrounding the use of technology in education and storytelling practices in the digital age. The goal is to foster understanding on how digital technology can promote continuous learning and engagement with Ghanaian cultural heritage. This chapter has outlined some key concepts that form the foundation for the remainder of the thesis. First, it challenges the misconception that Ghanaian youth have little interest in their culture due to their engagement with digital technology, which is often viewed as a “western thing”. Second, it emphasizes the vital role education plays in preserving and transmitting cultural heritage, highlighting the need to explore innovative methods for engaging youth in this process. Third, the concept of minimal computing is examined as an approach for reclaiming and preserving cultural heritage in Ghana. The research question outlined in this section serves to connect these concepts and identify methods to promote cultural heritage engagement among Ghanaian youth through technological and educational advancements. Chapter 1, “Who Do You Say I Am?,” focuses on my view of culture and experiences as a Ghanaian youth living away from my ethnic community with limited ways to engage with my heritage, and how these experiences inform my research. Chapter 2, “Connected by Culture,” considers cultural heritage from an international and national perspective. This chapter explores the role of cultural heritage within educational systems in 1 2022-2033 Visiting Artists Workshop – Terrance Houle, February 27 2023, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (UBCO). Africa, particularly in Ghana. It delves into cultural heritage’s significance from a global standpoint, such as UNESCO's commitment to its preservation, as well as from a Ghanaian context where traditions and customs play a pivotal role in shaping national identity. A primary focus of the chapter is how education emerges as a key tool for cultural heritage transmission, and the evolving function of museums and heritage institutions in this regard. The chapter also explores the challenges of cultural erosion, particularly among younger generations, and how integrating cultural heritage into education can help counter the influence of Western cultures, thereby safeguarding cultural heritage for the future. Chapter 3, “How Stories Create Communities,” analyzes digital storytelling as a method employed for this research work. It delves into the traditional roots of storytelling in Africa, exploring how it has long been a means of transmitting cultural heritage and fostering community engagement. The chapter also examines the adoption of storytelling in the digital age, illustrating how multimedia components can enrich narratives and deepen engagement. The discussion reflects on the evolution of storytelling from an oral tradition to a digital practice, particularly within educational settings, where digital storytelling serves as a tool for promoting critical thinking, reflection, and cultural preservation. Additionally, the chapter draws on examples from marketing and commercials to demonstrate how African culture is integrated into compelling digital narratives. My personal connections with digital stories and how they have informed the research methodology are also explored, providing a reflective framework for understanding the power of storytelling across generations and cultures. Chapter 4, “Our Stories Matter,” explores the development and application of ArcGIS StoryMaps, a digital storytelling tool, in creating an engaging platform for the transmission and revitalization of Ghanaian cultural heritage. It outlines my research journey, focusing on how digital storytelling can be used to engage Ghanaian youth with the country's rich bead-making heritage. Initially, I experimented with Knight Lab’s Timeline JS for the prototype, but ultimately transitioned to ArcGIS StoryMaps due to its interactive features and mobile-responsive design, making it a more effective tool for cultural participation in Ghana. The chapter will also discuss the limitations faced while using ArcGIS StoryMaps and how these challenges were navigated in the course of my research. “Connected by Technology,” Chapter 5 of this thesis, focuses on the rationale behind the chosen approach, which considers digital technology, particularly mobile phones, and their transformative impact in Africa and Ghana. It explores the rapid growth of digital technologies and their influence on various sectors, with a primary focus on education and cultural heritage transmission. Mobile phones, which are owned by the vast majority of Africans, emerge as powerful tools for overcoming barriers to accessibility and learning. The chapter discusses how digital initiatives, particularly mobile learning, can be leveraged to engage communities in the preservation of cultural heritage. Additionally, it delves into the concept of minimal computing, a practical solution for resource-constrained areas, and how it aligns with the digital needs of Africa. By examining successful examples, such as the Yoza Cellphone Stories project in South Africa, this chapter highlights the potential of mobile technology to modernize education and promote cultural preservation and engagement in Africa, despite the infrastructural challenges that persist, particularly in countries like Ghana. Chapter 1 - Who Do You Say I Am? “What is created cannot itself come into being without those who preserve it.” (Heidegger, 1971) This chapter focuses on how my view of culture was developed through my experiences as a Ghanaian youth living away from my ethnic community, with limited ways to engage with my heritage, and how these experiences have informed my research. The well-known saying “it takes a village to raise a child” conveys a very clear message that the membership and participation of an entire community is crucial to the development and well-being of its young people. Apart from the crucial role that parents and other family members perform in a child's life, the larger community—including teachers, religious and community groups, and business leaders―also bears the responsibility of ensuring the transfer of high-quality knowledge. In an age where technology is on the rise amongst Gen Zs (children born from 1997 to 2017), who often grow up deeply connected to technology and turn to these digital spaces for information, I questioned if, and how digital technology has been considered in this inclusive approach. In other words, what role does digital technology play in the “child's village”? This thought took me down memory lane examining what my “village” looked like as a child and who it consisted of. I grew up with little knowledge specific to my ethnic group because I lived away from the group’s main region, an occurrence quite common to many Ghanaian youth. From a young age, I have always been intrigued by my heritage and the differences among ethnic groups in Ghana. But how does one learn and maintain their identity when their “village” and larger community consists of people with different ethnic backgrounds? I strongly believe that one’s cultural identity is influenced by interactions and experiences with other groups from different backgrounds, educational institutions, religion, and communities. I was born to parents who shared the same Ewe ethnic identity. My mother’s parents adopted the Akan culture when they migrated and lived in Techiman, a town rich with Akan traditions and customs. A few years after my birth, my family relocated to Kumasi, the capital of the Akan Ashanti Region, due to a job offer my father got. I was therefore raised under two different ethnic practices of Ewe and Akan, and both cultures, I can strongly say, have shaped my personality, beliefs, and practices. This also comes with living through various forms of discrimination based on ethnic differences. My name, among other things, made me the odd fellow among a group of Akans everywhere I went. I also had to deal with the awkward expressions and expectation of insights from my peers whenever anyone raised a topic on the Ewe ethnic group or practices, hoping I had all the answers to give. It was not long until the expression, not only is “she not one of us,” but “she doesn't know anything about her culture” became very common, emphasizing the difference with my ethnicity and lack of knowledge about my Ewe culture. During a trip to my hometown, Adaklu in the Volta Region, when I was eighteen, my extended family accentuated the lesson on Otherness. After brief interactions with some family members, who realized my inability to confidently speak our local language, I was verbally chastised and told how disgraceful it was I knew nothing about my heritage. I was charged to learn from my younger cousins, who not only lived and schooled in my hometown, but also learned from community groups knowledgeable in Ewe customs and practices that made up my cousins’ “child’s village.” My cousins were viewed by the extended family as proud members of their heritage mainly due to their fluency in the Ewe language. For years, I wondered what culture or heritage really meant, and if fluency in local language was all there was to culture. I wondered how and where I could learn things about my heritage as an Ewe. Could I possibly engage with my ethnic culture while living among people of another ethnic group? In hope of learning more about my culture as well as other Ghanaian cultures, I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Culture and Tourism at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, where I learned different perspectives on culture. My education gave me a lens through which I could understand how Ghanaians view culture, and how an established educational institution presented Ghana’s culture to the youth. The four-year program was aimed at portraying cultural customs and practices from various regions in Ghana. The goal was to focus on the lifestyle of the people based on their geographical area, their history, art, architecture, religion, and various elements that helped shape their way of life. During my first year, I was a little baffled by the structure of the coursework, especially those related to the study of culture. Students were introduced to aspects of culture which were more continentally focused, such as Introduction to African Dance, African Music, Slavery in Africa, and many others. I held hope that the coming years would focus more on Ghanaian culture but was disappointed with the direction of the coursework. The subsequent years had courses that were mainly geared towards promoting and ensuring foreign tourists’ satisfaction―focusing on Ghanaian history in the seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries transatlantic slave trade while largely ignoring Ghana’s earlier unique cultural heritage, documented from the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries2. One of the objectives of this degree was to prepare one for the tourism industry, and it was evident that the focus was on African diaspora heritage tourism and foreign visitors. One question that stayed with me during these years was what about the local citizens? What was being done to encourage, promote or motivate engagement with culture for Ghanaian citizens? My preoccupation with these thoughts became an incentive for pursuing this research in Digital Arts and Humanities. The interdisciplinary nature of this research provides the opportunity to acknowledge ‘Othering’ in culture and how technology is inevitably part of our “village,” or broader community. This research will provide options on how to learn and engage with Ghana’s diverse cultural heritage while living amongst other ethnic cultures and continue the building process of educating the future generations about our unique Ghanaian culture. This chapter delves into the importance of community involvement in raising a child and explores my personal journey of cultural identity in Ghana. Growing up with mixed ethnic 2 Ann Reed’s research on Ghanaian pilgrimage tourism for diasporic Africans attests to the promotion of the tragedy of the transatlantic slave trade history with the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles, but also notes that Ghanaians want the presentation of these sites to include diverse history beyond the tragedy of the slave trade (2004, 13) influences, I reflect on challenges faced due to cultural differences and a lack of knowledge about my heritage. I also consider technology as part of a child’s community and its usefulness in transmitting cultural knowledge. Pursuing higher education in Ghana, specifically a program in Culture and Tourism, I discovered how educational content was focused on foreign tourism rather than local tourism and cultural engagement for Ghanaians. This encouraged my interest in interdisciplinary research in Digital Arts and Humanities to explore ways of using technology to bridge cultural gaps in Ghana. My aim is to create digital educational content, focusing on Ghana's bead-making heritage, that provides Ghanaian youth with accessible knowledge about their cultural identity and heritage. The next chapter, “Connected by Culture,” builds on this foundation by delving into the theoretical frameworks of cultural heritage from global and local perspectives, with particular attention to Ghana. I will examine UNESCO’s contributions to safeguarding cultural heritage, emphasizing the interconnectedness of traditions and customs in defining Ghanaian national identity. Additionally, I will explore the role of education in preserving cultural heritage and the evolving practices of museums and heritage institutions. I will also highlight the importance of engaging the youth through digital technology, fostering cultural continuity, and promoting intergenerational connections. By integrating heritage into educational frameworks, my research seeks to demonstrate how cultural preservation can be reimagined for contemporary Ghanaian contexts, setting the stage for the practical applications which will be discussed in subsequent chapters. Chapter 2 - Connected by Culture “Ati ɖeka me wɔ na ave o” (A single tree cannot make a forest). This chapter provides a concise look at the critical theory utilized to build this thesis. I offer a summary of the field of cultural heritage, from both international and national points of view. I explore theoretical approaches on African and Ghanaian involvement with cultural heritage in the field of education and how useful it is. Education emerges as a key tool in cultural heritage transmission, alongside the evolving role of museums and heritage institutions. Engaging youth in cultural heritage through innovative communication methods ensures the preservation and appreciation of these traditions for future generations, reinforcing intergenerational bonds and cultural continuity. The Significance of Cultural Heritage to UNESCO Heritage is to some extent, a filter that helps one understand the present. Heritage is anything valued by people today that was also valued by previous generations. It gives an opportunity to render the present familiar by providing a sense of identity and guidance (Bharat 2007, 56). The definition of cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states that: Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from ancestors and passed on to descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge, and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts (UNESCO 2003). Cultural heritage in the broadest sense is viewed as both a product and a process, which provides societies with a wealth of resources that are inherited from the past, created in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. Most importantly, it includes both tangible and intangible heritage (UNESCO 2014, 5). Tangible cultural heritage is the physical, visible objects of meaning for a group of people that either occurs naturally or is manufactured by human hands, including buildings, monuments, historic places, and artifacts (Nilson and Thorell 2018, 11). Juan Fernando de Laiglesia believes that tangible heritage has historically been privileged due to its immediate visualization and preservation of architecture, archaeological monuments, and objects (2020, 27). Dawson Munjeri in the 2004 article, “Tangible and Intangible Heritage: From Difference to Convergence” addresses how the visible, concrete, and static take precedence over that which is immaterial. According to Munjeri, the 1994 Report of the World Commission on Culture Development, “Our Cultural Diversity,” points out that “the intangible had for long been an ignored heritage” (2004, 13). He believes that what qualifies as cultural heritage must not only be deemed to be stable, static or single monuments in isolation but also express cultural values and what Munjeri identifies as the four components of ‘authenticity’. According to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage through its Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, based on the Venice Charter, as discussed by Munjeri (2004, 13) and Laiglesia (2020, 50), ‘authenticity’ involves four components: ‘authenticity in materials’, based on physical values or fidelity to the object; ‘authenticity in workmanship’, consistent with the notion that physical products entail creative genius; ‘authenticity in design’, values based on the creator's original intention; and ‘authenticity in setting’, or fidelity to context, expressing values contingent upon locus and spatial considerations. In essence, the issue of cultural heritage involves intangible values that are expressed in tangible cultural heritage. However, intangible heritage was not recognized until 2003 under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which became part of the UNESCO General Conference. Intangible culture heritage is defined as practices, expressions, knowledge, and skills, as well as instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces associated with a community or group (UNESCO, Article 2. 2003). Cultural heritage, as the Convention emphasizes, should speak through the values that people give it and not the other way round. Objects, collections, buildings, and other physical objects become recognized as heritage when they express the values of society, so the tangible can only be understood and interpreted through the intangible. Tangible/Intangible Osmosis Tangible and intangible heritage may seem very different, yet they can be so interconnected that they can be described as two sides of the same coin. All tangible heritage embodies intangible components such as spiritual values, symbols, meanings, knowledge, or the know-how of craftsmanship and construction. Moreover, many examples of intangible heritage are also closely related to tangible heritage. They both share profound interrelationships, carry meaning, and rely on each other when it comes to understanding their meanings and importance (Munjeri 2004, 18). Tangible cultural heritage, be it a monument, a historic city or a landscape, can only attain its true significance when it sheds light on its underlying intangible values. Britta Rudolff (2010) notes that tangible heritage is easy to catalogue, and its protection consists mainly in conservation and restoration measures. However, intangible heritage involving processes, practices, and cultural values requires another safeguarding approach and methodology. It is fragile by nature and considerably more vulnerable, since it depends on people and circumstances in the social and natural spheres that do not change very rapidly. While tangible cultural heritage is designed to survive long after the death of the person(s) who produced or commissioned it, the fate of intangible heritage is closely related to its creators and in most cases, depends on oral transmission. Therefore, in most cases, the legal and administrative measures traditionally taken to protect material items of cultural heritage are not appropriate for safeguarding a heritage whose most significant components relate to particular systems of knowledge, values, and the social and cultural context in which it is created. Taking into account the different needs for conservation of monuments, cities or landscapes, on one hand, and the safeguarding, transmission of cultural practices and traditional knowledge, on the other hand, as Rudolff (2010) argues, it is necessary to develop a holistic heritage preservation approach that captures both sides of the coin. This would mean viewing tangible heritage in its wider context, relating monuments and sites more closely to the communities concerned in order to take into better account for socially mediated significance and social values. For example, the case of the Djenné Mosque, an icon of Mali’s heritage is an expression of tangible and intangible heritage. This mosque is made from clay and requires annual maintenance and re-claying to safeguard the structure against erosion. According to Marchand, this form of maintenance creates concerns over the long-term preservation of the mosque as a unique cultural heritage artifact. But Marchand argues that as long as Djennénkes are skilled with the knowledge to make, remake, modify, and maintain the structure, there is hope of the mosque enduring as a living cultural heritage (2013, 14). In order to safeguard intangible heritage, it needs to be translated from its oral form into some manifestation of materiality, be it archives, inventories, museums, or audiovisual records. Rudolff (2010) points out how in many cases this might be regarded as freezing intangible heritage into documents, but it is necessary to clarify that this is only one aspect or measure of safeguarding and will require great thoughtfulness and care in selecting the most appropriate methods and materials for this task. An example of this is when Dr. Oumar Konare, former director of the Malian National Museum, called for an expansion of collecting and documenting policies to include intangible cultural resources (Konare 1983). These expanded policies focused on documenting intangible heritage in a much larger context that included local histories, collections of technical knowledge, and performance traditions. These intangible cultural resources were gathered by a variety of means including taped interviews, photographs, and video and film recording (Arnoldi 2008, 31). Cultural Heritage in Africa In Africa, cultural heritage is expressed through creative activities, experiences, and events that are preserved and transmitted orally or in written forms passed down across generations. Gabriel Idang argues that the acquisition of culture is as a result of the socialization process (2015, 99). In explaining how culture is passed on as a generational heritage, he quotes Fafunwa’s 1974 statement on the generational acquisition of culture: The child just grows into and within the cultural heritage of his people. They imbibe it. Culture, in traditional society, is not taught; it is caught. The child observes, imbibes and mimics the action of elders and siblings. They watch… and… witness events and activities in the society. The child in a traditional African society cannot escape cultural and physical environments (Fafunwa, cited in Idang 2015, 99). This shows that every child who grows up in a particular society is likely to pick up on that society's culture through social interactions, whether consciously or unconsciously. Jukka Jokilehto and Joseph King indicate that “in Africa there is a need to thoroughly examine systematically the issue of truth and how it has been passed down from earlier times to the present day” (2001, 34). Values are an integral part of African culture and the consideration of culture as that which distinguishes a group of people from other groups by defining a group of people’s identity. Therefore, values that a group of people hold are what differentiates them from other people. It appears that the cultural heritage of a group of people involves making an effort to preserve the values that are regarded as essential to their people's existence. Culture is not static but dynamic in the sense that it is continually changing and should be encouraged, given the fact that culture ought to be knowledgeably innovative and instrumentally beneficial to a people (Idang 2015, 100). Cultural Heritage in Ghana Anthropologist Cati Coe discusses the “idealization of culture in Ghana,” stating that certain things are marked as ‘cultural’ whereas other things are not. Raymond Silverman observes that the subject of