Design and exploratory assessment of a mobile educational prototype for Saraguro cultural heritage and Kichwa-language learning

Abstract

Digital resources can broaden access to living heritage, but their contribution depends on cultural relevance, community governance, and claims that remain proportional to the evidence collected. This study reports the design and exploratory assessment of a mobile educational prototype focused on Saraguro cultural heritage and introductory Kichwa-language learning. The prototype organized multimedia content on gastronomy, rituals and festivals, handicrafts, ancestral medicine, stories, cultural places, and basic Kichwa expressions with audio-playback controls. It was informed by a previous project website, saragurotradiciones.site, but the two resources were technically distinct and only the mobile prototype was assessed. The development process was organized through the five Mobile-D phases. An exploratory qualitative evaluation involved 12 purposively selected participants: five undergraduate students, three local tour guides, two cultural-tourism operators, and two educators. Semi-structured interviews lasted 30 -45 min, were conducted in person or by videoconference, and were recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded. Ten participants described the prototype as easy to navigate. Participants also valued the organization of local cultural content and georeferenced information, while identifying offline access, broader multilingual support, expanded content, and possible augmented-reality functions as development priorities. No standardized usability protocol, learning assessment, longitudinal deployment, or Internet of Things system was implemented. The findings therefore constitute formative evidence about perceived clarity and relevance rather than proof of educational, linguistic, cultural, or tourism impact.