Regenerating Non-Formal Learning in Africa: Digitizing Yoruba Folktales for Animation and Value Education

Abstract

Abstract

Folktales are fictional oral literature with cultural contents and characterization, created to aid the learning and developmental processes of the child (Akporobaro 2001, Ajikobi 2007, Gomez 2016). As a form of informal learning, the folktale is crafted by sages, who are mostly women, as a communal verbal art which addresses such themes as humanity, discipline, religion, leadership, integrity and their importance, in a bid to maintain generations with strong morals and sustainable ways of life. However, folktales have not enjoyed sufficient interest in African societies in recent times (Alade, Folaranmi, & Odejobi 2015). This research, which aims to produce African contents, specifically Yorùbá, for children’s entertainment and moral learning, is an attempt to create an indigenous alternative to oriental and occidental animations using Yorùbá folktales.

In addition, this research will contribute to restructuring African studies by moving the folktales away from the usual oral and anthologised forms that they have appeared on pages of books, to a more appealing, dramaturgical and modernised form. This research will contribute to the Knowledge Laboratory by making the folktales readily available for future reference.