culture in Ghana has little concreteness or points of fixture in people’s everyday lives— ‘culture’ is always referring to special activities or practices (2014, 209). Since Ghana gained its Independence in 1957, the Ghanaian government under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah sought to advance a unified nation through the promotion of “traditional” cultural practices (Hess 2001, 63). Subsequent Ghanaian leaders also recognised cultural diversity within a national identity that transcends ethnic and religious borders and they sought to revitalise and promote Ghana's rich cultural heritage (De Witte and Meyer 2012, 46). In an article on “Entertainment Media and Visual Aesthetics in Ghana,” Marleen De Witte and Birgit Meyer argue that this concept of heritage has been cast in the nationalist framework of ‘Sankofaism’. They explain that the “nationalizing project took shape around the Akan symbol of Sankofa, a bird looking back and walking forward, expressed in the Twi proverb ‘Worefi na wosankɔfa a, yenkyi’ – it is not a taboo to go back and fetch what you have forgotten, meaning ‘one can always reclaim things of the past’.” De Witte and Meyer note that due to post-colonial identity politics, ‘Sankofa’ now translates as ‘go back and take it,’ stating that cultural heritage is essential for the advancement of people or nation (2012, 46). They emphasize how the bird’s feet often point forward to show that not a complete return to the past is aimed at, but deliberate selection is made from long-standing traditions, past knowledge, and experience while using new approaches of cultural awareness to build the future (2012, 46). After independence, this brand of nationalism, which focused on certain cultural traditions, gave way to the more expansive notion of culture as the ‘way of life of a people’ (Goldstone 2006). There is a line in the Ghanaian national pledge that reads: “I promise to hold in high esteem our heritage won for us through the blood and toil of our fathers,” and it emphasizes the significance of cultural heritage to the Ghanaian people. This tangible and intangible cultural heritage, which is continually recreated, provides a sense of unity and belonging that enables one to better understand earlier generations now and in the future. Ghana is a country founded on traditions and culture that has strived for its heritage to be kept alive (Gavua and Kuntaa 2021, 180). In the twenty-first century, Ghanaian culture is believed to be eroding due to the lack of interest in cultural heritage amongst the youth. In recent years, Ghana’s statistical reports show that Ghana’s population is dominated by the youth, who make up approximately 38% of the total population (Ghana Statistical Service 2021). Due to the strong influence of other, usually western cultures, Ghanaian youth are perceived as having little knowledge or interest in their own culture (Markwei and Appiah 2016; Silverman 2014). One question often directed to the youth is what will be passed down for posterity to value? Building on De Witte and Meyer’s argument on adopting new approaches for cultural awareness in shaping the future, this research seeks to explore how digital technology can facilitate the transmission and engagement of cultural heritage. Cultural Transmission in Africa The United Nations (UN) projects that Africa is the fastest growing continent in terms of population. However, the existence of official or unofficial data to indicate whether Africa’s interest in cultural heritage is growing at the pace of its population still eludes us. Samuel Amponsah, Chris Omoregie and Boakye Ansah, in an investigation on African “Cultures and the Challenges Facing Education and Sustainable Development,” described the younger generation in pre-colonial African settings as a generation that needed not to worry about their career prospects because the cultural system catered for the professions of younger ones (2018, 52). This value was naturally imbibed in the younger generation as they served as apprentices in the trades of their fathers, mothers or other members of their family. Typically, a farmer’s son will follow in the family business, so will a beadmaker, carpenter or goldsmith’s son. Most of these skills are acquired through oral traditions and observation. The writers place oral traditions as the backbone of African knowledge transfer, and storytelling as the method by which much is shared. Stories are also used to teach history, cultural etiquette, spiritual beliefs, cultural beliefs, values, customs, rituals, practices, relationships, and ways of life (Amponsah, Omoregie and Ansah 2018, 52). Among the Akan people of Ghana, the elders used ‘anansesɛm’―a term that meant stories to instill into members of the society obedience, hard work, manners, fairness, good behaviour, and submission to authority.3 The writers refer to Thompson's (1946) reflection on the excitement that was generated when Akan families gathered by the fireside to entertain themselves by way of the elders artistically expressing their imaginations to engage, excite, and amuse their audience (2018, 52). Amponsah, Omoregie and Ansah were convinced that there was a lot more that African philosophies could do to permeate African educational systems as strongly as the Western philosophies have (2018, 53). They argued that local problems in Africa can best be solved with local solutions, hence making a call to incorporate African culture into the curricula of our schools. They describe strategies taken from South Africa that emphasize the philosophy of oneness or humanity (Ubuntu), which is an important aspect of the indigenous South African system. 3 ‘Anansesɛm’, which means Ananse stories, is an oral storytelling tradition popular among the Akan people of Ghana. It features Ananse or Kweku Ananse (the spider) with his cunning ways, who tries to outwit both humans and animals. Education and Heritage Aslanbek Naziev understands education as “the socially organized and regulated process of continuous transference of socially significant experiences from the previous generations to those after” (2017, 436). According to this definition, education is essentially the process of transmitting and receiving. By the mid 1970s, Ghana’s educational system, which had been one of the most developed and highly effective in West Africa, had deteriorated in quality. This led to the design of the Education Reform Programme of 1987, which introduced three broad phases: the junior, senior high, and tertiary school system, and since its implementation, has had significant impact on the educational system. The educational reform has also been motivated by social, economic, political, cultural tendencies, and practices, feedback from curriculum evaluation, and shifts in educational trends. According to the UNESCO International Bureau of Education of Ghana: primary education is intended to lay the foundation for pupil inquiry and creativity, and to develop their ability to adapt constructively to a changing environment. The junior high school curriculum has been planned to provide students with basic pre-technical, technological, and scientific knowledge, while the senior high education tends to reinforce the knowledge and skills acquired during basic education also providing opportunities for skills development. . . . Furthermore, the education system adopted the integrated subject-based approach of organizing the curriculum. The curricula were designed to strengthen understanding and the acquisition of knowledge through the process of planned repetition within and across subjects (UNESCO 2010/2011). Education—as endorsed by UNESCO—can play a valuable role in safeguarding cultural heritage. UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) recognizes transmission of heritage through formal and non-formal education, such as community activities and heritage institution programs, as a key safeguarding measure. Students can learn about cultural heritage even when it is integrated within different subjects. For instance, in Indonesia students are taught about batik, a type of handcrafted textile, through subjects such as chemistry (focus on the natural dyes used in batik), history (background and culture), and the arts. The World Heritage Education Programme, initiated as a UNESCO special project in 1994, has been promoting the educational potential of heritage, in particular, by strengthening traditional knowledge and integrating heritage into formal and non-formal education through the development of activities, materials, and tools. Ghana’s devotion to education has become a strong tradition that heavily relies on schools to inculcate discipline, morals, and other aspects of Ghanaian culture into students (Del Mar 2012, 31). In 2004, the Ghana Commission on Culture published “The Cultural Policy of Ghana”—an agenda and institutional framework for the management and protection of culture. The policy was to clearly express established ways that culture can be implemented, preserved, and promoted from generations through forms like education, without trivializing its content and benefits to the nation. The Cultural Policy recognizes the importance of cultural education, both for its social benefits, including the impartation of positive national cultural values and practices, as well as its role in developing the talents of skilled individuals with an interest to pursue occupations in cultural fields. To reap these benefits, the cultural policy adopts a strategy that includes formal education of culture in schools. Cultural studies like language, crafts, music, and other forms are strongly embedded in Ghana’s educational curriculum, but these various forms of cultural knowledge in schools are achieved through educational materials of mainly textual print. Although David Del Mar (2012) agrees that education should function as a stabilizer of culture, he also argues that it must be firmly rooted within Ghanaian culture. However, some of the textbooks used in schools over the years often praised the impact of western influence—such as colonization—rather than portraying Ghana’s unique history and traditions. Ghana’s policy on culture also addresses the use of media such as television and radio to encourage cultural engagement in communities. In an age when media choice is greater than ever, when discretionary free time is at a premium, and when radio may not be perceived as “cool” amongst the youth, what guarantees the use of radio to engage them in their past? (McClung, Pompper and Kinnally, 2007). Africa has witnessed several innovative digital initiatives designed to improve access to education while also integrating elements of indigenous knowledge. In Ghana, the growth of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in education provides opportunities for cultural preservation and transmission. Digital initiatives such as digital storytelling platforms and multimedia projects offer ways to incorporate both tangible and intangible traditions into the curriculum, promoting cultural heritage engagement within formal educational settings. This research seeks to employ interactive, visually rich digital media that, unlike the world of print, offer multiple links to different dimensions of cultural heritage that transcend the limitations of textual narratives. Culture in Ghana’s Education Local leaders in Techiman commissioned Raymond Silverman to build a center for culture. Silverman is an anthropologist whose research focuses on cultural heritage initiatives in Ghana and Africa. He conducted a study of the local people's perception of culture by organizing four research teams under four academic disciplines: education, archival studies, anthropological archaeology, and sociological anthropology (Silverman 2014, 210). The education team engaged teachers and students from six different schools, both private and public (from primary to senior high school), in discussions concerning culture in their lives and its relevance in the educational context. The goal was to identify resources that would engender and facilitate cultural learning in schools and to determine what might be done with these resources. The initial approach was to learn how culture was conceptualized and represented in the educational curriculum and the issues teachers had concerning its transmission. Based on the team’s interactions with local teachers, it was deduced that culture was formally taught as a standalone subject, prescribed in the curriculum, which dealt with Ghanaian languages and other aspects of its culture. They also stated that most schools had extracurricular cultural activities (drumming, dancing, drama), which were directed at cultural competitions and projecting the government’s vision of culture as a way for development. Most teachers identified culture as the ‘3Ds’ (drumming, dancing, and drama) or Ghanaian language. They also emphasized students' lack of interest in their own culture, and the greater appeal of western cultures. In the second phase, students were engaged through large group discussions, which were aimed at having them talk and share what they knew about culture. Just like their teachers, they quickly stated the 3Ds and Ghanaian language, and some mature students gave a memorized textbook definition of culture. Students were also encouraged to draw or write anything they wished to share about culture. The most common themes displayed were things they saw during a field trip to the chief's palace or witnessed during a festival. Unlike their teachers, students mentioned their interest in culture that was showcased in media formats—recordings of traditional festivals, songs, and photographs. The study revealed that students did have keen interest in understanding the difference between cultures. During the final stage of this research, the team developed two learning activities: one built around the use of cloth—a single piece of fabric—and considering the different ways it could be worn in different parts of Ghana and how it can be used as a way of providing insights on a person's culture. A single cloth could be worn around the waist or upper torso; wrapped around the body and thrown over the left arm; used to carry a baby on the back of a mother; as a head carrier; and many other uses in Ghana. The lesson revealed to both teachers and students that something as basic as cloth could be used as an expression of cultural knowledge. At the end of the study, the team formulated the hypothesis that it was not that students are not interested in culture, but perhaps the context and method through which culture was being transmitted should be reconsidered. The team concluded that there was a need for curriculum development and suggested the transmission of culture to students through active engagement— basically an experience-based object-centered learning—that uses objects like artifacts, archival materials, and digital representations to provide a more profound learning experience (Silverman 2014, 214). Hence, the goal of this research is to promote the transmission of culture to students through a digital representation, thereby encouraging a continuous learning experience. I seek to explore a form of distance education, which offers students the freedom to access educational resources and content anytime and anywhere. Mobile learning, known for its flexibility, accessibility, and adaptability, can be seen as a form of experience-based object-centered learning that utilizes digital tools to engage students with cultural content in innovative ways. Similar to traditional object-centered learning, which uses physical artifacts to create immersive educational experiences, mobile learning uses digital representations—such as 3D models, storytelling, virtual tours, and interactive media—to offer comparable engagement opportunities. Through mobile devices, students can access and engage with content in a more personalized and immediate way. With mobile phones widely available, especially in African countries like Ghana, this approach provides a dynamic platform for students to explore cultural content actively. Just as traditional methods of learning connect learners directly with resources—such as visiting a museum, bringing artifacts into the classroom, or participating in cultural events—mobile learning provides a more accessible means for learners to engage with their cultural heritage. For instance, learners can explore virtual museum exhibits or access interactive cultural heritage content on digital devices at their own discretion. This seamless integration of technology allows learners to connect with their culture in meaningful and immersive ways. These digital initiatives create a bridge between students and their culture, enriching their learning experience and encouraging reflection and connection beyond the confines of the classroom. I believe that by embracing digital initiatives into both formal and informal education systems, Ghana and other African countries are not only improving educational outcomes but also empowering communities to reclaim their cultural heritage. Culture of Museums in Africa and Ghana Lorna Abungu, an archaeologist and museum consultant, argues that in many African countries, the role of museums has often been unclear because they were originally established by colonialists and were only later taken over by Africans after independence (2002, 29). Kwame Labi, a Ghanaian art historian examining museum culture in Ghana, notes that within the traditions of Ghana there already existed a culture of preserving art and regalia, especially within Asante culture. Many visitors go to museums to learn about cultures as museums are recognized and appreciated as repositories of knowledge (Riegel 1995, 87; Williams 2013). Therefore, this grants these heritage institutions a certain authority to accurately document and depict those cultures. Labi argues that museums are viewed as places of culture or custodians of cultural heritage and should be part of the community they serve (2008, 106). Museums as cultural institutions are beginning to play important roles in African countries. George Abungu, a former director of the Kenyan National Museum, notes that museums are viewed as part of the community and must therefore be responsive to the needs of the community they serve. He believes that African museums have shifted their focus to consider the requirements of Africa, as they now serve as both guardians of national heritage and platforms for cultural development and exchange (Abungu 2002, 9). Museums such as the Ghana National Museum, founded after independence, were aimed at not only reflecting new national identities, but using the past through exhibits and public programmes to instill a sense of identity and pride that was once misappropriated. In a report on “New Developments in African Museums,” Abungu states that “in Africa where the word ‘liberalization’4 is key, many so-called private museums have sprung up with no programming and strategies but merely ventures to make quick money” (2002, 9). In addition, most museums in Africa lack proper funding. Government funding for these institutions is either insufficient or completely absent, as they are assigned low priority (Abungu 2002, 9; Silverman, Abungu and Probst 2021, 6). These heritage institutions are often burdened by financial constraints and tend to depend on foreign governments and organizations for support, which leads to these multiple constituencies having a voice in the interpretation and running of these sites (Silverman, Abungu and Probst 2021, 6). In Ghana, although the government provides considerable logistics for heritage projects, there is still limited financial support. Support for these heritage projects is oftentimes petitioned and provided by international donor agencies, which leads to a competing claim to authority, voice and ownership. A most relevant case is the exhibition, “Crossroads of People, Crossroads of Trade” at the Cape Coast Castle Museum in Ghana, which was designed to fulfill three goals: 1) to address the 4 ‘Liberalization’ is the means of easing government control over economic activities. There is little or no government interference in decision making as greater autonomy is given to business enterprises. In 1980, the Ghanaian government accepted a Structural Adjustment Program formulated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Some of these measures included the reconstruction of market forces through the liberalization of domestic and foreign exchange prices and trade, reduction of government deficit spending that generated inflation, and the reduction of the state's dominant roles in both production and marketing. (Jeong, 1995) history of Ghana’s interactions with European economic and political interests; 2) to celebrate Ghana’s struggle for freedom and independence from colonial domination; and 3) to underscore the continued flourishing of Ghana’s Central Region culture (Kreamer 2004, 438). A team of museum professionals from Ghana and the United States wished to undertake a more collaborative and commemorative approach to these heritage sites, including illustrating the multiple uses of the castle over centuries. The team also wished to emphasize Ghana’s own struggle for freedom from colonial rule and highlight the vibrancy of Ghana’s cultural traditions in the Central Region, rather than the singular theme of the transatlantic slave trade (Kreamer 2004, 449). The exhibition was directed by an American, who made the unilateral decision to hire an African American consultant to develop an expanded section on the African American struggle for freedom, as the assigned exhibition teams—made up of Ghanaians and Americans—had diverse opinions and were not able to agree on the exhibition contents (Kreamer 2004, 454). This decision resulted in the significant reduction of Ghana’s own story of the struggle for freedom, which was reduced to just one panel focusing on Kwame Nkrumah and Ghanaian Independence in 1957. The exhibition also largely failed to showcase the vibrancy and uniqueness of Ghana’s existing culture. The content of the “Crossroads” exhibition adopted a global view. A much broader international story was told about the history of the transatlantic slave trade and the struggle for freedom and equality of peoples of African descent in the Americas (Kreamer 2004, 442). But how can cultural heritage institutions such as museums stay relevant in this modern era? Museums in Ghana use exhibition styles and gallery tours to educate visitors. Kwasi Amoako-Hene, Samuel Nortey and Edwin Bodjawah report on some outreach programmes by the Ghana Museums and Monument Board (GMMB) for various primary schools in the Accra Metropolis, aimed at enabling children discover their own identity, appreciate more cultural experiences, and understand past historical events (2022, 123). The programme coordinators, through storytelling, narrate the history surrounding the slave trade. They take on the roles of the enslaved, colonial masters, and chiefs selling slaves to the foreigners in exchange of gunpowder, salt, whisky, and other trade goods. Amoako-Hene, Nortey and Bodjawah comment that the programme is designed to introduce the children to museum education and heighten their interest in museum visits and sightseeing (2022, 123). This in some way proves that, in spite of the changing needs of African societies and the world at large, museums in Africa are noted for clinging to the traditional mold, which focuses more on physical, or in-person visitors, with little or no online educational outreach. Yet scholars increasingly believe that embracing digitization is a step in the right direction towards promoting cultural heritage in the African continent (Abungu 2002; Labi 2008; Pijnaker and Spronk 2017). Konstantions Arvanitis draws on Andre Malraux’s notion of a ‘museum without walls’—a museum that makes its information and knowledge available for users to access remotely in their own space and time (2013, 170). Digital technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives, and it is only a matter of time before our interactions with both tangible and intangible heritage—encompassing living traditions and historical artifacts within heritage institutions—become increasingly digital as well. Modern African museums are starting to play an influential role as centers of research, education and exhibition. Most museums have boarded this ship, purposefully creating spaces and forums where different voices can be heard. During the COVID-19 pandemic, museums increasingly recognized the need to address advances in digital culture. With the hope of expanding African museums, these new spaces will not only be custodians of tangible heritage but also living, intangible heritage (Abungu 2002). Recent years have seen the fruition of a visionary idea to modernize museum practice in Africa. The Pan African Heritage Museum (PAHM)—founded by Kojo Yankah, a Ghanaian writer, academic, politician, and chairman of the Pan African Historical Theatre Festival and the Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust—is Africa’s first immersive digital museum, established using the most cutting-edge technology (British Broadcasting Corporation News 2022). Beyond this, the notion of museums themselves as repositories of knowledge must be integrated into the educational curricula at all levels and into the country’s socio-economic life. Only when museums have proactively made themselves relevant to local communities and schools, and engaged in contemporary and topical debates, can they assume a greater role and relevance in the nation. Ways to Communicate Culture Literature supports the notion that heritage should not only belong to the present generation but should also be handed down to future generations in order for it to be preserved and cherished by them (UNESCO 2003, 2014; Munjeri 2004; Bharat 2007). Therefore, it is imperative that the youth are involved in activities that seek to broaden knowledge, build commitment, and strengthen their actions in favour of preserving and engaging with cultural heritage. Thus, efforts employed by the youth today not only benefit the present generation, but also future generations, creating a cycle of exchange and preservation. Older people in society often ask questions, such as ‘how can young people move into the future without knowing their history?’ or ‘who is going to bear the torch of intergenerational transmission of culture if young people are disinterested, disconnected, and disengaged from the past?’ Mariz Tadros, in a news article on “Youth and Intergenerational Mediation of Cultural Heritage,” argues the need to move from strategies that focus on intergenerational transmission of heritage to intergenerational mediation of heritage (Tadros, 11 October 2019). Oftentimes the role of youth is envisioned as simply receivers of heritage, rather than active agents engaged in the process of mediating the meaning of heritage for generations past and for those to come. Tadros also argues that engaging young people is key to heritage sustainability; however, it is necessary to think creatively on how to bring them on board. She suggests that raising awareness among youth about their heritage will allow them to interpret heritage through their own eyes and also capitalize on their digital savviness, which could be an important tool for engagement in heritage mediation (Tadros, 11 October 2019). This chapter highlights the importance of cultural heritage to UNESCO, emphasizing its role in connecting the past and present while providing identity and guidance. It discusses both tangible heritage, like monuments, and intangible heritage, such as traditions, and the need to safeguard these forms of heritage. Rudolff (2010) raises a critical point about the risks of "freezing" intangible heritage into static formats like documents, which can inadvertently strip it of its dynamic, living nature. However, this critique underscores the importance of thoughtful, context- sensitive approaches to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. It is essential to recognize that the approach used in safeguarding is just one strategy among many, and its success relies on carefully choosing methods and materials that respect and preserve the evolving character of heritage. By doing so, safeguarding efforts can balance the need for preservation with the understanding that intangible heritage thrives on active practice and transmission within communities. This chapter also highlights the efforts made by Ghana since independence to promote traditional practices and unify the nation through concepts like 'Sankofaism.' Despite these efforts, there is concern about cultural erosion among the youth. Silverman (2014) suggests that the lack of engagement with culture amongst Ghanaian youth is not due to disinterest but rather the context and methods used to transmit cultural knowledge. My research, “Heritage Through Pixels,” provides a solution to this problem by integrating digital tools into cultural heritage education to enhance engagement among the youth. The use of digital storytelling platforms and interactive tools allow students to actively participate in exploring their cultural heritage. This approach transforms cultural transmission into a dynamic and immersive process, aligning with the hypothesis that changing the method of delivery can rekindle interest and ensure meaningful cultural engagement. UNESCO regards education as playing a vital role in preserving cultural heritage, as does Ghana’s educational system, which through reforms has integrated cultural heritage into its educational curriculum. Heritage or cultural institutions, despite various challenges faced in developing countries are evolving to engage communities and embrace digitization. I also emphasize the importance of preserving cultural heritage for future generations by actively involving the youth, raising awareness, and leveraging their digital skills to enhance their participation in heritage preservation. I advocate for a reimagined use of digital platforms to make cultural heritage more accessible and engaging for the youth, leveraging on their digital savviness. Through this research, I also seek to position Ghana’s educational reforms as a foundation to help students learn about their culture using digital technology. In the following chapter, “How Stories Create Communities,” I will delve deeper into the methodological framework of digital storytelling, examining how this approach can serve as a powerful and adaptable tool for transmitting cultural heritage. I examine the deeply rooted traditions of storytelling in Africa—an age-old method of sharing knowledge, values, and history—and move forward by exploring the transformative possibilities offered by digital platforms. In the next chapter, I build on this foundation by highlighting how digital storytelling can bridge the gap between traditional cultural practices and modern educational needs, ensuring that heritage remains meaningful and accessible to younger generations. By integrating these insights, the thesis not only introduces innovative ways to preserve and share cultural knowledge but also contributes to rethinking how education can evolve to support and sustain the dynamic nature of cultural identity in today’s digital age. Chapter 3 - How Stories Create Communities “Ge me tu na xo na aɖaba o.” (The beard cannot tell much to the eyebrow about the past.) Stories originate with an attempt to explain life or make sense of the mysteries of the world. Stories can be told to help teach some aspect of life or the consequences of one’s behavior. The exploration of Digital Storytelling (DST) as an Arts-based approach is a creative process that displays seamless integration of diverse types of media in the process of narrating a story. The methodology for this project through DST is informed from my experience as a Ghanaian youth. This review is an analysis of the digital storytelling-based approach employed for this project. Recent studies on the use of storytelling in education include the active participation of learners in making their own digital story. This paper aims to introduce interesting ways Ghanaian learners can engage with educational content with the use of digital technology in and outside structured learning environments. In this section, I analyze the method employed for this research. I highlight how storytelling has been utilized as a successful means of transmitting cultural heritage in Africa and Ghana. I also examine storytelling in the digital age and how it enhances engagement and understanding, utilizing multimedia components to enrich narratives. I reflect on my connections with digital stories and how it has informed my use for this research. Just as the phrase ‘Once Upon a Time’ opens one’s mind and imagination to infinite possibilities, in Ghana, the phrase ‘Anansesɛm se sɛo’ captures one’s imaginations. I have always been fascinated by stories and the art of storytelling, especially in the Ghanaian culture, from a very young age. My fondest memories with storytelling as a Ghanaian youth are ‘By the Fire Side’. This was a Ghanaian children's educational and entertainment television program that combined storytelling (folktales) with music and dance. The stories shared on this program mostly focused on the exploits of Kweku Ananse, the cunning and crafty spider who often outwits humans and fellow members of the animal kingdom. The format of the program involved children sitting around a campfire with an older person as the storyteller. In many cases a great amount of participation was involved which included call-and-response phrases shouted out by the storyteller and responded to by children or listeners. In some scenarios children acted out the stories as they were being narrated. ‘By the Fire Side’ always ended with the storyteller and children singing and dancing together around a campfire. African Heritage in Storytelling There are many aspects of African heritage that can be found across the African continent and storytelling is viewed as one of these aspects (Ingov, 2023). Storytelling is viewed as possibly the oldest means for communicating ideas, sharing meaning, and developing community (Garcia and Rossiter 2012; Mello 2001, 1). Devi Dee Mucina, an Indigenous Ubuntu from Southern Africa and Assistant Professor in Indigenous Governance, recounts his experience of Ubuntu storytelling as an informal gathering in the article, “Story as a Research Methodology.” He describes it as an activity that often took place in the evening in rural areas after the day's work, among small groups of people around a fireplace (2011, 1). Mucina defines storytelling as an activity where tales are told aloud to an audience and often accompanied with percussion instruments, masks, and costumes. Audience participation is often an important part of African storytelling that helps the teller achieve the success of the session as a whole. First, the storyteller gives the opening call, then the audience responds, expressing their engagement. In Ghanaian storytelling, Akan audiences may play the role of actors or performers to give a good story (Gyimah 2016, 177). In African storytelling traditions, stories are recalled from memory and presented orally. The flexibility of oral narratives enables storytellers to shape their stories for different audiences and performance contexts (Bauman 1975, 302-303). Patricia Gyimah argues that Akan storytellers shape their performance so that the morals in stories are remembered and listeners can apply these morals when necessary (2016, 178). Some African stories always begin with a question or proverb which challenges the audience or stirs up some curiosity in their minds. Storytelling, as Mucina reveals, should prompt us to question our perceptions, urging us to reassess how we interpret things around us (2011, 9). In some African cultures, such as Ubuntu in South Africa, the storyteller leaves each listener to analyze the story, because he or she knows that each person will gain something different from it. Each listener’s interpretation is infused by their own experiences. Mucina also notes that oral storytelling is aimed at preserving culture, but there are instances where stories also contribute to changes in cultural direction (2011, 6). Stories have the potential to enable a culture to revitalize itself. Gyimah, in a study of storytelling as a remembrance activity in Ghanaian Akan society, states that “story-telling among the Akans in Ghana is a means of connecting the present with the past and vice versa; it is a recollection of what existed (yesterday) and exists (today) and must continue to exist (tomorrow)” (2016, 176). Researchers such as John C. McCall (2004) and Grace Ogunyankin (2016) examine the evolution of African storytelling from traditional oral narratives to modern, screen-based and visual mediums. Historically, storytelling in Africa was deeply rooted in oral traditions, with elders passing down myths, history, and values around the communal fireside. This practice fostered strong community bonds and reinforced cultural continuity. However, as Ogunyankin points out, media and technology have reshaped these traditions. The television screen, much like fashion runways and digital platforms, now serves as a new “fireside,” where narratives unfold visually and interactively (2016). The younger generation consumes these stories through television shows, films, and online content, engaging with them in ways that are both personal and globally interconnected. McCall (2004) also underscores that Nollywood films democratize storytelling by incorporating traditional myths and contemporary issues into cinematic narratives accessible to wide audiences. De Witte and Meyer (2012) also argue that heritage in Ghana is no longer confined to static artifacts or rituals but is dynamically expressed through visual and performative mediums, particularly in entertainment. By blending traditional elements with contemporary aesthetics, these media create new spaces for engaging with cultural identity, making heritage both accessible and relevant in modern contexts. In the 21st century, African storytelling has evolved into a multimedia experience, shifting from collective oral traditions to individualized, screen-based interactions. Yet, this evolution retains the core functions of storytelling—educating, entertaining, and connecting. Stories possess significant influence, whether in the form of anecdotes or scripted tales. They shape and impact perceptions, opinions, and narratives, playing a role in promoting culture, advocating for causes, and driving change. While these acknowledge the positive and important role storytelling plays in society, one must also acknowledge the damage and adverse repercussions of stories. Acclaimed Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie sheds more light on this in her 2009 TED speech, “The Danger of a Single Story,” wherein she explores the negative impact that a single story can have and identifies the roots of these dangers. She explains that media and literature available to the public often only tell one story. The risk of adopting a single perspective can prompt people to generalize, make default assumptions, draw incomplete conclusions, and reach decisions that may result in misunderstanding. Essentially, stories matter and hold significance regardless of how trivial or inconsequential someone may perceive them to be. Adichie cautions that each person must purposefully consider how they approach the telling of their stories. Throughout various cultures, stories have been exchanged as a method for educating, entertaining, and informing the audience about the values and belief systems inherent in that culture. Although the way stories are told may morph, storytelling will not cease. Learning Culture Through Storytelling Çaǧli, Zort, Esra Karabacak, Şevket Öznur, and Gӧkmen Dağlı in the article, “Sharing of Cultural Values and Heritage Through Storytelling in The Digital Age,” attest to the rapid erosion of cultural values and heritage among today’s youth and argue that the future of organizations and nations is linked to safeguarding, preserving, and disseminating their cultural values and heritage (2023, 2). The writers also go on to encourage the youth to learn about their cultural values and heritage “because culture is learnable.” Helen Spencer-Oatey and Peter Franklin claim that if culture is learnt from the people we interact with, then it is teachable through “explanations” received from people around us (2012, 12). They highlighted these interactions and received explanations as one of the approaches to teach and transfer cultural heritage (2012, 12). Stories captivate people’s attention more effectively than any other information due to the physical and emotional traces it leaves in the brain (Ng, Radzi and Lee 2022, 851). Jeanne Hughes, Justina Oliveira and Crystal Bickford, in a discussion on “Storytelling’s Power to Facilitate Human Connection,” argue that storytelling is an effective and rational approach for building connections, given humanity’s innate inclination towards the telling of stories (2022, 17). The authors argue that although stories are important, the way stories are told is as important as the stories themselves (2022, 17). In recent years, our society has shifted significantly towards digitization, impacting how we communicate and engage in social activities, and increasingly shape our identities through digital mediums. Zort, Karabacak, Öznur, and Dağlı suggest the use of storytelling through technology for the sharing and preservation of cultural values among today’s youth, who are often viewed as digital natives (2023, 2). Storytelling in the Digital Age With the rise of social media and other digital platforms in today's digital age, storytelling has taken on a whole new form. Garcia and Rossiter note that the intent of storytelling—to communicate meaning, entertain, teach, and learn—has remained constant despite the influence of new technologies (2010, 1092). In the contemporary digital era, scholars have described storytelling on digital platforms with terms such as ‘digital storytelling’, which involves a link between storytelling, digital technologies as instruments, and the digital platforms used for sharing stories (Zort, Karabacak, Öznur, and Dağlı 2023, 4). In the context of this thesis, digital storytelling is defined as the creation and narration of stories utilizing technology tools. The transition from the oral transmission of storytelling to digital storytelling was adopted by Dana Atchley and Joe Lambert, co-founders of the Center for Digital Storytelling (CDS) in Berkeley, California in the 1990’s (De Jager, Fogarty, Tewson, Lenette, and Boydell 2017; Davey and Benjaminsen 2021, 2). As a Ghanaian, I believe the transition from oral to digital storytelling, as pioneered by the CDS in the global North, brings both opportunities and challenges for Ghanaian storytelling. Digital storytelling offers the potential for Ghanaian stories to reach international audiences, increasing their visibility and fostering cross-cultural exchange. It allows storytellers to share their unique narratives while also learning new techniques from global practices. Additionally, digital formats play a vital role in preserving Ghana’s oral traditions by archiving and sharing them in more accessible ways. However, it is equally important for Ghanaian storytellers to retain ownership of their narratives to prevent external reinterpretations that could dilute the cultural authenticity of these stories. Digital storytelling offers a valuable opportunity for both global recognition and cultural preservation, ensuring that Ghana’s narratives are represented authentically and with integrity. Digital storytelling allows the seamless integration of different media into the telling of a narrative. It is purposely crafted through an interactive process, using technology to engage and assist participants in experiencing learning in a unique way (Garcia and Rossiter 2010; Davey and Benjaminsen 2021). It combines the art of telling stories with a mixture of digital media, including text, pictures, recorded audio narration, music, and video. These multimedia elements are blended together, creating a narrative typically centered on a specific theme or topic and often presenting a particular perspective (Ng, Radzi and Lee 2022; Zort, Karabacak, Öznur, and Dağlı 2023). Garcia and Rossiter also add that digital stories are often uploaded to the internet, rendering them easily accessible for viewing through any commonly utilized web browser (2010). Technology has changed the ways and pace at which people tell their stories. Kher Ng, Hanish Radzi and Kean Lee report on the increase and blend of digital media used for storytelling (2022, 408). According to Bryan Alexander, “Mobile devices may become the ultimate digital storytelling device,” due to the convergence of mobile connectivity, portable multimedia, ongoing technological advancements, and widespread adoption (2017, 143). Mobile devices have hastened the process of digital storytelling, enabling users to creatively develop content in any space. In Max Schleser and Marsha Berry’s edited book, Mobile Story Making in an Age of Smartphones, contributing authors investigate the role of smartphones in driving social transformation and provide insights into the understanding of creative activities associated with smartphone media (2018). Alexander therefore believes that the spread of mobile phones has accelerated both the creation and consumption of digital content (2017, 145). This proves to be a major benefit for the African continent where there is a significant dependence on smartphones as the primary and most efficient means of accessing digital technology. The concept of “minimal computing” by Risam and Gil (2022) reflects an understanding that in many parts of the world, including Africa, access to technology is not always about having the latest, high-powered devices or constant connectivity. Instead, minimal computing focuses on creating digital tools and content that can function in resource-constrained environments. Risam and Gil’s ideas, when applied to Africa, suggest that reclaiming heritage does not require massive technological infrastructures but instead can thrive on the platforms already in the hands of many Africans. The ways stories are transmitted are very important. Alexander, in his book The New Digital Storytelling, suggests that in the platform for digital storytelling one must provide the best presentation design to the story being developed in order to help audiences’ understanding (Alexander 2017, 39). Davey and Benjaminsen state that “the strength of digital storytelling lies in its simplicity and accessibility” (2021, 2). A digital story does not need to have a sophisticated multimedia presentation—a basic presentation with accompanying narration can offer a highly impactful digital story. The focus of digital storytelling, as Davey and Benjaminsen point out, is not on the technical aspect, but rather the story and the intention of combining the narrative, audio, and visual elements to stimulate reflection, deeper learning, and perhaps transformation (Davey and Benjaminsen 2021, 2). In crafting a digital story, Jason Ohler also argues that the overall approach is to concentrate on the story (2005, 44). He stresses that the use of technology is to aid in the enhancement of the story, therefore, the focus of any digital story should be the story itself not the technology (Ohler 2005, 45). Digital Storytelling in Education Stories have functioned as a prompt for people to consider perspectives beyond their own, as well as provide ways to share one’s experiences with others (Garcia and Rossiter 2010, 1091). Narratives are an inherently persuasive form of communication that can influence audiences’ knowledge and beliefs of the world (Utley 2008). Bushra Alnoori and Nisreen Khudhair also point out that stories evoke emotions in an individual, which is a key factor that makes storytelling an effective method for teaching and learning (2017). Chai Tyng, Hafeez Amin, Mohamad Saad, and Aamir Malik argue that emotional influences should be meticulously incorporated in designing educational courses to enhance students' engagement and optimize both learning and retention of the material. They acknowledge that although these emotionally induced materials consume greater attention, the attention and motivational aspects of emotions have been associated with increased learning and memory (2017, 2). Emotional experiences tend to be recollected vividly and accurately over long period of time exhibiting remarkable resilience over time (Tyng, Amin, Saad, and Malik 2017, 2). Recent studies show that storytelling is an effective strategy that helps students learn (Calvin Bonds 2016, 8; Hughes, Oliveira and Bickford 2022; Ng, Radzi and Lee 2022; Alexander 2017). Storytelling utilizes an approach that engages students on a level that many teaching