Out of the classroom and into the laboratory: Teaching digital curation virtually and experientially

Abstract

As graduate LIS/IS education seeks to respond to intensifying virtual information and preservation environments, it becomes increasingly clear that innovative teaching tools and methods are required. These teaching tools must complement and enhance state-of-the-art curriculum offerings in subjects such as digital curation. The digital curation courses offered in the LIS School at Simmons College, Boston illustrate an innovative virtual and experiential approach. At the heart of these courses is the Digital Curriculum Laboratory, a virtual archives and preservation laboratory. This paper discusses and demonstrates the relationship between a digital curriculum laboratory, the successful delivery of a digital curation curriculum and its wider international implications