Te Kete Ako

Lesson 4: Tech Innovation - Designing Culturally-Responsive Digital Tools

Duration: 75 minutes Year Level: 10-13 Unit: Digital Tech & AI Ethics

🎯 Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Apply tikanga Māori principles to technology design and development
  • Identify gaps in current technology that fail to serve Māori communities
  • Design prototypes for culturally-responsive digital tools and applications
  • Evaluate technology proposals using a cultural responsiveness framework

📚 Key Concepts

  • Culturally-Responsive Design: Technology that reflects and respects cultural values, practices, and protocols
  • Kaupapa Māori Approach: Centering Māori worldview in technology development from conception to implementation
  • Co-Design: Community members as partners in design process, not just "users" or "consumers"
  • Digital Whakapapa: Understanding how data and digital systems connect to whānau, whenua, and identity

🚀 Lesson Structure

Part 1: Tuwhera (Opening) - 10 minutes

Karakia + Whakataukī: "He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata" - What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, people, people.

Activator: Show images of successful Indigenous-designed tech innovations:

  • Indigitization: App combining Indigenous language learning with AR technology
  • Te Hiku Media: Māori voice recognition AI trained on te reo Māori speakers
  • Ara Iri: Māori digital archive with culturally-appropriate access protocols

Discussion: What makes these innovations "Indigenous" or "Māori" beyond just using the language?

Part 2: Tikanga-Based Design Framework - 15 minutes

Teacher-Led Presentation: Introduce a Culturally-Responsive Design Framework grounded in tikanga:

Tikanga Design Principles:

  1. Manaakitanga (care, respect): Technology that supports and uplifts users, doesn't extract or exploit
  2. Whakapapa (connection, relationships): Data and systems that honor relationships between people, places, knowledge
  3. Kaitiakitanga (guardianship): Who controls the data? Who benefits? Who is responsible?
  4. Whanaungatanga (kinship, community): Technology that strengthens collective bonds, not just individual use
  5. Tino rangatiratanga (self-determination): Māori control over Māori digital futures

Discussion Questions:

  • How does Facebook/Instagram align or conflict with these principles?
  • What would a social media platform designed using these principles look like?

Part 3: Problem Identification - 15 minutes

Group Brainstorm: Students identify real technology gaps or problems affecting Māori communities:

Prompt Questions:

  • What technology do you use that doesn't work well for te reo Māori?
  • What cultural practices or protocols get ignored by mainstream technology?
  • What data about Māori communities is being collected, and who controls it?
  • What technology would make it easier to practice tikanga Māori?
  • What problems do kaumātua face with modern technology?

Examples to prompt thinking:

  • Voice assistants that don't understand te reo Māori pronunciation
  • Genealogy apps that don't handle Māori whānau structures
  • Health apps that ignore rongoā Māori or holistic wellness approaches
  • Education platforms that don't support culturally-responsive pedagogy
  • Mapping tools that erase pre-colonial place names

Part 4: Design Sprint - 25 minutes

Group Design Challenge: Students work in groups (3-4) to design a culturally-responsive digital tool addressing one identified problem.

Design Prototype Components:

  1. Problem Statement: What specific problem are we solving? Who is affected?
  2. Cultural Values: Which tikanga principles guide this design?
  3. User Experience: How will people actually use this? (Sketch interface/flow)
  4. Data & Privacy: What data is collected? Who controls it? How is it protected?
  5. Community Benefit: How does this strengthen whānau/community/cultural practice?
  6. Sustainability: How is this maintained and governed over time?

Deliverable: Simple prototype sketch (paper or digital) + brief explanation of design rationale

Part 5: Pitch Presentations - 15 minutes

Activity: Each group presents their design prototype (3 minutes per group)

Feedback Protocol: Using the Tikanga Design Framework, students evaluate each presentation:

  • Strengths: Which tikanga principles does this design embody well?
  • Questions: What challenges might arise? What's missing?
  • Suggestions: How could the design better serve the community?

Part 6: Whakamutunga (Closing) - 10 minutes

Reflection: Students complete individual reflection:

  • What surprised me about designing technology from a cultural perspective?
  • How has this changed how I think about the apps/tools I use daily?
  • If I could change one mainstream technology to be more culturally responsive, what would it be and how?

Karakia Whakamutunga

📊 Assessment

Formative: Observation of design process, quality of tikanga integration in prototypes

Summative: Design prototype (group) + individual reflection

Rubric for Design Prototypes:

  • Cultural Grounding: Clear integration of tikanga Māori principles in design
  • Problem/Solution Fit: Addresses a real need for Māori communities
  • User Experience: Thoughtful consideration of how people will actually use this
  • Data Ethics: Clear protocols for data collection, ownership, and protection
  • Community Benefit: Design strengthens collective well-being, not just individual convenience

🎓 Teacher Notes

Preparation:

  • Research current Māori tech innovations to share as examples
  • Prepare design template handouts or digital files
  • Set up space for group work (tables, whiteboards, materials)

Differentiation:

  • Support: Provide more structured template with prompts for each section
  • Extension: Students create functional prototype using no-code tools (Figma, Bubble.io)
  • Digital Literacy: Pair confident designers with those less familiar with tech terminology

Cultural Considerations:

  • Ensure Māori students have leadership in groups - their cultural knowledge is essential
  • Acknowledge that students are building on generations of Māori innovation
  • Be mindful of sensitive cultural knowledge - some protocols should not be digitized

Extension/Homework:

Students interview a whānau member or community elder about a technology problem they face, and sketch a culturally-responsive solution.

🔗 Connections to NZC

  • Digital Technologies Level 5: Design, develop, and evaluate digital systems that address authentic purposes
  • Key Competencies: Thinking (creative problem-solving), relating to others (co-design)
  • Values: Innovation, inquiry, cultural diversity, community and participation

💬 Whānau Connection

Students share their design prototype with whānau and ask: "What technology would make it easier for our family to practice our culture? What problems do you face with modern technology?"