methods do not (Alnoori and Khudhair 2017). It is through the sharing of personal stories, as Hughes, Oliveira and Bickford emphasize that many learning benefits can be derived. Students can use stories not just as a way to establish connection with information, but also to recall it later. Stories capture the attention of listeners, giving them something to recall, reflect upon, and revisit long after the story has been presented (2022). As technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace, digital devices are increasingly being used in education to facilitate learning. Although research emphasizes the significance of incorporating technology into education, Sadik notes that the effectiveness of technology in the classroom environment depends on having the expertise to use it in a meaningful way (2008, 488). This thesis considers storytelling through the use of digital technology—digital storytelling—as a meaningful way of ensuring the effectiveness of technology in transmitting cultural heritage in and outside a structured learning environment. Although recent studies focus on the students being the creators and designers of digital stories, this thesis projects students as observers, listeners, and users of a premade digital story on Ghana’s heritage, with the aim of inspiring greater engagement with the content and increasing their knowledge and participation in Ghana’s cultural heritage. Digital storytelling is often employed as a valuable tool for education and capacity building. Through creating and narrating stories, it can promote reflection, critical thinking, and help with digital literacy (De Jager, Fogarty, Tewson, Lenette, and Boydell, 2017). Bernard Robin (2016, 20) proposes that digital storytelling empowers students in a variety of ways, nurturing their intellectual, cultural, and creative growth. Garcia and Rossiter describe digital stories as a widely adopted pedagogical tool by educators across various disciplines when engaging with students of diverse ages, and educational and cultural backgrounds (2010, 1092). Alaa Sadik also states that digital storytelling enables four learning strategies centered on students: enhancing engagement, fostering deep reflection, creating project-based learning, and seamlessly incorporating technology into teaching methods (2008, 490). Digital storytelling enables students to assess the reality that surrounds them and formulate their own understanding of it. This contributes and fosters the development of knowledge-based skills, interaction with the physical world, and cultural skills (Gregori-Signs 2014, 247). Garcia and Rossiter also argue that the importance of digital storytelling is validated by tracing its roots back to traditional storytelling methods. Digital storytelling also recognizes the diverse opportunities offered through the use of digital media, explores the thoughtful qualities of the created content, and acknowledges its capacity to amplify the voices of marginalized communities (2010, 1092). Digital storytelling has brought innovative methods for teaching and learning with emerging technologies, resulting in diverse activities that are beneficial, captivating, and inspiring for students (Smeda, Dakich, and Sharda 2014, 6). Although digital storytelling proves to be an effective way of upholding the custom of traditional storytelling, Adele De Jager, Andrea Fogarty, Anna Tewson, Caroline Lenette, and Katherine Boydell believe it also nurtures fresh perspectives on storytelling within communities, where digital media serves to enhance engagement (2017, 2552). Studies show that storytelling assists various learning styles, including auditory, visual, and kinesthetic preferences. It also engages multiple insights such as spatial, linguistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal capacities (Alnoori and Khudhair 2017, 305). In a TED talk video, Ashley Fell, a social researcher, stresses the need for digital storytelling, stating that “written texts go into our short-term memory, where we can retain about seven bits of information, whereas visuals go straight to our long-term memories where they are indelibly etched.” She points out that 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, which humans process about 60,000 times faster than texts. Due to all these benefits, Alexander proposes that digital storytelling should be carefully integrated within the educational curriculums (Alexander 2017, 231). Components of a Digital Story A variety of theories about how stories are constructed to optimize learning are offered in professional literature. Ashley Fell (2016), asserts that components of an effective story must embrace four roles: 1) Interest - Digital stories have the potential to interest us by offering engaging content, interactive features, and the use of rich multimedia. The ease at which digital stories can be accessed anytime, anywhere, by using various devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, makes them easily accessible to a wide audience (Alexander 2017, 145; Davey and Benjaminsen 2021, 2; Aseey, Aaron, and Otieno 2023). 2) Instruct – Digital storytelling is a useful pedagogical approach across multiple disciplines, involving the promotion of the required twenty-first-century skills, particularly literacy skills, ICT literacy, collaboration, and creativity (Quah and Ng 2022). Digital stories can be powerful instructional tools that engage learners, promote active learning through immersive content, provide rich visual and multimedia content, offer personalized learning experiences, and encourage collaboration among learners (Robin 2016; Zort, Karabacak, Öznur, and Dağlı 2023). 3) Involve - Digital stories often include interactive elements such as clickable links and other features to encourage active participation and engagement. Incorporating rich multimedia elements like videos, images, sound effects, and animations can create a visually and audibly immersive experience, drawing the audience into the story. Compelling narratives can evoke emotions and keep us emotionally invested (Zort, Karabacak, Öznur, and Dağlı 2023). Many digital storytelling platforms enable users to share their favorite stories with friends and followers on social media, fostering discussion and engagement around the stories. Some digital storytelling platforms facilitate collaborative story creation, allowing multiple users to contribute content, collaborate on projects, and provide feedback to one another. 4) Inspire - Digital stories with compelling narratives have the power to ignite our imagination and creativity. When stories resonate with our own experiences, aspirations, or struggles, they can make us feel understood, validated, or motivated to pursue our goals (Quah and Ng 2023, 856). My Connections with Stories Under the influence of stories, humans have been known to perform or follow strange rules. This is evident in an example of the story about the Tooth Fairy for children who lose their tooth or Santa Claus for ensuring children remain on their best behavior to receive a gift on Christmas. In my case, it was stories about the Akan supernaturals known as‘mmotia’,5 which I grew to realize was a way to ensure children did not stay out late for fear of being captured by a dwarf and disappearing. Silke Rose West and Joseph Sarosy, authors and narrators of “How to Tell Stories to Children,” argue that when it comes to a compelling narrative, truth is not our major concern, because these stories hold true, mainly because of what they mean for us. Central to a compelling digital story is the skill to not only engage the audience but guide them as needed in whatever direction necessary. It also includes imparting new knowledge that can be absorbed and valued and that may stay with them throughout their lives. In my experience, a well-known form of digital storytelling designed to connect with viewers on a deeper level were TV commercials. Brands used commercials to create emotional connections with their audience and increase brand recognition. My engagement with digital storytelling for this thesis was sparked by a discussion with my sister on her most memorable television commercials which had stayed in her memory to this point. It came at no surprise that it was a commercial titled “White Lies - Vega Canned Fish6.” The commercial, which was mostly aired on TV and later adapted for radio, opens with a woman in a kitchen cooking with her daughter who appears to be about five years old and is seen coloring on a table. After preparing the meal she carries it to her daughter singing “Yummy fish, 5 ‘mmotia’ - They are inhabitants of the forest recognized by the Akan or Ashanti communities of Ghana. They are thought to be of very small stature and communicate among themselves using a distinctive whistle language. Some Ghanaians are believed to have been taken by mmotia to reside deep within the forest. Akan priests and priestesses are believed to receive spiritual knowledge from mmotia. 6 Vega - a food brand corporation from Singapore supplying pre-packed food products such as edible oil and fats, seasonings, snacks, pasta, and many canned goods in Ghana. yummy, yummy fish,” only for her daughter to exclaim with a frown, “I don’t like fish!” The woman then takes the time to tell her daughter a story about how the fish and tomato come together in a great relationship to make a great sauce. The girl, amazed by all this, then questions her mother saying, “Is that true?” and her mother replies, “Of course it is.” The girl then goes ahead to eagerly accept the food made by her mother. Figure 2. Short presentation of Vega Foods Canned Fish Television Commercial. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28xWxuxxtwk&ab_channel=ArifCemilOzcanlar After sixteen years of being captivated by this commercial, it later felt like my family and I were acting this out repeatedly after the birth of my nieces and nephew. Like most children who refuse to eat vegetables or fruits, stories were crafted around the benefits of vegetables and fruits to convince them. Stories were often crafted by my sister around great traits of our family members that these children admired and how a particular vegetable or fruit enhanced that trait. Most of these stories ended with phrases like “… so you get to grow to be as smart/tall/intelligent as uncle or aunt.” As characters in these crafted tales, my family was often tasked with the response “of course it's true” anytime these children sought to verify the accuracy of these stories. This conversation with my sister not only stirred up great memories but also emphasized the lasting impact of stories to us. Another digital narrative that inspired my interest with this thesis is ‘Fabric’, a PR campaign by Siemens that won the Best in Show at the 2019 African SABREs7. This digital story shows an integration of digital technology with African culture and also gives an insight into what an African city looks like. This PR campaign reveals characteristics of an African urban area which includes the numerous residential, commercial, and governmental buildings, large populations, transport vehicles, and other infrastructures. These characteristics or features of some Africa cities—Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg—are then incorporated into the design of unique African fabrics. Three top fashion designers from these cities were employed to create garments that will communicate the creativity and uniqueness of these African cities. In my opinion, this digital story reveals and inspires conversations about the continent Africa, technology and African culture. It also proves how a story can be told in different ways including watching a documentary on these cities, woven into fabrics and the experience of fashion designers with cities through the creation of cutting-edge garments. Stories have been shared in all cultures as a means of education, entertainment, and also to notify the audience of the values and belief systems of our culture. Therefore, I aim to explore this method as an effective means of transmitting cultural heritage and fostering engagement among Ghanaian youth through a digital educational tool. By doing so, I hope to contribute to preserving and revitalizing cultural practices in a way that resonates with the younger generation. This chapter discusses the traditional roots of storytelling in Africa, highlighting its role in preserving culture and fostering community engagement. The adoption of digital storytelling is examined as a method to transmit cultural heritage in the digital age. Digital storytelling in education enhances engagement and understanding, utilizing multimedia components to enrich narratives. The effectiveness of storytelling, both traditional and digital, in education is emphasized, with digital storytelling seen as a valuable tool for promoting reflection, critical thinking, and cultural preservation. Bryan Alexander (2017) argues that mobile devices, with their connectivity, portability, and multimedia features, are ideal tools for digital storytelling. He 7 SABRE stands for Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation & Engagement. It was created as a vehicle for recognizing public relation professions in 2013. In December 2016, it was introduced in Africa, which encompasses any public relations initiative carried out in Africa or originating from the continent. It acknowledges campaigns that showcase exemplary levels of strategic planning, creativity, and business outcomes. highlights that the widespread use of smartphones has greatly accelerated the creation and consumption of digital content, which is especially significant in Africa, where mobile phones are often the primary means of accessing technology. I highlight how leveraging mobile devices in digital storytelling can bridge geographical and infrastructural gaps, offering the youth a platform to engage with their cultural heritage. Further building on this, Davey and Benjaminsen (2021) highlight that the power of digital storytelling lies in its simplicity and accessibility, emphasizing the story itself over complex multimedia. They argue that well-crafted narratives can evoke reflection and deeper learning. Similarly, Jason Ohler (2005) also states that technology should enhance the story, not overshadow it, with the focus remaining on the message rather than the medium. This approach supports the chapter's central argument that digital storytelling, when grounded in rich cultural narratives, can serve as an effective tool for transmitting, preserving, and enhancing cultural heritage engagement with the youth. By focusing on meaningful and authentic stories, digital storytelling allows cultural traditions and values to be communicated in ways that are accessible to modern audiences. Fell (2016) suggests that an effective digital story should interest, instruct, involve, and inspire. In this chapter, I emphasize how digital storytelling can transform the way cultural stories are shared and experienced. By using platforms that are familiar to youth, such as mobile devices and the internet, digital storytelling can ensure that important cultural practices, like bead-making in Ghana, are not forgotten. Instead, they can be brought to life in dynamic ways that captivate and inspire young audiences. This approach represents an innovative intervention in preserving and transmitting cultural knowledge, ensuring that the next generation maintains a connection to their heritage while embracing the tools of the future. In the next chapter, “Our Stories Matter,” I will delve into the development of a digital storytelling platform, ArcGIS StoryMaps centered on Ghana's bead-making heritage. By focusing on the story first and leveraging the simplicity and accessibility of a mobile-responsive technology, I aim to engage Ghanaian youth with their cultural heritage in meaningful and impactful ways, continuing the dialogue between tradition and technology. This platform will serve as a practical example of how digital storytelling can be applied to education and cultural heritage engagement, further strengthening the connection between the past and the present. Chapter 4 - Our Stories Matter “Gnatola ma no kpon sia, eyenabe adelan to kpo mi sena.” (Until the lion has its own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story) This chapter examines digital applications used in this research. It also highlights my research engagement with Ghana’s glass and bauxite bead-making history.8 This final chapter will follow/explain my research journey and how I initially chose Knight Lab JS as a digital storytelling platform for my digital prototype. I later adopted the ArcGIS StoryMaps tool for crafting an engaging digital platform on Ghana’s bead-making arts for cultural heritage engagement and participation among Ghanaian youth. Community involvement is important in raising a child, but who is considered as part of a twenty-first century child’s community? Cultural heritage is a fundamental part of one’s identity that is important for a child’s development (UNESCO 2011, Maryville University 2021). Objects, collections, and other tangible elements are recognized as heritage when they express the values of a society. As emphasized under UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, cultural heritage should express the values of the people who cherish it and pass it on. This also includes the intangible values from one's family and community. In addition to values, intangible heritage involves the knowledge and processes involved in the creation of tangible heritage (such as bead-making knowledge and skills). Learning about and connecting with one’s cultural heritage helps one understand their origins, providing a sense of belonging while building confidence, as well as respect and appreciation for other cultures (UNESCO 2011). UNESCO highlights the importance of cultural heritage by emphasizing its role in connecting the past with the present and providing identity and guidance for people (UNESCO 2003). The 8 The information on Ghana’s glass bead-making was sourced from publications by art historian Suzanne Gott, who has been involved in this research since 1999, with academic publications and a 2008-2010 Newark Museum exhibition focusing on glass bead-making in Ghana (Gott 2007; 2013; 2014). This research has UBCO’s Behavioral Research Ethics Board approval for dissemination for educational purposes, which contributed to its appropriate use in this project. organization also acknowledges education as playing a vital role in preserving cultural heritage. This thesis emphasizes the importance of preserving cultural heritage for future generations by actively involving and raising awareness among Ghanaian youth. As a generation with greater exposure to technology (Prensky 2001), there is the need to engage with their digital skills to enhance their participation in heritage preservation. This has led to considering the digital world as part of a child’s community and exploring digital technology’s usefulness in transmitting cultural knowledge (Manago and McKenzie 2022, 162). Digital technologies have enhanced efficiency, created new income opportunities, and increased connectivity with various sectors (Songwe 2020). In Africa or other resource-constrained areas, it is important to consider Risam and Gil’s concept of “minimal computing,” which is not about finding the simplest and easiest platform but engaging with the digital technologies available in places where resources are scarce. In Africa, there is a heavy focus and reliance on smartphone access as the optimal and most effective way of accessing digital content. Mobile phones, which are owned by over 80% of the African population, provide a transformative digital technology promoting development in business, governance, agriculture, banking, education, and ICT proficiency across the continent (ITU 2021). Mobile technology is emphasized as crucial for modernizing education and supporting personalized and continued learning. Despite initiatives like Ghana’s ICT4AD policy aimed at enhancing the use of technology in education, challenges such as inconsistent electricity supply and poor internet connectivity continue to limit the effectiveness of digital technology. However, in Ghana, mobile phones are still considered more effective than other devices (Baylon and Antwi-Boasiako 2016). My desire to help Ghanaian youth learn and engage with their heritage led to using storytelling as a method for transmitting cultural heritage. Through personal reflections and scholarly analysis, I examined the adoption of digital storytelling as a method for transmitting cultural heritage in the digital age by educating and engaging the youth with multimedia components and compelling narratives. My aim to create digital educational content focusing on Ghana's bead-making heritage for Ghanaian youth is evident in this final chapter. My Research I began my master’s work in Digital Humanities with many goals in mind. I hoped to introduce innovative ways to bridge the gap between technology and culture and change the misconceptions surrounding Ghanaian youth’s lack of interest in their cultural heritage. I also desired to continue the unique process of cultural heritage transmission from the older to the younger generation and encourage lifelong learning among young people. During my master’s studies, I found myself wishing that I had greater awareness of and access to my heritage after my supervisor introduced me to her research on glass bead-making in Ghana. This revelation led to broader conversations and fostered growth in my research. I wondered how many young Ghanaians knew the history and the painstaking processes behind the locally made beads that the youth wear for fashionable adornment. I first articulated the idea for this project in spring and summer of 2022, where my key focus was on cultural heritage transmission and engagement, technology, and education for a Ghanaian audience. I employed the use of Knight Lab’s Timeline JS as a digital platform with some elements of multimedia such as images, videos, embedded links and storytelling. I aimed at creating an educational resource tool that could capture the attention of a youthful audience, providing knowledge about Ghanaian culture. This educational timeline focused on the history, significance, process, and uses of glass beads from past to present mainly through texts, pictures, and videos. Knight Lab’s Timeline JS Timeline JS is an open source9 tool developed by Northwestern University’s Knight Lab that offers the ability to integrate media from multiple platforms into a chronological story. Timeline JS can be used to show the life events of a group of people or series of events that can be tracked over time. In designing this project, instructions for creating a timeline were found on the Timeline JS website. The timeline was done entirely with a Google sheet template involving four basic steps to follow—create a spreadsheet, publish to the web, generate the timeline and share the timeline. A video guide was also available, along with technical documentations on the 9 Open source is a computer program in which the source code is available to the general public for use or modification from its original design. preferred media and other elements needed. With the structured template provided, my task was to fill in the spaces of the labelled columns with the necessary information. I created a timeline of Ghana’s glass bead history, significance, usage, types, production processes, and contemporary use of glass beads with Knight Lab Timeline JS. One great feature of the Timeline JS is the Google Spreadsheet that can be continually updated with new events or have current events edited, so that the timeline embedded on your website will be automatically updated. This is a very useful feature in dealing with cultural heritage content due to its dynamic nature. Ghana’s Glass Bead Timeline10 shows a walk-through timeline of Ghana’s glass bead production, with the aim of introducing a new and exciting way to study culture in Ghanaian schools. The main feedback I received during the designing stage of the timeline project were questions as to who my target audience was: How large is your audience? Are you a member of the same group as your audience, or are you an outsider? What is their age range and other demographic characteristics? According to Mechele Leon, analyzing your audience helps you to discover ways to deliver information to them (2020, 29). It is essential to consider the needs of the audience when creating and delivering content. As the recipients of the information or content, the audience must find value in the content for the process of transmission to be successful. These thoughts led to further discussions with course instructors and peers to better narrow my research scope, as my focus on the entire Ghanaian audience was too large for this research project. With my desire to engage with Ghana’s cultural heritage by designing digital educational content, I was challenged to explore the characteristics of the digital content for the youthful demographic intended to benefit from this educational resource. 