Trends in Digital Cultural Heritage Management and Applications

We present some recent trends in the field of digital cultural heritage management and applications including digital cultural data curation, interoperability, open linked data publishing, crowd sourcing, visualization, platforms for digital cultural heritage, and applications. We present some examples from research and development projects of MUSIC/TUC in those areas.The Fourth International Conference on Digital Presentation and Preservation of Cultural and Scientific Heritage—DiPP2014 is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science and is under the patronage of UNESCO

Supporting SPARQL Update Queries in RDF-XML Integration

The Web of Data encourages organizations and companies to publish their data according to the Linked Data practices and offer SPARQL endpoints. On the other hand, the dominant standard for information exchange is XML. The SPARQL2XQuery Framework focuses on the automatic translation of SPARQL queries in XQuery expressions in order to access XML data across the Web. In this paper, we outline our ongoing work on supporting update queries in the RDF-XML integration scenario.Comment: 13th International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC '14

Querying XML Data with SPARQL

Abstract. SPARQL is today the standard access language for Semantic Web data. In the recent years XML databases have also acquired industrial impor-tance due to the widespread applicability of XML in the Web. In this paper we present a framework that bridges the heterogeneity gap and creates an interop-erable environment where SPARQL queries are used to access XML databases. Our approach assumes that fairly generic mappings between ontology con-structs and XML Schema constructs have been automatically derived or manu-ally specified. The mappings are used to automatically translate SPARQL que-ries to semantically equivalent XQuery queries which are used to access the XML databases. We present the algorithms and the implementation of SPARQL2XQuery framework, which is used for answering SPARQL queries over XML databases

Esperienze creative e collaborative con il teatro d’ombre

Storytelling is a very common educational practice that is used in every level of education. It has a positive impact in children’s learning and creativity. Often the educational use of storytelling is based on national storytelling traditions such as Shadow Theater which is very popular in many countries including Greece. Inthis research we present eShadow, a storytelling tool inspired by the Greek traditional shadow theater and how it has been used in a number of Adult Learning Pilot Programmes (ALPPs) implemented within the context of the ALICE project in Greece.In these ALPPs, intra-family communication scenarios were investigated as well as scenarios related to enabling children develop their own digital stories using eShadow. Furthermore, eShadow was used in a live interactive performance event combining Music and Digital Shadow Theatre. The evidence gathered during the implementation of these ALPPs confirms that such kind of approaches can indeed enhance intergenerational bonding and create an engaging learning space for children to develop important key skills. Our findings illustrate that eShadowis very easy to use, attracts the interest of both children and teachers and has a positive impact on the development of children’s creativity.Lo storytelling è una pratica molto comune in ambito formative ed educativo, utilizzata ad ogni livello di istruzione. Ha un impatto positivo sull’apprendimento e la creatività dei bambini. Spesso l’uso didattico dello storytelling si basa su espressioni narrative ben conosciute a livello nazionale, qual è il caso del teatrodelle ombre, molto popolare in molti paesi tra cui la Grecia. In questa ricerca presentiamo i risultati dell’implementazione di uno strumento digitale, “eShadow”, ispirato al tradizionale teatro delle ombre greco, nel contesto di un certo numero di attività pilota per la formazione degli adulti (Adult Learning Pilot Programmes,ALPPS) attuate nel contesto del progetto ALICE, in Grecia.In questi ALPPS, gli scenari di comunicazione intra-familiari sono stati studiati così come scenari che consentono ai bambini di sviluppare le proprie abilità per il lavoro con lo strumento digitale eShadow. Inoltre, eShadow è stato utilizzato in evento interattivo che univa presentazioni di Musica e Teatro con la presenzadi teatro delle ombre “digitale”. Le prove raccolte nel corso di questi ALPPS conferma l’ipotesi degli autori che questo tipo di approcci può infatti migliorare i legami intergenerazionali e consente di sviluppare importanti competenze chiave sia negli adulti che nei bambini. I nostri risultati mostrano che eShadow è molto facile da usare, attira l’interesse di bambini e insegnanti e ha un positivoimpatto sullo sviluppo della creatività dei bambini

Performative Framework and Case Study for Technology-Enhanced Learning Communities

This paper employs the overarching concept of communities to express the social contexts within which human creativity is exercised and learning happens. With the advent of digital technologies, these social contexts, the communities we engage in, change radically. The new landscape brought about by digital technologies is characterized by new qualities, new opportunities for action, new community affordances. The term onlife is adopted from the Onlife Manifesto and used to distinguish the new kind of communities brought about by the modern digital technologies, the onlife communities. Design principles are presented to foster such communities and support their members. These principles constitute a framework that emphasizes the concept of performativity, i.e. knowledge is based on human performance and actions done within certain social contexts, rather than development of conceptual representations. To demonstrate the use of the framework and the corresponding principles, the paper presents how they can be used to analyze, evaluate and reframe a concrete system addressing creativity and learning in the field of cultural heritage (history teaching and learning). One of the most significant results is the adoption of principles that facilitate students’ engagement in rich learning experiences moving from the role of end-user towards the role of expert-user with the support of so called maieuta-designers. The result of this process is the use of the studied software not only to consume ready-made content but the creation of new, student generated content, offering new learning opportunities to the students. As the evaluation shows, these new learning opportunities enable students to develop a deeper understanding of the topics studied

Performative Framework and Case Study for Technology-Enhanced Learning Communities

This paper employs the overarching concept of communities to express the social contexts within which human creativity is exercised and learning happens. With the advent of digital technologies, these social contexts, the communities we engage in, change radically. The new landscape brought about by digital technologies is characterized by new qualities, new opportunities for action, new community affordances. The term onlife is adopted from the Onlife Manifesto and used to distinguish the new kind of communities brought about by the modern digital technologies, the onlife communities. Design principles are presented to foster such communities and support their members. These principles constitute a framework that emphasizes the concept of performativity, i.e. knowledge is based on human performance and actions done within certain social contexts, rather than development of conceptual representations. To demonstrate the use of the framework and the corresponding principles, the paper presents how they can be used to analyze, evaluate and reframe a concrete system addressing creativity and learning in the field of cultural heritage (history teaching and learning). One of the most significant results is the adoption of principles that facilitate students’ engagement in rich learning experiences moving from the role of end-user towards the role of expert-user with the support of so called maieuta-designers. The result of this process is the use of the studied software not only to consume ready-made content but the creation of new, student generated content, offering new learning opportunities to the students. As the evaluation shows, these new learning opportunities enable students to develop a deeper understanding of the topics studied.Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science under the National Research Programme "Cultural heritage, national memory and development of society" and the National Scientific Program “Information and Communication Technologies for a Single Digital Market in Science, Education and Security” approved by DCM №577/17.08.2018; EVANDE project (contract number ECHO/SUB/2014/693261); Erasmus+ projects DISCOVER (2017-1-BG01-KA202-036327), and MUSILIB (2018-1-FI01-KA201-047196)

Operational Conceptual Modeling in Building and Sustaining Technology Enhanced Learning Communities

This paper presents a systematic approach to building and sustaining technology-enhanced learning communities based on a conceptual model that enables the analysis and enhancement of digital platforms and tools that promote creativity and learning. Two such software systems are presented, and their usage is analyzed. Experimental results are also presented that demonstrate the effectiveness of the conceptual model in enhancing the learning experiences offered