Learning Spaces
Evaluating a Digital Heritage Storytelling Application: The Case of REVAthens
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Foteini Venieri, Adromache Gazi
The paper presents the evaluation results of REVAthens, a pilot interactive digital application for mobile devices, which “narrates” historical events that took place during the 1826-27 siege of the Acropolis of Athens by the Ottomans by employing the methodology of museum theatre. The project’s goal was to create alternative readings of the Greek Revolution through first-person evidence as narrated by different imaginary “characters/avatars” who experienced the siege. The evaluation process followed a mixed approach and focused on how groups and individuals experience the app either on-site or online, and how their feedback could inform future practice. The paper provides an outline of the project and discusses its evaluation process and results.
Engaging Museums and Galleries in Pre-service Art Teacher Education in Singapore
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Agnieszka Chalas, Annabelle Tan
Today, not only is it readily acknowledged that art museums and galleries have an important role to play in any well-rounded visual arts curriculum, but documentation of the student impacts of visits to these important cultural institutions is mounting in the literature. Despite the reported benefits to students, research indicates that many art teachers still feel ill-equipped to use museums/galleries in support of their classroom art instruction. Numerous scholars have therefore argued that both exposure to museums/galleries and direct training in the use of museum-based resources and pedagogies should be an essential core ingredient in art teachers’ pre-service preparation. The establishment of strong links between university faculty and educators at local museums/galleries is critical to such an endeavour. At the National Institute for Education (NIE) in Singapore, not only are museum methods courses an obligatory part of pre-service provision for all primary and secondary art teacher candidates, but they also make significant use of local art museums and galleries as learning spaces for these future teachers. This paper outlines a pre-service art museum education course undertaken in collaboration with both the National Gallery Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum as a component of the teacher preparation program at NIE. Specifically, the study illustrates how museum-university partnerships at the pre-service level can serve to prepare museum-wise art teachers.
Transforming Museum Spaces into Inclusive Third Places: Exploring Collaborative Curation and Digital Engagement through Participatory Action Research
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Zida Wang
This research investigates the application of Third Place Theory and Constructivist Museum practices within the Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, highlighted through a 2023 co-curated exhibition "The Art of Bonding." By utilizing a qualitative, participatory action research approach, the study examines how collaborative curation transforms museums into inclusive, dynamic spaces for community engagement and educational interactions. Key findings emphasize the evolution of co-curators roles from traditional curatorial tasks to more dynamic, inclusive participation, which fosters a deeper community connection and enhances educational outcomes. The research reveals that integrating digital strategy like online interactive platforms, is crucial for extending museum accessibility and engaging broader audiences, especially those facing physical or geographical barriers. It highlights the need for sustaining engagement through innovative curatorial practices, including continuous digital interaction that encourages ongoing visitor contributions. Recommendations include adopting these practices in museum settings to demonstrate the potential of museums as educational spaces and community connectors. The paper outlines future research directions, focusing on the scalability of these theories across various types of museums and assessing their long-term impact on visitor engagement and learning.
Museum as Social Technology: Creating Partnerships to Reduce Inequalities
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nathália Pamio Luiz
We offer a brief discussion about the ongoing investigation, which has as its object of study the relationship between social technologies as a resource for social innovation and the practices of Sociomuseology, observed in museums whose activities are based on their social function in communities with which are related. Museums often develop strategies without connection to local territorial and social issues, with limited impact on the lives of their beneficiary communities. But how can we take another path and recodify these practices? The objective of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of the Museum as a social technology, through the specific objectives of mapping good practices, analyzing and interpreting in a participatory way the processes and methods of a dialogic and community-based museological nature, to develop methodologies aligned with the strategies development, with the museum as a resource. Aligned and attentive to the SDGs, the investigation believes in the development of social technology to create partnerships (17), strengthen education (4), implement innovative processes (9), and consequently, reduce inequalities (10).