10 Ghana’s Glass Bead Timeline is a hypertext that links to a timeline on the recycled glass bead production process. Information on this timeline can be found on this link: https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1k5sUMq1tYBWm3Xc7EXdjyhdUlmpSd-PpH9JZCZg2pNo&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650 Digital technology as a key focus of my research was explored through the Knight Lab JS timeline project, which considered the use of various multimedia. Drawing inspiration as a youth with the desire to help others who live away from their ethnic community learn about their culture, I decided to focus my research on the youth. Ghanaian youth, a demographic labeled as having little to no interest in their culture, are also viewed as the age group with greater interest in technology and its use in learning, including cultural heritage (Silverman 2014). With the high usage of mobile phones among the youth, the timeline on Ghana’s glass beads seemed effective as it was accessible on a phone device with internet service. In putting together an interactive site, James Carter argues that the target audience is easily overlooked but “has vital implications for what you offer and how you offer it” (1997, 25). In the summer of 2023, I met with my research committee to discuss strategies and plans for my research. I presented the Knight Lab JS timeline on Ghana’s glass bead-making and received constructive feedback. “With your focus on a demographic who are often categorized as tech savvy, how can you support cultural heritage transmission, learning, and engagement with this digital tool?” was one of many questions I received. This led to further discussion about Ghanaian youth as the target audience for this research and how to create a more interactive and engaging platform. In concluding the meeting, I was encouraged to explore the ESRI11 ArcGIS12 StoryMaps for transmitting information in an engaging way that would support more interactivity among a youthful audience. Interactive learning platforms introduce an element of playfulness, challenge, and participation (Martin 2021). They include pop-up, clickable elements, and other features that keep learners actively engaged throughout the learning process. These features not only sustain the interest of learners but also enhance comprehension and retention of the content as learners “uncover” items or information with a click, slide, or tap. Interactive learning stimulates curiosity and interest among learners by providing a more relatable and intriguing learning environment (Penon 2023). 11 ESRI: Environmental System Research Institute 12 ArcGIS: Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System This research aims to introduce educational cultural heritage information on a relatable platform—specifically smartphones—to stimulate the curiosity and interest of the youth while providing an enjoyable learning experience (Martin 2021). ArcGIS StoryMaps13 Esri’s ArcGIS StoryMaps is a web based digital storytelling platform centered on situating digital datasets in a narrative format. This digital storytelling platform allows content to be created by integrating maps, text, photographs, audio, and video into a story with a variety of templates and themes for customization. This research project explores the potential of StoryMaps for cultural heritage transmission and engagement. It also suggests that the platform can be a powerful tool in research related to cultural heritage based on four characteristics: its ease of use, accessibility, responsive design, and interactivity. I focus on these characteristics of the ArcGIS StoryMap as I mainly consider its use in terms of “minimal computing,” focusing on a Ghanaian youthful audience. Ease of Use One of the foremost strengths of ArcGIS StoryMaps is its user-friendly interface, which allows individuals with varying levels of technical expertise to create compelling narratives. The platform provides intuitive tools for incorporating multimedia elements such as text, images, videos, and maps. The interface is simple and intuitive, allowing users to edit content directly in a way that matches the final output. No coding or web page construction knowledge is needed. This simplicity is particularly advantageous for cultural heritage projects, as it enables historians, educators, and community members to collaboratively document and share their cultural stories without requiring advanced technical skills. Thus, ArcGIS StoryMaps transforms the process of digital storytelling, empowering a wider range of voices to contribute to the preservation of Ghana’s cultural heritage. 13 Most of the information sourced on the four characteristics—ease of use, accessibility, responsive design, and interactivity– of ArcGIS StoryMap focused on in this paper is sourced from Frequently Asked Questions under ArcGIS StoryMap website. Strachan and Mitchell, in an investigation that addresses the perception of Esri StoryMaps as an effective teaching tool, describe how perceived usefulness and ease of use are key variables that influence an individual's intention to use a technology (2014, 211). Users might tolerate a challenging interface if it provides highly valuable functionality. However, no level of user-friendliness can make up for a system that lacks usefulness, which emphasizes the need for technology to not only be user-friendly but also capable of helping users achieve their goals. For this project, the user-friendly interface helps the target audience quickly adapt to this platform. At its simplest, a StoryMap can be just narrative text with embedded pictures or static maps, but it can also include interactive elements for more complex storytelling. (Howland, Liss, Levy, and Najjar 2020, 354) Accessibility ArcGIS StoryMaps enhances accessibility in multiple dimensions. Firstly, it supports a variety of devices and operating systems, ensuring that users can access stories on smartphones, tablets, and computers. This cross-platform compatibility is crucial in a country like Ghana, where mobile devices are often the primary means of accessing the internet. Secondly, the platform's cloud-based nature allows for the seamless sharing and distribution of cultural content, making it easier to reach audiences across different geographical locations. This accessibility fosters a more inclusive approach to cultural heritage transmission, allowing both local and diaspora communities to connect with and celebrate their shared heritage. In addressing accessibility with ESRI ArcGIS, Strachan and Mitchell explain that while “desktop GIS requires substantial support from IT staff to update operating systems, install the latest version of the costly GIS software, and maintain a seamless network system, web-based GIS only requires a functioning digital computer with internet access and adequate bandwidth” (2014, 197). Hence, the ability to access content on multiple devices is a useful feature for ArcGIS StoryMaps. Using ArcGIS StoryMaps to develop an educational tool on Ghana's bead-making culture requires thoughtful planning for data storage to guarantee accessibility, durability, and security. The platform operates within Esri's ArcGIS Online system, a cloud-based solution that serves as a centralized hub for storing geospatial information, multimedia content like videos and images, audio recordings, and written narratives integral to the StoryMap. This cloud infrastructure enables seamless collaboration and global access, promoting the sharing of cultural insights related to bead-making traditions. However, the reliance on cloud storage introduces challenges, particularly concerning data ownership, sustainability, and ethical management. For sensitive cultural heritage materials, strict permissions are essential to uphold community rights and prevent unauthorized use. Ethical handling ensures that cultural custodians maintain agency over their heritage. Researchers must also strategize for data backups and potential migration to alternative platforms to address risks such as service disruptions or dependency on proprietary systems. In the case of this research, the University of British Columbia (UBC), has a site license agreement with Esri, which empowers the institution to manage ArcGIS access for its academic community. This includes controlling data permissions and organizing projects within its institutional account. While the cloud-based setup offers convenience and integration across devices, it raises critical considerations, particularly in resource-limited settings like Ghana. Costs of licensed storage, data privacy, and practical access for local stakeholders must be balanced against the innovative possibilities the tool provides. Cultural heritage data, often deeply significant to specific communities, must be stored with respect and community consent. Backup solutions are vital to safeguard these materials against unforeseen issues, ensuring the longevity and protection of invaluable cultural knowledge. Thus, a dual focus on respecting cultural sensitivities and implementing robust data management practices will be key to preserving heritage responsibly for future generations. Responsive Design The responsive design of ArcGIS StoryMaps ensures that cultural narratives are presented optimally on any screen size, enhancing the user experience. This adaptability is vital for engaging younger generations who predominantly use mobile devices for information consumption. By providing a visually appealing and functionally robust interface, ArcGIS StoryMaps captivates the user’s attention and encourages deeper exploration of Ghana’s cultural heritage. The seamless integration of multimedia elements within a responsive design framework ensures that the storytelling experience remains engaging and informative, regardless of the device used. Interactivity Interactivity is a core feature that sets ArcGIS StoryMaps apart from traditional storytelling methods. The platform allows creators to embed interactive maps, enabling users to explore cultural sites, historical events, and geographical contexts in an immersive manner through maps, photos, videos, and 3D models. These elements make the stories more engaging and immersive, going beyond just text. This interactive element not only enhances user engagement, but also provides a richer understanding of Ghana’s cultural heritage. For instance, users can virtually tour significant geographic locations and access detailed information about bead-making practices all within a single interactive story. This dynamic approach transforms passive consumption or mindless scrolling on the internet into active exploration, fostering a deeper connection between users and the cultural content. Creating a digital project with ArcGIS StoryMap, in my opinion, supports Paul Jenkins’ argument on how a greater degree of historical images can help us better understand what everyday life was like in the past in comparison with texts (2002, 45). Investigating two photographs concerning women and the Basel Mission in West Africa, Jenkins—Basel Mission Archivist Emeritus addresses how studying history can operate like a spiral movement, where looking at historical photographs makes us ask new questions about historical texts. These historical texts then lead us back to the photographs, where we find meaning and even more questions. Instead of just thinking about text in general, it is better to analyze specific historical events using all kinds of sources like photographs and texts together (Jenkins 2002, 59). Images or media show real moments that help us understand history better. Hence, with the help of various forms of digital media, I aim to help Ghanaian youth to learn and engage with their cultural heritage, past and present. Making of the StoryMap (“Heritage Through Pixels”) “Heritage Through Pixels” is intended as a prototype to perform interactive digital storytelling about bead-making in Ghana through an interactive hypermedia framework. In order to generate the StoryMap, I developed a planning process to ensure that it meets the goal of cultural heritage transmission and engagement. Alexis Alemy, Sophia Hudzek, and Christopher Matthews (2017) provide a comprehensive guide to the technical steps involved in creating a StoryMap. However, the planning process used in this project aims to serve as a guide for developing an interactive storytelling project. Figure 3. Framework showing the planning process used to generate the StoryMap. The first stage of planning involved generating the topic. Starting with this step offered insights into cultural heritage content and helped identify and explore available resources more effectively. The second stage in the planning process was in tandem with the first stage, as existing resources were explored to determine the direction of the StoryMap in relation to the target audience. Ghana’s youthful population was identified as the target audience for this research based on their higher usage of technology, especially smart phones. The content of this StoryMap was geared toward individuals 14 years and older. As an intended educational tool for the Ghanaian Educational System (GES), this StoryMap is geared towards junior and senior high school students. This is also better suited for individuals who can read texts and link textual information to media, as well as engage with the interactive functionality of the digital application. Next in the planning process was producing the text that would be laid out in the StoryMap. Writing a compelling story based on cultural heritage is challenging, referring to Chimamanda Adichie’s argument in the “Danger of a Single Story” that a one-sided narrative can influence and limit people's perception and identity. In an archaeological investigation on StoryMap, Matthew Howland, Brady Liss, Thomas Levy, and Mohammad Najjar argue that it is beneficial to collaborate with expert storytellers to write a compelling narrative for a StoryMap project (2020, 335). I argue that in the case of cultural heritage, an expert storyteller who understands and respects the protocols of the community and culture is more beneficial in crafting a compelling story. Dr. Suzanne Gott, an art historian and researcher who is passionate about maintaining accurate historical and contemporary information about Ghana’s bead culture, was very valuable in providing assistance in crafting the content on Ghana’s bead culture. Following the story text, it was necessary to analyze the media to complement the text. As Paul Jenkins states, “Photographs without documentation are, admittedly, close to useless” (2002, 59). This statement supports the use of media to help expand on written text in this StoryMap. In this stage, media was first considered based on how it complemented or supported the textual information. It was also important to consider the media source, especially for media that were not available in Dr. Gott’s resources. It was necessary to analyze the original context of the media intended to be used to ensure a relationship to the topic or information being presented. Jenkins urges that when we look at photographs to learn about history, we need to ask if these images show a true and typical picture. Instead of ignoring images that do not match what we think we know, we should use them to rethink and perhaps expand our understanding of the past (Jenkins 2002, 57-58). Copyright policies were also checked with images that were sourced from the internet. Another consideration in terms of media was the technical quality of the image. High resolution media was sorted and resized in some cases due to the large size of the media files. This resulted in some media having low resolution. In uploading media on the StoryMap, media sizes had to be considered. Images in .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .jfif, .png, and .svg formats could be uploaded with each file being up to 10MB.14 For videos, files no larger than 50MB in .mp4, .mov, .mkv, .avi, .webm, formats could be uploaded. After writing the text, and considering and developing media, both text and media elements were installed into the StoryMap platform. In order to engage the audience with crafted content, it was essential to ensure that the StoryMap featured some level of engagement and interactivity. Exploring different layouts and templates, including map tours, timelines, and a brief description about locations, was a way to provide more comprehensive and engaging information for the audience. The StoryMap was reviewed several times at this stage to ensure that the content was accurate and relatable. After this process, the StoryMap’s display was previewed on other screens to check its functionality on other devices, especially by signing in with a mobile phone device to view the content. How content is displayed on a mobile phone screen was an important step to consider as the use of mobile phones is a major goal for this project. After several revisions, the final stage was to publish the StoryMap. 14 MB - Megabytes The “Heritage Through Pixels” platform is aimed at telling the story of Ghana’s bead-making cultures. The first part introduces the user to a map tour of Ghana with an emphasis on major geographic locations of bead production and marketing in southern Ghana. The concept of beads in terms of their usage and significance in Ghanaian cultures is also highlighted. The second part of the StoryMap provides information on glass beads by introducing users to the history of glass bead production in Ghana, which began primarily by the recycling of imported beads and glass scrap obtained through centuries of maritime trade. It also highlights the creativity of Ghanaian bead artisans in producing three types of recycled glass beads: designed powder-glass beads, translucent beads, and painted beads. The ability to include media as a form of visual evidence, along with the textual information, provides a more immersive experience of the story. The map in this section allows users to learn about trading routes of glass importation to Ghana as early as the sixteenth century and the trading locations for contemporary glass beads in Ghana. The goal of this section is to introduce users to Ghana’s glass bead-making culture—the history, three major types of glass beads, production stages, marketing locations, and contemporary usage of glass beads in Ghana. This is to help users freely explore and understand glass bead-making on their own terms. The StoryMap also features a third section on Ghana’s bauxite bead-making culture. This section focuses on a major bauxite bead-making town, Abompe, and its community members’ involvement with bauxite bead production. The StoryMap is presented with videos and images, which allows the viewer to observe while learning about the techniques involved in bauxite bead production. This section also shows a shift from manual to mechanical methods of bauxite bead production, which highlights bauxite bead-making as a living cultural heritage by demonstrating the ability of a traditional craft to adapt and thrive in the modern world. The map in this section showcases bauxite geographic and marketing locations. The goal of this section is to provide insight on Ghanaian bauxite bead-making—the bauxite mining process, bauxite bead-making stages, distribution locations, and the twenty-first-century transformation of this traditional craft while maintaining its cultural essence. The final section of the StoryMap provides relevant resources for users, including articles, publications, journals, and videos for further research into Ghana’s two bead-making traditions. This is to help engage the youth in Ghana’s bead-making cultures and provide useful resources so that users may explore further, based on their interest. One key point of emphasis in creating the StoryMap was to provide a true hypermedia environment that allows for multiple levels of engagement. To that end, the StoryMap includes three interactive maps, which feature descriptions of bead-making and bead-marketing locations, with selected images attributed to these locations. Also present in the StoryMap are ten video clips demonstrating bead production processes, three hypertexts that lead to other relevant content, and dozens of photographic images. As such, the StoryMap is heavily oriented toward providing engaging multimedia content that users can explore at their own discretion. This project ideally serves as an example of how StoryMaps can integrate many forms of digital data into an interactive application and aid cultural heritage transmission across time and space. Limitations with ArcGIS StoryMap There are certain limitations that can impact the storytelling process in several ways: Templates Without Built-in Image Captions Option Captions provide immediate context and explanation for images, helping readers understand their significance at a glance. Without captions, the connection between the text and images may be weakened, reducing the overall impact and clarity of the story. Certain templates on ArcGIS StoryMap may not provide built-in options for adding captions directly beneath images. Without the ability to add captions directly to images, storytellers are forced to include image descriptions within the main body of the text. This can disrupt the flow of the narrative, making it harder for readers to follow the story seamlessly. Challenges with Video Size Limit Videos are often used to convey complex information in a more digestible format. A 50MB size limit can restrict the use of detailed interviews and comprehensive visual explanations, making it harder to convey complex cultural narratives effectively. Longer videos may need to be shortened or edited to meet the size requirement. This can result in the omission of important content, reducing the depth and richness of the narrative. Issues with Compression and Accessibility Compressing videos to fit the size limit might also compromise accessibility features such as subtitles or audio descriptions. Ensuring these elements remain clear and usable in a smaller file size can be challenging. While smaller video sizes can reduce loading times, the need to upload multiple segments to convey the same amount of information can negate this benefit. Users might still experience delays, especially if their internet connection is slow. Mobile phone users, in particular, might be affected by the need to view multiple smaller video files, as this can consume more data and battery life compared to streaming a single, larger video. Financial Barriers Using ArcGIS StoryMaps often involves licensing costs, which can be a barrier for individuals or organizations with limited budgets. This financial aspect might limit access to StoryMaps for some cultural storytellers. This chapter positions my research as an innovative intervention in the field of cultural heritage transmission, particularly within the Ghanaian context. By engaging with ESRI ArcGIS StoryMaps, I aim to bridge the gap between technology and cultural heritage education, addressing the misconception that Ghanaian youth are disconnected from their heritage. The integration of multimedia elements—including interactive maps, text, videos, and images—provides an engaging platform that resonates with the tech-savvy nature of Ghanaian youth, countering their perceived disinterest in their culture. Drawing on Chimamanda Adichie’s assertion in “The Danger of a Single Story,” this chapter highlights the importance of constructing a multidimensional narrative that challenge the distorted perception about the youth and their cultural heritage. Collaborating with cultural experts like Dr. Suzanne Gott, whose research work emphasizes the authenticity and contextual accuracy of Ghanaian bead traditions, the project ensures that the stories presented are compelling and respectful of cultural protocols. This chapter also advances the discourse