Museums as part of the network of digital culture: A comparative study between the Republic of Korea and the UK

This thesis explores the networks of digital culture surrounding six national museums in the Republic of Korea and the UK. Via qualitative research methods, it answers the following research questions: 1) How do the dynamics between the key actors in the museum sector affect the use of digital technology as a foundation of visitor experience? 2) How have museum practices evolved to accommodate digital technology? This study also draws comparisons and contrasts between the two countries’ different approaches to digital culture in museums. Based on Actor-Network theory (ANT) and activity theory (AT), this research identifies actors who have influenced the digital projects of the case museums, for example, government, the museum itself, museum practitioners, digital industry, the public, and so on. The ways they have interconnected with each other are analysed also, as is tracing the actors. The research also highlights the importance of communities of practice (CoP) for museum practitioners’ professional development because of the rapid evolution of technology and the nature of museum digital projects that are situated between the digital and museum sectors. A comparative analysis between the two countries’ national museums is also presented through different actors, their roles and their relationship with the museums. The research also identifies how communication and learning theories adopted in digital projects are dependent on the museums’ overall missions, working processes, and the actors involved in the development of the digital projects. Most digital projects seem to adopt one-way communication and focus on knowledge delivery. However, game-like digital exhibits, maker spaces and online crowdsourcing projects that further consider learner-centred and sociocultural learning approaches are also found, although the museums in the two countries have different approaches. Based on the research findings, this research provides a holistic context for understanding the digital phenomenon in museums and the degree to which the museums have shaped/been impacted by digital culture. I also suggest that museums develop digital projects through a collaborative process and harness digital technology to empower the public

Updating the art history curriculum: incorporating virtual and augmented reality technologies to improve interactivity and engagement

Master's Project (M.Ed.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2017This project investigates how the art history curricula in higher education can borrow from and incorporate emerging technologies currently being used in art museums. Many art museums are using augmented reality and virtual reality technologies to transform their visitors' experiences into experiences that are interactive and engaging. Art museums have historically offered static visitor experiences, which have been mirrored in the study of art. This project explores the current state of the art history classroom in higher education, which is historically a teacher-centered learning environment and the learning effects of that environment. The project then looks at how art museums are creating visitor-centered learning environments; specifically looking at how they are using reality technologies (virtual and augmented) to transition into digitally interactive learning environments that support various learning theories. Lastly, the project examines the learning benefits of such tools to see what could (and should) be implemented into the art history curricula at the higher education level and provides a sample section of a curriculum demonstrating what that implementation could look like. Art and art history are a crucial part of our culture and being able to successfully engage with it and learn from it enables the spread of our culture through digital means and of digital culture

Creating Inclusive Experiences in Children\u27s Museums for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study examined daily programming and inclusion efforts for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at a singular study site, a children’s museum located in a suburban community of Illinois. The purpose of this study was to identify, through survey, observation, and peer interviews the current accessibility barriers at the study site and suggest ways to prevent them through inclusive design strategies. Interviews with children’s museums around the country focused on how children’s museums may be able to expand their inclusion efforts to overcome these barriers including designing programming to provide inclusive experiences for children with ASD. These interviews championed the use of a variety of inclusion efforts including utilizing Universal Design for Learning Guidelines in program development and engaging community partners. Survey results showed that visitors to the site utilized these environments for leisure and supplementary educational opportunities. However, due to various barriers related to the Museum environment and characteristics of ASD, children with the disorder are not always able to have a positive experience. Observations conducted at the study site revealed that while the Museum offers many accessibility resources to visitors, its current daily programming is unsupportive of a neurodiverse audience. Outcomes from this study resulted in recommendations to improve the experiences of children with ASD at the study site by investing in staff training and resources, designing programs that comply with Universal Design for Learning Guidelines, and cultivating and maintaining community partnerships. In addition, strategies for measuring the effectiveness of these recommendations were identified. This, in turn, may be relevant and beneficial to ASD programming development and delivery at other museum sites around the country

Building capacity in climate change policy analysis and negotiation: methods and technologies

Capacity building is often cited as the reason “we cannot just pour money into developing countries” and why so many development projects fail because their design does not address local conditions. It is therefore a key technical and political concept in international development. Some of the poorest countries in the world are also some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Their vulnerability is in part due to a lack of capacity to plan and anticipate the effects of climate change on crops, water resources, urban electricity demand etc. What capacities do these countries lack to deal with climate change? How will they cope? What steps can they take to reduce their vulnerability? This innovative and high-profile research project was part of a larger project (called C3D) and conducted with non-governmental organisations in Senegal, South Africa and Sri Lanka. The research involved several participatory workshops and a questionnaire to all three research centres

