Collaboratively designing an online course to teach an Australian Indigenous language at University

Abstract

The lack of opportunities to study Indigenous languages at tertiary level in Australia highlights the devaluing of Indigenous languages and cultures in Australia. Innovation in methods of delivery is required, to enable Indigenous language authorities to configure their own arrangements of content and pedagogy in collaboration with university academics, to comply with the different requirements of each group. Some of the identified challenges of developing university courses for Indigenous languages include shortages of resources, teachers, students, and personal connections. This paper describes an experiment in mobilising digital technologies to develop new approaches through the collaborative design of an online university course teaching the Kunwinjku language (Bininj Kunwok) of the Northern Territory, using a Digital Language Shell. This paper argues that collaborative work in this space can serve to create new resources, teachers, students and personal connections in the learning of Indigenous languages. Such work has potential to engage Indigenous language authorities and integrate Indigenous language and knowledge practices in the academic life of Australian universities.