on digital storytelling, building on Howland, Liss, Levy, and Najjar’s (2020) argument that effective narratives require collaboration with expert storytellers to enhance engagement and relatability. Additionally, it aligns with Jenkins' (2002) insights on the necessity of contextualizing visual media to deepen historical understanding. My use of ArcGIS StoryMaps expands on these theories by demonstrating the potential of digital platforms to sustain cultural continuity in resource-constrained contexts. Through the lens of “minimal computing,” the digital prototype underscores how ease of use, responsive design, interactivity and mobile compatibility address accessibility challenges, offering an inclusive model for cultural heritage engagement. However, I also critically reflect on the limitations of this digital platform, including challenges with video compression, the absence of built-in image captions, and financial barriers that could impede broader adoption. Through these constraints, I acknowledge that no single tool or approach is perfect, and there is a need for continuous improvement and innovation. This also suggests that further exploration is necessary to identify or develop alternative methods that can overcome these limitations while still achieving the goal of cultural heritage and preservation. By situating my research within the broader discourse on digital storytelling and cultural heritage transmission, this chapter illustrates how my thesis contributes to knowledge by finding new ways to share and engage with cultural heritage in Ghana. In the following chapter, “Connected by Technology,” I will explore the rationale behind the chosen approach—specifically, the use of digital storytelling and ArcGIS StoryMaps. This exploration underscores the prevalence and accessibility of mobile phones in Africa, highlighting how their widespread use makes them an ideal platform for engaging youth and facilitating cultural heritage transmission. By using mobile technology, the thesis emphasizes the practicality and relevance of digital tools in addressing accessibility challenges and advancing cultural preservation through education. Chapter 5 – Connected by Technology “Asi deka melea todzo o.” (One hand does not catch a buffalo) In the context of Africa, digital technology is both a tool for progress and a medium through which indigenous heritage can be reclaimed. From Ghana's ICT initiatives to South Africa's Yoza Project, mobile phones have become essential tools for education and cultural preservation. The concept of minimal computing further underscores the idea that technology, even in its simplest forms, can have a profound impact on heritage transmission. By leveraging digital platforms, mobile learning, and storytelling apps, African communities can bridge the gap between past and present, ensuring that their cultural heritage is not only preserved but also reinvigorated for future generations. However, for these efforts to fully succeed, the challenges of access, digital literacy, and localized content must be addressed, ensuring that technology remains a force for cultural empowerment rather than erasure. This chapter provides a summary of the field of digital technology in Africa. I explore theoretical approaches on the rapid growth of digital technology, specifically the mobile phone device, which has inspired various digital initiatives in Africa. The concept of minimal computing is addressed as doing what is necessary with the resources available to ensure wider access and participation in digital initiatives. This chapter also explores the transformative potential of mobile phones, its integration in Africa as well as Ghanaian education and to fully realize how mobile learning can aid in cultural heritage transmission. Digital Technology in Africa The transformative power of technologies has received attention all over the world (Bisschoff 2017, 261). Digital tools are driving socio-economic transformation; increasing efficiency of production and distribution of goods and services; opening up new opportunities for income generation; and enhancing connectivity of people, societies, government, and organizations (Songwe 2020). In the past few years, digital technology has been incorporated in many aspects of our daily lives—how we relate to each other and experience the world—which has also begun to have a profound impact on the cultural sector. Cultural institutions and individual cultural professionals in many parts of the world are actively leveraging digital technologies to compensate for time lost during periods of inactivity, such as those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Museums, galleries, theaters, and other cultural venues are increasingly utilizing online platforms to reach broader audiences, offering virtual tours, digital exhibitions, live-streamed performances, and interactive workshops. From deciphering ancient manuscripts with image processing and machine learning, to the modern 3D modelling of priceless artifacts, digital technology is bringing us closer to the past and opening new opportunities for people globally. This digital shift not only helps preserve and promote cultural heritage but also enhances accessibility, allowing people from different geographical locations to engage with cultural content. In 2015, members of the United Nations agreed to adopt heritage as one of the targets for the Sustainable Development Goal, SDG 11—targeted at strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage (UN 2018). UNESCO, thereafter, has recognized how historical information and creative expression are increasingly produced, distributed, accessed, and maintained in digital form, creating a new legacy of digital heritage. It also addresses how access to this form of heritage can offer broadened opportunities for creation, communication, and sharing of knowledge among groups of people (UNESCO 2009). Some might agree that the global shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the rate of digital technology adaptation with cultural heritage. Indeed, during the pandemic, there was a spontaneous increase in the use of digital technologies to engage with heritage from our homes. At a meeting of some 130 Ministers of Culture convened by UNESCO in April 2020—itself in an online format—the question of maintaining access to culture via digital platforms was one of the highest priorities. However, it was acknowledged that not everyone is currently included in this digital revolution. The Broadband Commission, of which UNESCO is an active member, estimates that 53.6% of the world now has access to digital technologies, meaning that almost half of humanity is still being left behind. There are also glaring inequalities between and within countries: digital penetration drops to 19% in the Least Economically Developed Countries15, whilst there are 12% fewer women who use the internet globally than men. The extent of the inequalities in access to digital technologies has profound implications on culture. While online cultural consumption has increased massively in most countries, the digital divide is clearly reflected in cultural production and consumption patterns (UNESCO 20 April, 2023). This imbalance means that Western culture, which is more widely available online, is seen and shared more frequently than other cultures. The dominance of Western culture, driven by technological factors, results in its widespread consumption and the perception of it as the “normal” or standard form of culture. This often overshadows or excludes the rich diversity of other cultures. However, if other cultures also leverage technology for production and sharing, it could lead to greater global recognition and appreciation of their unique contributions. Despite the vast explosion of digital technologies, Africa’s exposure to these technologies has developed differently from other parts of the world (Bristow 2017, 282). Tula Giannini and Jonathan Bowen attest to this, stating that only 5% of museums in Africa and the Small Island Developing States have an online presence (2022, 5). In the face of digital technologies becoming an important part of our everyday lives, Jo Helle-Valle argues that there is a need to observe it through the African lens—to find out how Africans use digital media and the effects its use has in their lives (2016, 41). 15 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are home to approximately 40% of the world's impoverished population, with many of these nations either experiencing conflict or recovering from it. Although LDCs represent 13% of the global population, they contribute only about 1.3% to the world's GDP and participate in less than 1% of global trade and foreign direct investment (FDI). Despite gradual improvements, internet access remains limited, with only around 20% of the population in LDCs having connectivity. United Nations recognizes 46 countries as LDCs, which includes Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, and Zambia. Minimal Computing in Africa Risam and Gil (2022) prefer to use the term “minimal computing” in this regard. That is an approach which promotes using only technologies that are necessary and sufficient for developing ideas in constrained environments. Constrained environments refer to places where resources such as technology, infrastructure, and access to digital tools are limited. These constraints in the African continent can include unreliable electricity, limited internet access, outdated hardware, or insufficient technical skills. To illustrate the concept of minimal computing, imagine an international competition where participants from around the world are tasked with creating projects to preserve their local cultural traditions. A participant from continent A (a well-developed country), has access to advanced tools, such as a high-end camera and editing software, allowing them to create professional-looking videos. Another participant from continent B (a developing country) has an older smartphone with limited storage and basic editing capabilities, while a third participant from continent C (a less-developed country) has no personal access to technology but can collect stories by speaking with their grandparents and writing them down. If the project is designed in a way that requires the use of the high-end camera and advanced software, only the participant with those resources can fully partake in this competition. This approach creates an imbalance, excluding others who do not have similar technological access. However, if the competition is structured to allow flexibility in how participants can contribute—whether by using the high-end equipment, an older smartphone, or recording oral stories by hand—then all members can engage with the project meaningfully. Each participant’s contribution becomes valuable in preserving cultural heritage, whether through video, audio, or written text. Minimal computing, as emphasized by Risam and Gil (2022) is not seeking the easiest software or platform but identifying what is more important in places where resources are scarce. The above scenario emphasizes the importance of accessibility, equity, and sustainability by illustrating how minimal computing can bridge technological divides, particularly in the field of digital humanities. Minimal computing, as seen through this example, ensures that participants from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of access to technology can equally contribute to cultural heritage projects. By not relying on high-end resources, it opens up opportunities for individuals from marginalized or under-resourced communities to engage using what is available to them—whether that is basic smartphones, oral storytelling, or handwritten documentation. This approach ensures that no one is excluded due to limited access to advanced tools, fostering equity in participation and representation. Furthermore, it highlights sustainability by encouraging the use of low-resource alternatives that require less energy consumption, which is especially beneficial in regions with unreliable electricity or limited technological infrastructure. Minimal computing addresses technological inequities in digital humanities by prioritizing flexible, low-cost, and accessible methods, ensuring that more people, particularly those from marginalized communities, can engage in meaningful cultural preservation and academic work without needing advanced technology. Lizelle Bisschoff argues that with regards to digital technology in Africa, aspects of accessibility must be considered (2017, 262). The depth and scope of digital arts in Africa clearly lies in the access to and efficiency of available technological infrastructure which includes mobile network expansion, electricity supply and digital devices on the continent, in particular the internet. Risam and Gil (2022) argue that, rather than focusing on what is lacking in resource-constrained environments, it is important to ask these guiding questions: 1) “What do we need?”; 2) “What do we have?”; 3) “What must we prioritize?”; and 4) “What are we willing to give up?”. This shift in perspective encourages us to recognize and utilize the resources at hand, allowing us to build on existing strengths. By doing so, we can develop creative solutions and foster innovation, even within the limitations we face. In this research, which focuses on a place with limited resources like Ghana, I am interested in asking, “What do we have?” This question helps to find solutions that fit the specific needs of the area and create initiatives that can last and work well within the local context. In Africa, there is a heavy focus and reliance on smartphone access as the optimal and most effective way of accessing digital technology. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU)―an agency of the United Nations (UN) whose purpose is to coordinate telecommunication operations and services throughout the world―describes the global expansion of mobile-cellular technology as a “mobile miracle,” in contrast to the global decline of fixed-line communications (ITU 2011). With mobile broadband internet available, the topic of whether mobile phones can significantly contribute to Africa's growth and development and its integration into the information age is raised. For Ghana, the widespread use of mobile phones could significantly enhance access to information and other services, bridging the digital divide and fostering progress in various sectors. Therefore, the use of mobile technology can play a crucial role in the development of Ghana’s heritage. Phone Usage in Africa Throughout the world, digital technology has significantly impacted everyday life, affecting how societies run and changing individuals’ lives in many ways. From this we can infer that digital technology has influenced culture but has also provided ways to sustain it. Recent reports by ITU identified young people between ages 15-24 as the group that often uses the internet (ITU 2020). The Union also reported an upsurge of 23% in the use of digital technology in Africa between 2019 and 2021. Today, mobile phones are becoming universal, with more than 80% of Africa’s population having a mobile phone subscription. Ghana’s National Communication Authority and Statistical Service, in a 2020 survey, also reported roughly 97% of individuals, aged five and older, either have access to or own mobile phones (2020). Figure 4. Graph showing mobile phone ownership of individual, aged five and older in Ghana. Source: Household Survey on ICT in Ghana Abridged Report. According to Laura Silver and Courtney Johnson 33% of sub-Saharan Africans in 2017 owned a smartphone, and they projected an increase in this number in subsequent years (2018, 6). They also argue that the type of phone one has heavily shapes what they do on these devices, like sending and receiving messages, money and other social activities. A report on Ghana showed 79% of the Ghanaian population as smartphone users who texted messages in 2017, as compared with basic phone users or phones without internet access (Silver and Johnson 2018, 18). These reports attest to the pervasive nature of digital technology, especially smartphones in Africa and Ghana. In the course of time, how mobile phones impact development in Africa will be measured not by the number of SIM card owners and subscription rates, but on how mobile phones are actually utilized in Africa and the advantages people experience from using them (ITU 2011; James and Versteeg 2007). Digital Initiatives in Africa Rich Ling and Heather Horst consider the proliferation of mobile phones in Africa to have already had a vast influence on micro, meso, and macro contexts16—the individual, group, and community/governmental levels (2011, 364). First and foremost, mobile phones have tightened social cohesion among close friends and family members by promoting friendships and family interaction. In numerous everyday scenarios, such as pursuing romantic relationships, organizing family gatherings, and sharing jokes and rumors, mobile communication is utilized. Mobile phones have made it possible to connect through a variety of channels, namely text messages, social media messaging, photographs, video chats, etc. Ample evidence also exists on the use of mobile phones for business and governance purposes, as well as the ways that mobile phones are changing daily life in Africa (Bornman 2012, 287). In the agricultural sector, the Cocoa Link Initiative established by the Ghana Cocoa Board uses mobile phones to provide cocoa farmers with information about new farming practices, farm safety, crop disease prevention, post-harvest production and crop marketing. In the banking sector, mobile money apps, internet banking, digital wallets, and other money transfer systems 16 Micro contexts focus on individual or small group interactions. Meso contexts, which look at the middle layer of organizations or communities, represent the intermediate level between the micro and macro levels. The macro contexts examine large-scale societal and global structures. that allow individuals to deposit, send, and withdraw funds using their mobile phones are the major digital payment channels in many parts of Africa. This, and many other mobile banking applications in diverse places on the continent, have enabled the banking industry to reach previously inaccessible communities in rural areas. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Zipline24 in Ghana started using drones and robots to collect test samples from health facilities in rural areas and deliver them to medical laboratories in the country’s two largest cities, Accra and Kumasi. This was to enable rural patients to gain access to medical checks and treatment without having to travel long distances (ITU 2021). Shafika Isaacs, a professor and independent specialist in Digital Learning & AI and Education, reports on how mobile phones have seeped into Africa’s educational sector and is convinced that incorporating technology into education can promote Africa as an information society (Isaacs 2012, 12; Bornman 2012, 289). All of these developments indicate how mobile phone technology has subtly evolved to enable electronically mediated communication for people at the base of the economic pyramid. This further demonstrates that mobile phone technology is already serving as the first point of entry for many Africans into the information society (Bornman 2012, 286). The ITU (2021), nevertheless, expresses the belief that the advent of mobile internet will not only alleviate infrastructure-related issues with ICT, but will also significantly improve ICT proficiency in Africa. The skills for using a mobile phone are relatively simple, and the prevalence of mobile phone use among Africans suggests a foundational understanding of ICT, which may facilitate their online activities. Usage of Mobile Phones in Education in Africa Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) encompass a diverse set of technological tools and resources designed to transmit, store, create, and exchange information (UNESCO, 2009). In Africa, the focus has long been on a techno-centric approach to education reform, with an emphasis on introducing new technologies into resource-poor educational environments. This approach often operated under the assumption that ICT alone would catalyze the much-needed transformations within the education system. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, initiatives concentrated on establishing personal computing labs in schools and universities, aiming to enhance teaching and learning in classroom settings through affordable, scalable, and sustainable solutions (Borman 2012; Isaacs 2012, 11; Ponelis and Holmner 2015, 163). However, the reliance on traditional computer labs has evolved. Borman (2012, 288) argues that these labs have given way to more flexible opportunities for synchronous, asynchronous, and personalized learning, fueled by advancements such as desktop virtualization, the proliferation of social media, and the increasing demand for one-device-per-student access. While these technological developments offer new avenues for improving education, it is important to recognize that technology alone does not resolve deep-seated social issues like poor teaching and learning. In recent years, Ghana’s government has allocated approximately 12% to 23% of its annual national budget to education which falls within UNESCO’s recommendation that countries allocate at least 15% to 20% of their national budgets to education (MoE 2019, 4; UNESCO 2016, 67). The educational budget is spent on infrastructural development, educational materials, and new initiatives which include ICT initiatives. The effectiveness of ICT in education hinges on its integration with strong pedagogical practices, ensuring equal access for all students, and maintaining the vital role of human interaction in the learning process (Watters 2012). To address the persistent inequalities and challenges in African education, numerous ICT-driven interventions have been explored at various levels—from institutional to international. These efforts focus on how ICT can improve teaching and learning quality, increase access to educational opportunities, advance educational equity, and contribute to the creation of inclusive “knowledge societies” across Africa. A notable example is the ICT Transforming Education in Africa project, launched during the 2015 World Education Forum in Incheon, Republic of Korea, in alignment with the Education 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4). This initiative aimed to harness ICT to elevate education in African nations. However, it is crucial to recognize that while technology has the potential to significantly enhance educational outcomes by providing resources, personalizing learning, and engaging students in novel ways, it should not be viewed as a standalone solution. The real power of technology lies in its ability to complement a broader, holistic approach to education reform— one that integrates effective pedagogy, ensures equitable access, and values the indispensable role of human interaction in the learning process. With a solid technological foundation and appropriate support, teachers can access powerful tools to deepen, accelerate, and enhance student learning, equipping students for the world, the workforce, or higher education (Bokova 2015, 19). Smart Initiative in Education - The Yoza Cellphone Stories Project in South Africa The methods, content, and spaces of learning are being drastically changed by technological advancement through the exponential rise in internet connectivity, smartphone penetration, and the widening of the cyber world. In the case of South Africa, a country with a well-established smartphone infrastructure, there is an increase in time spent on mobile devices by young people rising from the low cost of data transfer or internet bundles. According to Isaacs, South Africa recorded low scores for reading during the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)—an international assessment that measures 15-year-old students' reading, mathematics, and science literacy every 3 years—reflecting the absence of a strong reading and writing culture among young people (2012, 24). This led educators in the country to explore the possibilities of using mobile phones for learning, with the aim of improving reading and writing among South African youth. Yoza was a cellphone project initiated in South Africa to combat a book-poor environment, where 51% of South African households own no leisure books and only 7% of public schools had functional libraries. The pilot project was based on a teenage mystery novel titled Kontax, originally written in English and translated to isiXhosa (a South African indigenous language). This novel was published episodically and made available for download onto mobile phones and from a website. Yoza was designed to enable readers to leave comments on chapters, vote in opinion polls and enter writing competitions based on the novel. Beyond the project's declared objective of investigating mobile devices as substitutes to print-based literature for enhancing youth literacy, Yoza also aimed to capitalize on South Africa’s “mobile-rich, book-poor” environment to promote the growth of a local mobile-phone publishing sector (Isaacs 2012, 24). Isaacs also reported that key research findings on the Yoza project suggested that encouraging spaces for reading and writing outside of the classroom was necessary for the development of literacy (2012, 24). The research team on the Yoza project further suggested that school curricula be expanded to incorporate genres that young people are familiar with, and also give recognition of the significant impact that mobile literacy plays in young people's lives. Since its inception, Yoza evolved into an online library of mobile-novels17, short stories, classic literature, and poetry written by local authors. In 2011, the project reported 300,000 completed reads of m-novels and poems, 40,000 comments, 145,000 unique site visitors, 69,000 MXit subscribers to Yoza, 5.4 million page views, 44,000 votes, and 8,500 writing competition entries. According to these figures, the targeted youth took an active interest in Yoza. Although there is not a direct successor to Yoza Cellphone Stories specifically in 2015 or afterward, the concept of mobile literacy initiatives in South Africa and other parts of Africa has continued to evolve, with various organizations and initiatives exploring mobile-based learning and literacy projects. These efforts often focus on similar goals—leveraging mobile technology to increase access to educational content and encourage reading and learning among young people. For example, the FunDza Literacy Trust18 has continued similar work, offering mobile-based reading platforms that aim to engage young South Africans with relevant and accessible content. Yoza not only showed the possibilities of encouraging young people to read and write, but also facilitated the recognition and adaptation of non-traditional pedagogical forms that are emerging among the youth. Technologies, including minimal devices such as smartphones, open up new modes of learning. This situates education within a more personalized and self-directed context, outside the parameters of formal curricula, assessments, and classroom practices. It also provides more flexibility in terms of when and where education can take place (Isaacs 2012, 23; Sharples, Taylor and Vavoula 2007, 237). In a traditional classroom setting, the teacher or instructor serves as the students' main information source and students passively absorb the information provided. 