Constructivist Approaches in Museum Tour and Workshop School Programs

This research investigated how constructivist approaches are conceptualized and implemented in “gallery tour and studio workshop” programs at three art museums, and the relationship that exists between the gallery and studio learning. To address these questions, I examined how administrators from each museum designed programs and supported educators, how educators facilitated teaching, and how students responded to the gallery and studio learning. I employed a basic qualitative multi-case study. This method suited my research—an investigation of three cases (three iterations of a program at each museum)—because I aimed to understand the uniqueness of each case while examining a range of similar and contrasting cases. Data collection methods included observations of program sessions, interviews with museum administrators and museum educators, casual conversations with participating students, photos of students’ artworks, and museum documents. The cases offer examples of educators’ teaching approaches, which reflect—or do not reflect—constructivist tenets, as well as factors that influence the connection—or lack of connection—across gallery and studio learning. Specifically, the findings indicate that a smaller students-educator ratio and knowing students’ information in advance helped ensure a conducive learning environment. Another relevant factor was the educators’ facilitation of dialogue. Students became more involved in interpreting artworks when educators were most responsive to their ideas, and less involved when educators asked leading or less open-ended questions. Program themes, reflections on the tour prior to the studio session, and motivating questions for studio activities helped ensure connections between gallery and studio. Additionally, exploratory studio activities and small group discussions in the studio helped students make unique choices within their art projects, whereas step-by-step demonstrations led to prescriptive artworks. Further, students’ responses reflected the sequencing of the program: ways of discussing artworks travelled from the galleries to the studio, and student artworks referenced visual elements from artworks displayed in the galleries. While the findings of this research are not generalizable, they provide insight into methods and approaches that might be adopted by museum administrators, museum educators, and art educators who aim to provide school students meaningful and well-connected museum “gallery tour and studio workshop” educational programs

Exploring self-regulation through learning navigation pathways in online learning during the pandemic

Abstract. Online learning has shown significant growth as a powerful alternative method to deliver learning through the pandemic situation. In the meantime, many studies have been attempting to investigate how to provide education within online platforms effectively; however, a few have examined how students regulate their learning during online courses. Through the lens of self-regulated learning theory and Zimmerman’s cyclical model (2000), the present study examines how successful students and less successful students regulate their learning in hypermedia contexts. Moreover, the research aims to explore self-regulatory behaviors via the learning pathways between successful students and less successful students in a learning management system. The process-oriented method was applied to investigate the student’s learning paths from the log data collected. The coding was done based on a new coding scheme created through the lens of self-regulated learning theories, in which half of the events were assigned with self-regulatory activities due to the lack of theoretical explanation. The frequency analysis and process mining analysis of coded learning events were generated to examine the differences in self-regulated learning between successful and less successful students. The results indicate how successful and less successful students regulate differently in their learning navigation. For educators, the study provides insights to better design online learning courses and suggests self-regulatory strategies to support students in hypermedia contexts

Mapping and searching for a theory and concept of library diplomacy

Introduction. This theoretical paper presents an exploration of how the concept and theory of library diplomacy is portrayed and presented in the library and information science (LIS) and international relations (IR) context. The paper also aims to address research gaps and position library diplomacy in today's 21st-century international environment. Method. To illustrate how library diplomacy is theorized and conceptualized, a literature review analysis is used to search for theories, concepts, and frameworks to look at the state of knowledge about the term “library diplomacy” and this paper also described the literature using a conceptual framework on the dimensions of library diplomacy. Analysis.Through reviewing several diverse scholarships on library diplomacy in the LIS and IR context, a selection of theories, concepts, and frameworks were identified. The analysis provided guidance to the trajectory of literature related to the concept and theory of library diplomacy. Results.Library diplomacy is characterized with a few LIS and IR theories including, realism, liberalism, soft power, constructivism, and the international librarianship as a practice theory. A conceptual framework of library diplomacy dimensions including (1) Libraries in diplomacy; (2) Diplomacy for libraries; and (3) Libraries for diplomacy, is identified to better understand the practices, policies and processes linked to library diplomacy. Conclusions. There are many fragmented scholarships related to library diplomacy but only few attempted to explore the concept and theory. A grounded and empirical study is needed for better understanding of library diplomacy´s related theories and concepts presented in this study

Using mobile devices to support online collaborative learning

Mobile collaborative learning is considered the next step of on-line collaborative learning by incorporating mobility as a key and breakthrough requirement. Indeed, the current wide spread of mobile devices and wireless technologies brings an enormous potential to e-learning, in terms of ubiquity, pervasiveness, personalization, flexibility, and so on. For this reason, Mobile Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning has recently grown from a minor research field to significant research projects covering a fairly variety of formal and specially informal learning settings, from schools and universities to workplaces, museums, cities and rural areas. Much of this research has shown how mobile technology can offer new opportunities for groups of learners to collaborate inside and beyond the traditional instructor-oriented educational paradigm. However, mobile technologies, when specifically applied to collaborative learning activities, are still in its infancy and many challenges arise. In addition, current research in this domain points to highly specialized study cases, uses, and experiences in specific educational settings and thus the issues addressed in the literature are found dispersed and disconnected from each other. To this end, this paper attempts to bridge relevant aspects of mobile technologies in support for collaborative learning and provides a tighter view by means of a multidimensional approach.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Labs and Landscapes Virtual Reality: Student-Created Forest Conservation Tours for Informal Public Engagement

The following exploratory convergent mixed-methods study examined graduate students’ experiences developing and facilitating 360º photo-based virtual reality (VR) tours titled Labs and Landscapes focused on forest conservation and climate change education, as well as tour impacts on public audiences. Graduate students in an agricultural and natural resources communication course at The University of Florida used 360º cameras, mobile devices, and online software to create VR tours about the UF/IFAS Austin Cary Research Forest. Then, the students guided public participants through the tours in three physical informal learning environments including a museum, brewery, and campus tabling site within the university community. Data collection included VR tour artifacts, audio recordings of students’ VR facilitation and discourse with the public, post-surveys of public participants’ tour impressions and climate change attitudes, and pre-/post-student reflections. Data sources were collected separately and mixed in interpretation. Results showed students increased their multimedia communication skills, knowledge of natural resource conservation, and confidence in communicating with public audiences. Additionally, survey results indicated public participants agreed the students successfully guided the tours, agreed it is important to learn about conservation and climate change, and had some disagreement with the statement that humans cannot prevent climate change