Gaming Gets Serious
While video games are often associated with escapism — from military battlefields to fantasy kingdoms and futuristic galaxies — they have also long served as tools for learning. The 1985 game Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? taught geography to a generation, while 1971’s The Oregon Trail instilled a fear of dysentery in those same players. More recently, Never Alone, developed with Alaska Native storytellers, introduced gamers to Iñupiaq traditions. Continuing this legacy, interdisciplinary researchers at UAA have created Dnigi, a “serious game” designed to teach Dena’ina language and culture.
Across the world, Indigenous languages face extinction after centuries of colonialism, forced assimilation and cultural erasure. In Alaska, many Native languages — including Dena’ina, the language of the Indigenous people around the Cook Inlet — are critically endangered. Traditional revitalization efforts such as classes and recordings remain essential, but new tools may help accelerate the process.
Dnigi was developed by a UAA research team consisting of computer science assistant professor Pradeeban Kathiravelu, Ph.D., with Alaska Native studies instructor Donita Slawson, A.A. ’93, B.A. ’24, and professor Maria Williams, Ph.D., along with psychology professor Robert Boeckmann, Ph.D, and collaborators from the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. The game explores how digital technology can complement traditional teaching. Much like language-learning apps such as Duolingo, it uses interactive gameplay to engage users. But unlike mainstream products, its purpose is not to gamify vocabulary lists, but to help players experience the cultural context that gives language meaning.
“Computer science allows us to develop solutions, and developing technology that directly benefits humanity can be a rewarding experience,” said Kathiravelu. “It was meaningful to work on Dnigi alongside colleagues that have all experienced firsthand threats to their languages.”
The team drew on materials developed by Slawson, who teaches Dena’ina at UAA, and on cultural insights from Williams, chair of the Alaska Native Studies department. Their guidance shaped not only the content but also the spirit of the project. Kathiravelu was a student in Slawson’s elementary Dena’ina language class, which motivated him to learn more about the language and heritage. Kathiravelu also collaborates with Williams and Alaska Native studies assistant professor Jessica Ross on several other projects, which introduces him to additional Alaska Native research and heritage.
“It is super exciting to participate in innovative projects that support Indigenous and Alaska Native knowledge and languages,” said Williams. “The international team created a game that incorporates their unique expertise in their respective fields, and I feel strongly in Dnigi‘s usefulness as a pedagogical tool.”
Embedded videos, audio recordings and flashcards provide short lessons in pronunciation and heritage. Quizzes at the end of each section encourage players to recall what they learned. Rather than emphasizing complex gameplay or competition, Dnigi focuses on discovery and storytelling. The experience mirrors place-based learning — an approach that connects education to the land and community. For Alaska Native students in particular, this strengthens cultural identity and a sense of belonging.
Dnigi is envisioned as a teaching aid for university courses on Alaska Native heritage and language. Faculty can integrate the game into lessons that encourage students to explore cultural geography alongside linguistic practice. Built with an open-source framework, Dnigi can be adapted or expanded with new material. Future versions could incorporate other Alaska Native languages, allowing it to evolve into a statewide platform for heritage education. Its modular design also enables collaboration among students in computer science, linguistics and Alaska Native studies, encouraging learning through both content and co-creation.
“Gaming is very popular worldwide and has been developed to appeal to a wide range of demographics,” said Boeckmann. “Regardless of the particular content focus, at their core, all games have the same basic motivational principles and strategies, and there is a great deal of potential for enhancing educational engagement and learning outcomes through serious games for a wide variety of subjects.”
For researchers, the game offers opportunities to study how digital interactivity affects student engagement and learning outcomes. Faculty plan to evaluate its classroom impact through student feedback and grade comparisons before and after implementation. While the current version focuses on Dena’ina Ełnena, the team hopes to expand the game to include additional Alaska Native cultures and languages. They also envision forming an Elders’ council to guide content creation, ensuring that cultural materials remain accurate, sensitive and community-approved.
Long-term plans include developing mobile and virtual reality versions that would let players explore the land in augmented reality environments. The project’s collaborative spirit extends beyond technology. By bringing together Indigenous educators, computer scientists and social scientists, Dnigi demonstrates how interdisciplinary partnerships can support cultural preservation. The game also models how innovation can serve traditional knowledge rather than replace it.
For Kathiravelu and his computer science students, Dnigi represents a bridge between technology and humanity. For Williams, the project aligns with her decades-long advocacy for integrating Alaska Native voices into higher education. And for Slawson, the work carries personal and communal meaning. As a Dena’ina educator and tribal administrator, she sees Dnigi as another way to keep her language alive and accessible to younger generations.
“Seeing my Dena’ina language illustrated in a game is certainly a dream come true for me and for generations to follow,” said Slawson. “‘Chiqinik’ to everyone for their hard work and dedication to this project.”