17 A mobile novel or m-novel, referred to as “keitai shousetsu” in Japanese, is a literary format designed for writing and distribution primarily via mobile phones. This storytelling method emerged in Japan in the early 2000s. 18 FunDza Literacy Trust, established in 2011 in South Africa, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving literacy levels among South African youth by fostering a culture of reading and writing. Heather Parris, Lisa Estrada and Andrea Honigsfeld (2017) are convinced that the role of teachers is gradually shifting to the “guide on the side” stance, due to the access to information and educational opportunity that technology can provide students. By using technology to obtain pertinent information, students assume greater responsibility for their own education. These are all characteristics of twenty-first century education in modern society, through the incorporation of ICT in education. Parris, Estrada and Honigsfeld (2017) paper highlights how technology can aid in making teachers the best guides they can be for students. Technology is helping teachers become better guides for students instead of just giving them information to memorize. With tools like online lessons, videos, and educational apps, students can find information on their own. Teachers use technology to make learning more fun and interactive, helping students think for themselves, solve problems, and work together with their peers. Technology also helps teachers give each student the support they need to learn at their own pace, making learning easier and more personalized. ICT in Ghana Technology, as already indicated, is a powerful tool that can support and transform education in many ways, from making it easier for teachers to create instructional materials to paving new pathways for learning and working together. In 2003, the national objective to transform Ghana into an information technology knowledgeable nation propelled the establishment of Ghana’s Information and Communication Technology for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) policy. To further promote ICT in education, the Ministry of Education launched the ICT in Education Policy in 2008―a policy to modernize Ghana’s education system using ICT to improve and expand access to education, as well as the quality of teaching and learning. This was to incorporate ICT into the educational curriculum as an additional teaching and learning tool. The policy was also intended to ensure the effective utilization of ICT in the classroom. Similarly, in 2011 the Basic School Computerization policy was created to introduce computers and e-learning into the entire education system (Natia and Al-hassan 2015, 114). Despite ICT being carefully crafted in Ghana’s educational curriculum as a teaching and learning tool, this strategy has been underutilized, especially with the study of culture and heritage. The global reach of the internet, with the prevalence of smart devices that can connect to it, heralds an era of ‘anytime anywhere’ education. The challenge lies with instructional designers and educational technologies to make the most of the opportunities that technology provides to change education in a way that makes it effective and efficient, as well as available to everyone everywhere (Bokova 2015). The Need for Mobile Learning In an era of increasing personal and technical mobility, mobile technologies offer the opportunity to design learning differently―linking people in real and virtual worlds, creating learning communities between people on the move, providing expertise on demand, and supporting a lifetime of learning (Sharples, Arnedillo-Sánchez, Milrad, and Vavoula 2009). Mike Sharples, Inmaculada Arnedillo-Sánchez, Marcelo Milrad, and Giasemi Vavoula (2009) further argues that new pedagogies and learning modes are made possible with mobile learning, including more individualized, self-directed, and informal modes outside the confines of formal curricula, assessments, and classroom practices, which are more flexible in terms of when and where learning can occur. Instead of presuming that learning takes place in a fixed setting, like a classroom, over a bounded amount of time, it looks at how learning flows across time, space, topics, and technologies. Mobile learning introduces new approaches to peer learning and mentorship, promoting a shift towards more student-centered learning. This stands in contrast to traditional pedagogical models that rely on the transfer of knowledge from teachers to learners (Isaacs 2012, 23). Isaacs suggests that one of the limitations of conventional learning environments lies in restricted access to and limited availability of diverse knowledge sources (2012). In traditional pedagogical models, students primarily rely on teachers and textbooks as their main sources of information, which can confine learning to the resources immediately available within the classroom setting. This often results in a more structured, one-directional flow of knowledge from the teacher to the learner. However, the introduction of mobile learning and digital devices has transformed this dynamic by significantly broadening the range of accessible knowledge. Learners can now interact with vast digital repositories, such as online databases, educational platforms, and multimedia resources, allowing them to independently explore information that aligns with their individual learning goals. This shift not only decentralizes the source of knowledge but also promotes a more student-centered approach to learning, where learners actively manage their own educational journeys. Furthermore, these digital devices enable learners to access and manage vast and growing reservoirs of information in order to meet their individual learning goals. The interconnected digital environment has transformed how people access information and engage in social and economic activities. Learning opportunities are growing, potentially becoming less structured and more creative, due to the greater accessibility and availability of a wider range of knowledge sources. This transformation in the educational outlook has led to an increasing awareness of the significance and applicability of learning occurring outside of formal institutions. Irina Bokova, in a report on the proceedings of the World Education Forum at Incheon, Republic of Korea in May 2015, emphasized the need for an approach to learning that is less rigid in structure and proposed a freer and flexible approach to learning (2015, 16). Building a network of web-based collaborative education allows learners to connect with resources, teachers and other students by erasing the barriers between formal and informal education. The diversity of learning settings and the blurring of boundaries between formal and non-formal education favors the idea of a network of learning spaces. Bokova further argued that non-formal and informal learning spaces must better interact with and complement formal education and training institutions from early childhood throughout life (2015, 15). To implement open and flexible lifelong learning systems, it is essential to establish effective mechanisms for recognizing, validating, and assessing competencies obtained, irrespective of whether they were acquired through formal, non-formal, or informal pathways (Bokova 2015, 16). This research project, “Heritage Through Pixels,” investigates mobile learning through the use of a mobile-responsive application designed for cultural heritage transmission and engagement. The aim of this design is to introduce a flexible learning system and empower Ghanaian learners to access and manage information about their cultural heritage on an interactive medium, multi-media platform at their own discretion. Potential Problems with Digital Technology in Ghana Despite the benefits that digital technologies provide, there are some potential problems with its usage in Ghana. The inconsistency of Ghana’s electricity supply is a major challenge. This is because much of Ghana’s energy comes from the hydroelectric power of Akosombo Dam. Since the country’s rainfall is unpredictable, there are cases where the hydroelectric power plant does not contain enough water to supply electricity to the entire country (Baylon and Antwi-Boasiako 2016, 3). These electricity outages, popularly known as “dumsɔ,”19 are a major obstacle to the use of digital technology. Because mobile phones need charging, they are often charged at a venue where there is electricity and then taken elsewhere. Telecommunication infrastructure in Ghana requires a lot of capital to operate, and these resources may not be readily available for the country. This affects areas with inadequate phone services, especially remote areas that do not have adequate network coverage. Internet connectivity in the country is often of poor quality. The network experiences frequent outages as well as slow Internet speeds, especially in the rainy seasons. This has led to a rise of mobile broadband due to its increased affordability. Although a subscription is necessary for accessing a fixed-line internet in Ghana, mobile internet predominantly operates through prepaid services in the country. Due to the apprehension among many Ghanaians about committing to subscription-based services, as they fear financial constraints in the following months, the prepaid model of mobile broadband is more appealing to them (Calandro, Stork and Gillwald 2012, 7). For individuals using the internet through smartphones, Caroline Baylon and Albert Antwi-Boasiako report that mobile phones are considerably more cost-effective compared to computers in Ghana (2016, 3). This chapter discusses the transformative impact of digital technology in Africa in various sectors, notably education. Digital technologies enhance efficiency, create new income 19 “dumsɔ” a combination of two words from the Akan language dum 'to turn off' and sɔ 'to turn on', and so the term roughly translates as “off-and-on”. It refers to the irregular, and unpredictable interruptions in electrical power, usually caused by shortage in power supply. opportunities, and increase connectivity with these sectors. Jo Helle-Valle (2016) emphasizes the importance of observing digital media through an African lens to understand how it is used and the effects it has on people’s lives. This perspective emphasizes how African communities uniquely adapt and interact with technology in their specific cultural and social contexts, moving beyond assumptions based on Western experiences. Similarly, Bisschoff (2017) highlights accessibility as a key factor in evaluating the impact of digital technology in Africa. She argues that making digital tools affordable, mobile-friendly, and user-friendly creates opportunities for learning and engagement beyond traditional classroom settings. With over 80% of Africa’s population owning mobile phones, these devices are pivotal in addressing challenges such as inconsistent electricity and limited internet connectivity. This is particularly relevant in Ghana, where ICT policies highlight mobile technology as a solution to bridging gaps in education and development. Mobile phones’ widespread availability and adaptability make them a powerful platform for educational initiatives. Through this chapter, I acknowledge the potential of digital technology in resource-constrained environments like Ghana and propose an educational digital storytelling platform with a mobile-responsive design. Drawing on the concept of “minimal computing” (Risam and Gil, 2022), this approach ensures that cultural content is accessible to Ghanaian youth, offering a personalized and self-directed learning experience. Initiatives like South Africa’s Yoza Cellphone Stories demonstrate the effectiveness of mobile-accessible content in enhancing literacy and engagement. Similarly, this platform modernizes traditional narratives, providing an innovative medium to bridge the gap between the youth and their cultural heritage. By fostering intergenerational connections and preserving cultural knowledge, the platform supports education in a rapidly digitizing world. Conclusion Is community involvement crucial in raising a child? In the twenty-first century, one can confidently say that digital technology is included as part of a “child's village.” Cultural heritage significantly shapes a child's development by providing a sense of belonging, identity, and respect for diversity. UNESCO highlights the crucial role of cultural heritage in shaping a child's sense of belonging, identity, and appreciation for diversity. By connecting the past with the present, cultural heritage offers guidance and helps individuals understand their place in the world. Education, in UNESCO’s view, plays a vital role in raising awareness about the importance of cultural heritage as well as a measure for safeguarding and transmitting this heritage to future generations. By embedding cultural heritage into formal and informal educational programs, the organization seeks to empower young people to engage with their traditions while also encouraging innovation in preserving and sharing of their heritage. In Ghana, the youth are perceived as a demographic with little or no interest in their culture due to their keen interest in digital technology, which is often dominated by western content. As a generation with greater exposure to technology, there is the need to engage with their digital skills to enhance their participation in their heritage. By relying on my experiences and knowledge as a Ghanaian youth, I reflect on how UNESCO’s vision aligns well with Ghanaian youth interest in technology, as digital tools can offer innovative ways to engage young people with cultural heritage. With the growing influence of digital technology, the youth can explore and interact with their heritage in ways that are more accessible, dynamic, and relatable. This thesis explores the intersection of digital technology and cultural heritage education and transmission among Ghanaian youth, utilizing ArcGIS StoryMaps as a tool to bridge the perceived gap between the younger generation and their cultural heritage. Through a comprehensive analysis on cultural heritage, education and digital technology, this research demonstrates how digital platforms and devices could be effectively employed to engage youth in cultural education, addressing the common misconception that technology alienates them from their heritage. This study contributes significantly to the discourse on cultural heritage preservation by integrating digital storytelling with cultural education and transmission. Previous research has underscored young people’s interest with digital technology and cultural heritage as well as the importance of engaging them in their heritage. However, this thesis goes further by demonstrating the practical application of digital technology in this process, particularly in resource-constrained environments like Ghana, where challenges such as inconsistent electricity supply and poor internet connectivity limits the effectiveness of digital technology. As a transformative digital initiative in Africa, mobile phone technology is regarded as a more effective device than other digital devices, as it promotes development across various sectors such as business, governance, agriculture, banking, education, and ICT proficiency throughout the continent. Mobile technology is emphasized as a key driver for modernizing education and promoting personalized, continuous learning. With increasing access to mobile devices, students are empowered to learn at their own pace and engage with adaptive, locally relevant educational resources. This research affirms that technology, when harnessed thoughtfully, can serve as a powerful medium for cultural heritage education and transmission The goals and hypotheses presented in the introduction were thoroughly examined through this research. The hypothesis that digital technology, specifically smartphones, can promote cultural heritage transmission and enhance engagement among Ghanaian youth was explored through the use of ArcGIS StoryMaps, a web based digital storytelling platform. This thesis also emphasizes the argument that digital technology offers new ways to access cultural knowledge, making it more accessible and engaging for younger audiences. The strengths of this research lie in its interdisciplinary approach, combining digital humanities with cultural heritage to address an issue in Ghanaian society. Focusing on Ghanaian youth, who are tech-savvy yet perceived as disinterested in their heritage, I explore ESRI ArcGIS StoryMaps for crafting an interactive and engaging learning experience, as well as a mobile-accessible digital content designed to engage the youth. This approach aligns with the importance of multimedia in understanding history and cultural heritage, aiming to spark youth interest and participation through relatable digital platforms. This project seeks to make cultural education engaging, accessible, and relevant for Ghanaian youth through relatable digital devices such as smartphones. The “Heritage Through Pixels” platform features sections on Ghanaian glass and bauxite bead-making, detailing their history, production processes, and contemporary use. It includes multimedia content of videos, photographic images, and interactive maps to provide a comprehensive and immersive learning experience. Howland, Liss, Levy, and Najjar state that, “As StoryMaps are easily editable, when used for public engagement they should not be seen as an end product… but rather, as a first draft that communities can engage with, edit, and use as a platform to tell their own stories and explain their own relationship with their cultural heritage” (2020, 357). StoryMaps are like digital scrapbooks where one can put together maps, pictures, videos, and stories. They are so easy to change and update, therefore, that they should not be seen as finished projects, but rather StoryMaps should be viewed as starting points. This is a very useful feature that helps to trace the transformative processes of our living cultural heritage. Howland, Liss, Levy, and Najjar also emphasize the involvement of the community in sharing a story to avoid operating from one perspective, which could lead to conclusions that are incomplete. Communities can use StoryMaps to add their own experiences, edit the content, and share their unique stories about their cultural heritage. This way, StoryMaps become living documents that grow and change as more people contribute their ideas and knowledge. As living documents, it helps people continuously learn about and appreciate both the tangible and intangible aspects that make up their culture. Evaluating this project, it is necessary to note that StoryMaps as a platform is mainly accessible via the internet, and therefore StoryMap projects may be inherently geared toward the youth and older ‘literate’ generation. For this project on Ghana’s bead-making cultures, I developed a StoryMap that combines maps, text, photographs, and videos to engage users. The potential applications of this research exploration are vast. Educational institutions in Ghana and beyond could adopt digital storytelling platforms like ArcGIS StoryMaps to enhance cultural education. Furthermore, this research could inform the development of similar digital educational tools tailored to other cultural contexts, fostering a global movement towards integrating technology with cultural heritage transmission, preservation, and engagement. Future projects with StoryMaps can use the platform’s compatibility with audio platforms for recording the text of the main story in various Ghanaian local languages. This can help increase the accessibility of the StoryMap to different demographic audiences and geographic locations in Ghana. Furthermore, installing versions of the StoryMaps in the national and community museums across the country can also help reach larger audiences. Additionally, further studies could explore the long-term impact of digital storytelling on cultural heritage preservation, particularly how sustained engagement through such platforms influences the cultural identity and awareness of younger generations. Expanding the demographic scope and tailoring educational cultural content to different age groups can provide more nuanced and age-appropriate insights into cultural heritage, ensuring that individuals at various stages of life can engage meaningfully with and understand the richness of their heritage. African storytelling is a rich cultural tradition that preserves wisdom, values, and collective memory while promoting social unity and moral teaching. This thesis highlights its ability to evolve in the digital age, demonstrating its ongoing relevance and potential for innovation. Future research could explore how storytelling can be integrated into digital education, using interactive tools to engage younger generations and connect oral traditions with modern technology. Interdisciplinary studies can also examine how storytelling intersects with fields like linguistics, anthropology, and psychology, particularly its role in preserving endangered languages and supporting linguistic diversity. As digital platforms become central to sharing stories, it is crucial to uphold authenticity and ethical representation. Emerging technologies offer opportunities to preserve and share African narratives, but collaboration with communities is essential to ensure cultural integrity is respected and maintained. In conclusion, this thesis makes a significant contribution to the interdisciplinary field of digital humanities by demonstrating how digital technology can be used to preserve and promote cultural heritage among Ghanaian youth. It emphasizes the importance of adapting digital tools to the specific needs of an environment like Ghana, which provides valuable insights for other researchers working in similar environments globally. By focusing on creating digital content centered on Ghana’s cultural heritage, this research challenges the dominance of western narratives in the digital space. This contributes to the digital humanities field by fostering an environment where local, marginalized, or underrepresented voices can utilize digital technologies to reclaim their cultural narratives and identities. The digital prototype, “Heritage Through Pixels,” supports discussions in digital humanities about how technology can enhance pedagogical approaches within the humanities. This research also makes a significant contribution to advancing knowledge for African youth through the use of digital storytelling platforms like ArcGIS StoryMaps. This approach not only preserves traditional knowledge but makes it accessible through digital mediums that young people engage with regularly. The research emphasizes that Ghanaian youth are not disinterested in their culture, but that they need more engaging and relevant methods for interacting with it. By offering an innovative, digital initiative that combines cultural heritage, education and technology, Ghanaian youth through this platform can actively participate in preserving and revitalizing their heritage, fostering a sense of ownership and connection. In addressing both the strengths and limitations of the current approach, this research sets the stage for future innovations in the integration of culture and technology, ensuring that cultural heritage remains a vibrant and integral part of the lives of younger generations. Works Cited Abungu, George. “New Development in African Museums – A Trend of the 21st Century.” International Council of Museums (ICOM), Groeninghe, 1999: 8-9. Retrieved on September 15, 2024, from https://icom.museum/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Study_Series6_Regional_Abungu.pdf Abungu, Lorna. “Access to Digital Heritage in Africa: Bridging the Digital Divide.” Museum International 54, no. 3, 2002: 29-34. Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “The Danger of a Single Story.” Filmed Talk, October 2009, Oxford, UK, TED Video, 18:32. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story. Alemy, Alexis, Sophia Hudzik, and Christopher N. Matthews. “Creating a User-Friendly Interactive Interpretive Resource with ESRI’s ArcGIS Story Map Program.” Historical Archaeology 51, 2017: 288–97. Alexander, Bryan. The New Digital Storytelling: Creating Narratives with New Media, Revised and Updated Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2017. Ali, Syed. “A Brief Introduction to Decolonial Computing.” Crossroads (Association for Computing Machinery) 22, no. 4, 2016: 16-21. Amponsah, Samuel, Chris Olusola Omoregie, and Boakye Owusu Ansah. “African Cultures and the Challenges of Quality Education for Sustainable Development.” Commission for International Adult Education, In: Proceedings of the 2018 CIAE Pre-Conference, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: USA, 2018: 49-56. Arnoldi, Mary Jo. “Overcoming a Colonial Legacy: The New National Museum in Mali: 1976 to the Present.” Museum Anthropology 22, no. 3, 1999: 28-40. Arvanitis, Konstantions. “Museums Outside Walls: Mobile Phones and The Museum in The Everyday.” In Museums in a Digital Age, edited by Ross Parry, London: Routledge, 2009, 170-76. Aseey, Anne, Vera Aaron, and Colleta Otieno. “Perspective Chapter: Storytelling in Developing Countries – Changing the Narrative from the Perspectives of Learners in the Digital Spaces.” In Digital Storytelling-Content and Application. IntechOpen, 2023 doi:10.5772/intechopen.105388. Bauman, Richard. Verbal Art as Performance. Rowley, Mass: Newbury House Publishers, 1978. Baylon, Caroline, and Albert Antwi-Boasiako. “Increasing Internet Connectivity While Combatting Cybercrime: Ghana as a Case Study,” In Global Commission on Internet Governance, no. 44, Ontario, London, 2016: 1-14. Bharat, Dave. “Virtual Heritage: Mediating Space, Time and Perspectives.” In New Heritage: New Media and Cultural Heritage, edited by Yehuda Kalay, Thomas Kvan, Janice Affleck, London: Routledge, 2007, 56-68. Bisschoff, Lizelle. “The Future Is Digital: An Introduction to African Digital Arts.” Critical African Studies 9, no. 3, 2017: 261-67. Bornman, Elirea. “The Mobile Phone in Africa: Has It Become a Highway to The Information Society or Not?” Contemporary Educational Technology 3, no. 4, 2012: 278-92. Bristow, Tegan. “Post African Futures: Positioning the Globalized Digital Within Contemporary African Cultural and Decolonizing Practices.” Critical African Studies 9, no. 3, 2017: 281-301. British Broadcasting Corporation News, “Ghana's Pan African Heritage Museum Seeks to Reclaim Africa's History,” BBC News, June 2022. Accessed September 9, 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61631437. Calandro, Enrico, Christoph Stork, and Alison Gillwald. “Internet Going Mobile: Internet Access and Usage in 11 African Countries.” Policy Brief No. 2. Research ICT Africa, 2012. Carter, James. A Sense of Place: An Interpretive Planning Handbook, Tourism and Management Initiative, Inverness, Scotland, 1997. “Cultural Influences on Child Development,” Maryville University blog, April 8, 2021, https://online.maryville.edu/blog/cultural-influences-on-child-development/ Davey, Neil Gordon, and Grete Benjaminsen. “Telling Tales: Digital Storytelling as a Tool for Qualitative Data Interpretation and Communication.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods 20, 2021. doi: 16094069211022529. De Jager, Adele, Andrea Fogarty, Anna Tewson, Caroline Lenette, and Katherine M. Boydell. “Digital Storytelling in Research: A Systematic Review.” The Qualitative Report 22, no. 10 2017: 2548-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2970 De Witte, Marleen, and Birgit Meyer. “African Heritage Design: Entertainment Media and Visual Aesthetics in Ghana.” Civilisations 61, no. 1, 2012: 43-64. Del Mar, David Peterson. “A Pragmatic Tradition: The Past in Ghanaian Education,” Africa Today 59, no. 2, 2012: 23-38. Fell, Ashley. “Why Storytelling Is So Powerful in The Digital Era.” Filmed July 13, 2017. TED video, 14:33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSi0kmqOBu4&ab_channel=TEDxTalks “Frequently Asked Questions,” ArcGIS StoryMap, Accessed July 5, 2024. https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-storymaps/get-started/faq.html Garcia, Penny, and Marsha Rossiter. “Digital Storytelling as Narrative Pedagogy.” In Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, 2010, 1091-97. Gavua, Kodzo., and Dominic Dekumwine Kuntaa. “Giving the National Museum of Ghana a New Life 1.” In National Museums in Africa, edited by Silverman, Raymond., George Abungu and Peter Probst. 1st ed. Vol. 1, 175-190: Routledge, 2021. Ghana Statistical Service. Age and Sex Profile, Ghana 2021 Population and Housing Census General Report, Volume 3B, 2021. Giannini, Tula., and Jonathan P. Bowen. "Museums and Digital Culture: From Reality to Digitality in the Age of COVID-19" Heritage 5, no. 1, 2022, 192-214. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5010011 Goldstone, Brian. “Dilemmas of Culture in African Schools: Youth, Nationalism, and the Transformation of Knowledge.” Anthropological Quarterly 79, no. 1, 2006, 159-64. Gott, Suzanne. “The Power of Touch: Women’s Waist Beads in Ghana.” In Dress Sense, edited by Donald Johnson and Helen Foster. New York: Berg, 2007, 84-95. ———. “Native Gold, Precious Beads and the Dynamics of Concealed Power in Akan Beliefs and Practices.” Etnofoor 25, no. 1 (2013): 49-77. ———. “Ghana's Glass Beadmaking Arts in Transcultural Dialogues.” African Arts 47, no. 1 (2014): 10-29. Gregori-Signes, Carmen. “Digital Storytelling and Multimodal Literacy in Education,” Porta Linguarum 22, 2014: 237-50. http://hdl.handle.net/10481/53745 Gyimah, Patricia Beatrice Mireku. “Story-Telling: A Memory and Remembrance Activity in the Akan Tradition of Ghana, in West Africa.” International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies 5, no. 3, 2016, 173-83. Heidegger, Martin. “Building Dwelling Thinking.” In Poetry, Language, Thought, edited by Martin Heidegger, New York: Harper & Row, 1971, 145-61. Helle-Valle, Jo. “Media Culture in Africa? A Practice-Ethnographic Approach.” In Everyday Media Culture in Africa: Audiences and Users, edited by Wendy Willems and Winston Mano. 1st ed. Vol. 18, New York, NY: Routledge, 2016, 41-60. Hess, Janet. “Exhibiting Ghana: Display, Documentary, and “National” Art in the Nkrumah Era.” African Studies Review 44, no. 1, 2001: 59-77. Howland, Matthew D., Brady Liss, Thomas E. Levy, and Mohammad Najjar. “Integrating Digital Datasets into Public Engagement Through ArcGIS StoryMaps.” Advances in Archaeological Practice 8, no. 4, 2020: 351-60. Hughes, Jeanne M., Justina Oliveira, and Crystal Bickford. “The Power of Storytelling to Facilitate Human Connection and Learning.” Impact 11, no. 2, 2022: 17. Idang, Gabriel E. “African Culture and Values.” Phronimon 16, no. 2, 2015: 97-111. Ingov, Ivaylo. “African Storytelling,” ingoStudio (blog), December 30, 2023, https://ingostudio.com/storytelling/african-storytelling/. International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Digital Trends in Africa 2021: Information and Communication Technology Trends and Developments in the Africa Region, 2017-2020, 2021. Accessed November 3, 2023. https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/ind/D-IND-DIG_TRENDS_AFR.01-2021-PDF-E.pdf International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Measuring Digital Development ICT Price Trends 2020, 2020. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/ind/D-IND-ICT_PRICES.01-2020-PDF-E.pdf International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Measuring the Information Society. Geneva, 2011. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/backgrounders/general/pdf/5.pdf Isaacs, Shafika. “Turning On Mobile Learning in Africa and The Middle East: Illustrative Initiatives and Policy Implications,” UNESCO Working Paper Series on Mobile Learning, 2012, Tostan, Senegal, 2013. https://coilink.org/20.500.12592/p61pbp. James, Jeffrey, and Mila Versteeg. “Mobile Phones in Africa: How Much Do We Really Know?” Social Indicators Research 84, 2007: 117-26. Jenkins, Paul. “Everyday Life Encapsulated? Two Photographs Concerning Women and The Basel Mission in West Africa, c. 1900.” Journal of African Cultural Studies 15, no. 1 2002: 45-60. Jeong, Ho-Won. “Liberal Economic Reform in Ghana: A Contested Political Agenda.” Africa Today 42, no. 4 1995: 82–104. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4187067. Jokilehto, Jukka, and Joseph King. “Authenticity And Conservation: Reflections on the Current State of Understanding.” Paper presented at Expert Meeting on Authenticity and Integrity in an African Context, Zimbabwe, 2001, 33-39. Khudhair, Nisreen Kadhim, and Bushra Saadoon Mohammed Alnoori. “Investigating EFL Preparatory School Teachers' Perceptions Toward Using Storytelling Technique.” Route Educational and Social Science Journal 18, 2017: 303-17. Doi: 10.17121/ressjournal.791. Konare, Alpha Oumar. “Towards a New Type of 'Ethnographic' Museum in Africa.” Museum International 35 no. 3, 1983: 146-49. Kreamer, Christine Mullen. “The Politics of Memory: Ghana's Cape Coast Castle Museum Exhibition ‘Crossroads of People, Crossroads of Trade.’” Ghana Studies 7, no. 1, 2004: 79-91. Labi, Kwame Amoah. “The ‘Commercial’ and ‘Museum’ Life of Some Akan Brass Works.” Ghana Studies 11, no. 1, 2008: 175-216. ———. “Toward a Museum Culture in Ghana: Processes and Challenges.” Museum Anthropology 31, no. 2, 2008: 105-21. Laiglesia, Juan Fernando de. “Twelve Symbolic Objects of Tangible/Intangible Culture.” Res Mobilis 9, no. 11, 2020: 46-64. Leon, Mechele. “Audience Analysis,” Public Speaking as Performance: Practicing Public Speaking in the Theatre & Performance Classroom, University of Kansas, Lawrence, 2020: 29-35. Ling, Rich, and Heather A. Horst. “Mobile Communication in the Global South.” New Media & Society 13, no. 3, 2011: 363-74. Manago, Adriana M., and Jessica McKenzie. “Culture and Digital Media in Adolescent Development.” In Handbook of Adolescent Digital Media Use and Mental Health, edited by Jacqueline Nesi, Eva H. Telzer, and Mitchell J. Prinstein, Cambridge University Press, 2022: 162-87. Marchand, Trevor H. J. “The Djenné Mosque: World Heritage and Social Renewal in a West African Town.” APT Bulletin (1986) 46, no. 2/3, 2015: 4-15. Markwei, Evelyn D., and Doreen Appiah. “The Impact of Social Media on Ghanaian Youth: A Case Study of the Nima and Maamobi Communities in Accra, Ghana.” Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults 7, no. 2, 2016: 1-26. Martin, Amanda. “Using Interactive Learning to Improve Student Engagement” TechHub Professional Development, May 19, 2021, https://www.teachhub.com/professional-development/2021/05/using-interactive-learning-to-improve-student-engagement/ McCall, John C. "Nollywood Confidential: The Unlikely Rise of Nigerian Video Film." Transition 13, no. 1 2004: 98-109. McClung, Steven, Donnalyn Pompper, and William Kinnally. “The Functions of Radio for Teens: Where Radio Fits Among Youth Media Choices.” Atlantic Journal of Communication 15, no. 2, 2007: 103-19. McPherson, Tara. “Why are the Digital Humanities so White? Or Thinking the Histories of Race and Computation.” In Debates in the Digital Humanities, edited by Matthew K. Gold., University of Minnesota Press, 2012, 139–60. Mello, Robin. “The Power of Storytelling: How Oral Narratives Influence Children’s Relationships in The Classrooms,” International Journal of Education and the Arts. Vol. 2, no. 1, 2001. Retrieved from http://www.ijea.org/v2n1/index.html Ministry of Education (MoE). Education Strategic Plan 2018-2030. Washington, DC: Global Partnership for Education, 2019. https://www.globalpartnership.org/sites/default/files/2019-05/education-strategic-plan-2018-2030.pdf Mucina, Devi Dee. “Story as Research Methodology.” Alternative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples 7, no. 1, 2011: 1-14. Munjeri, Dawson. “Tangible and Intangible Heritage: From Difference to Convergence.” Museum International 56, no. 1-2, 2004:12-20. Nakamura, Lisa. “Indigenous Circuits: Navajo Women and the Racialization of Early Electronic Manufacture.” American Quarterly 66, no. 4 2014: 919-41. Natia, James, and Seidu Al-hassan. “Promoting Teaching and Learning in Ghanaian Basic Schools Through ICT.” International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT 11, no. 2, 2015, 113-25. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1074173.pdf National Communications Authority and Ghana Statistical Service. Household Survey on ICT in Ghana Abridged Report, 2020. https://nca.org.gh/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Household-Survey-on-ICT-in-Ghana-Abridged-NRF.pdf Naziev, Aslanbek. “What Is an Education.” In Conference Proceedings: The Future of Education, edited by Pixel Firenze. Florence: Libreria Universitaria, 2017, 436-39. Ng, Kher Hui, Hanisah Mohd Radzi, and Kean Wah Lee. “Augmented Storytelling: Effects of Making on Students’ Interest in Literacy.” Technology, Pedagogy and Education 32, no. 4, 2023: 405-18. Nilson, Tomas, and Kristina Thorell. Cultural Heritage Preservation: The Past, the Present and the Future. Halmstad: Halmstad University Press, 2018. Nortey, Samuel, Kwasi Amoako-Hene, and Edwin Kwesi Bodjawah. “Museums in Ghana: Visitor Education, Experiences and Satisfaction.” International Journal of Creative and Arts Studies 9, Vol. 6, no. 2, 2022: 120-33. Ohler, Jason. “The World of Digital Storytelling.” Educational Leadership 63, no. 4, 2005: 44-47. Ogunyankin, Grace Adeniyi. "These Girls’ Fashion is Sick!: An African City and the Geography of Sartorial Worldliness," Feminist Africa 21, 2016: 37-51. Ozcanlar, Arif Cemil. “Vega Foods Canned Fish TVC – White Lies,” YouTube, August 2007. Video. 1:00, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28xWxuxxtwk&ab_channel=ArifCemilOzcanlar Parris, Heather, Lisa Estrada, and Andrea Honigsfeld. “Fostering a Digital Learning Environment,” In ELL Frontiers: Using Technology to Enhance Instruction for English Learners. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2016: 13-24. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506343549 Penon, “Gamification and Interactive Learning Platforms” on Medium official website accessed on June 9, 2024, from https://medium.com/@penon/gamification-and-interactive-learning-platforms-676ccf79d43c (site discontinued). Pijnaker, Tessa, and Rachel Spronk. “Africa’s Legends: Digital Technologies, Aesthetics and Middle-Class Aspirations in Ghanaian Games and Comics.” Critical African Studies 9, no. 3 2017: 327-49. Ponelis, Shana R., and Marlene A. Holmner. “ICT In Africa: Building A Better Life for All.” Information Technology for Development 21, no. 2, 2015: 163-77. Prensky, Marc. “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1: Do They Really Think Differently?” On the Horizon 9, no. 6, 2001: 1-6. Quah, Chia Yi, and Kher Hui Ng. “A Systematic Literature Review on Digital Storytelling Authoring Tool in Education: January 2010 to January 2020.” International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction 38, no. 9, 2022, 851-67, doi: 10.1080/10447318.2021.1972608. Reed, Ann. “Sankᴐfa Site: Cape Coast Castle and its Museum as Markers of Memory.” Museum Anthropology 27, no. 1-2, 2004 13-24. ———. “Slavery Heritage Tourism, the African Family, and the Politics of Memory.” In Pilgrimage Tourism of Diaspora Africans to Ghana, London: Routledge, 2014, 196-212. Riegel, Henrietta. “Into the Heart of Irony: Ethnographic Exhibitions and the Politics of Difference.” The Sociological Review 43, no. S1, 1995: 83-104. Risam, Roopika, and Alex Gil. “Introduction: The Questions of Minimal Computing.” Digital Humanities Quarterly 16, no. 2, 2022. Robin, Bernard R. “The Power of Digital Storytelling to Support Teaching and Learning.” Digital Education Review 30, 2016: 17-29. Rudolff, Britta. “Intangible and Tangible Heritage: A Topology of Culture in Contexts of Faith.” PhD diss., Mainz University, 2010. Sadik, Alaa. “Digital Storytelling: A Meaningful Technology-Integrated Approach for Engaged Student Learning.” Educational Technology Research and Development 56, 2008: 487-506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-008-9091-8 Sarosy, Joseph, and Silke Rose West. “This Is Your Brain on Stories” How to Tell Stories to Children (blog), November 5, 2021. https://howtotellstoriestochildren.com/blog3/this-is-your-brain-on-stories Schleser, Max, and Marsha Berry. Mobile Story Making in an Age of Smartphones, Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2018. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-76795-6. Sharples, Mike, Inmaculada Arnedillo-Sánchez, Marcelo Milrad, and Giasemi Vavoula. “Mobile Learning: Small Devices, Big Issues,” Technology-Enhanced Learning: Principles and Products. Springer, Dordrecht, 2009: 233-49. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9827-7_14. Sharples, Mike, Josie Taylor, and Giasemi Vavoula. “A Theory of Learning for The Mobile Age.” In The SAGE Handbook of E-learning Research. edited by R. Andrews and C. Haythornthwaite, London, SAGE Publications, 2007, 221–47. Siemens Knowledge Hub. “Fabric: An Afro Digital Future.” YouTube, September 2018, Video. 4:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMkkKDBVh0&ab_channel=SiemensKnowledgeHub Silver, Laura, and Courtney Johnson. “Internet Connectivity Seen as Having Positive Impact on Life in Sub-Saharan Africa but Digital Divides Persist,” Pew Research Centre, October 9, 2018. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/10/Pew-Research-Center_Technology-use-in-Sub-Saharan-Africa_2018-10-09.pdf Silverman, Raymond A. “Locating Culture with/in a Ghanaian Community.” In Museum as Process: Translating Local and Global Knowledges, edited by Raymond A. Silverman, London: Routledge, 2014, 208-27. Silverman, Raymond A., George Abungu, and Peter Probst. National Museums in Africa: Identity, History and Politics. London: Routledge, 2021. doi:10.4324/9781003013693. Smeda, Najat, Eva Dakich, and Nalin Sharda. “The Effectiveness of Digital Storytelling in The Classrooms: A Comprehensive Study.” Smart Learning Environments 1, no. 6, 2014: 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-014-0006-3 Songwe, Vera. “The Role of Digitalization in the Decade of Action for Africa,” UNCTAD News. September 7, 2020. https://unctad.org/news/role-digitalization-decade-action-africa Spencer-Oatey, Helen, and Peter Franklin. “What Is Culture? A Compilation of Quotations.” GlobalPAD Core Concepts 1, no. 22, 2012: 1-21. Strachan, Caitlin, and Jerry Mitchell. “Teachers’ Perceptions of ESRI Story Maps as Effective Teaching Tools.” Review of International Geographical Education Online 4, no. 3 2014: 195-220. Tadros, Mariz. “Youth and Inter-generational Mediation of Cultural Heritage.” Institute of Development Studies October 11, 2019. https://www.ids.ac.uk/opinions/youth-and-inter-generational-mediation-of-cultural-heritage/ (accessed October 15, 2023). Teichert, Laura, and Munizah Salman. “Digital Technology in the Early Years: A Reflection of the Literature.” McGill Journal of Education 56, no. 2, 2021: 292-313. Tyng, Chai M., Hafeez U. Amin, Mohamad N.M. Saad, and Aamir S. Malik. “The Influences of Emotion on Learning and Memory,” Frontiers in Psychology 8, 2017 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01454 UNESCO. Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. 2003 https://ich.unesco.org/en/convention ———. Charter On the Preservation of The Digital Heritage. 2009 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000179529 ———., International Bureau of Education “Ghana.” World Data on Education, 2010/11 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000190182 ———. Infokit. What Is Intangible Cultural Heritage? 2011, Accessed on July 5, 2024. https://ich.unesco.org/doc/src/01851-EN.pdf ———. Culture for Development Indicator Methodology Manual, 2014. https://en.unesco.org/creativity/sites/creativity/files/cdis_methodology_manual_0_0.pdf ———. World Education Forum 2015: Final Report, Incheon, Korea R, 2015. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000243724 ———. Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4. Paris: UNESCO, 2016. https://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/education-2030-incheon-framework-for-action-implementation-of-sdg4-2016-en_2.pdf. ———. Cutting Edge: Protecting and Preserving Cultural Diversity in The Digital Era. UNESCO News, October 2020, last updated April 20, 2023. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/cutting-edge-protecting-and-preserving-cultural-diversity-digital-era United Nations (UN). SDG 11.4: Culture and Heritage for More Sustainable, Inclusive and Open Cities and Societies, 2018. https://www.agenda21culture.net/sites/default/files/hlpf12018_-_11.4.pdf Utley, Octavia. “Keeping The Tradition of African Storytelling Alive.” Yale National Initiative to Strengthen Teaching in Public Schools. Yale University, New Haven, 2008. https://teachers.yale.edu/curriculum/viewer/initiative_09.01.08_u Watters, Audery. “The Failure of One Laptop Per Child.” Electronic, 2012. http://hackeducation.com/2012/04/09/the-failure-of-olpc. Williams, David. “A Brief History of Museum Computerization.” In Museums in a Digital Age, edited by Ross Parry, London: Routledge, 2013: 15-21. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203716083 Zort, Çaǧli, Esra Karabacak, Şevket Öznur, and Gӧkmen Dağlı. “Sharing of Cultural Values and Heritage Through Storytelling in The Digital Age,” Frontiers in Psychology 14, 2023, 1-10, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1104121
Thesis/Dissertation
eng
Interdisciplinary Studies
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Graduate
Gott, Suzanne
Heritage through pixels : digitization of Ghana’s cultural heritage with the aim of increasing engagement and participation amongst the youth
Text