Imagining technology-enhanced learning with heritage artefacts: teacher-perceived potential of 2D and 3D heritage site visualisations

Background: There is much to be realised in the educational potential of national and world heritage sites. Such sites need to be supported in sharing their resources with a wide and international public, especially within formal education. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) heritage site visualisations could serve this need. Our study focuses on the teacher-perceived possibilities and benefits for education around such visualisations. Purpose: We describe how a group of UK teachers perceive the potential of cross-curricular learning that could arise from an Italian world heritage site. The teachers commented on 2D visualisations of artefacts from this site, as well as the design of a 3D immersive environment to serve educational purposes. We consider as follows: (1) how the cross-curricular teaching potential of such resources is perceived, and (2) what design features of a 3D immersive environment teachers suggest are needed for educational explorations. Sample: We recruited 10 teachers from the Midlands region of the UK and carried out semi-structured interviews. Methods: Interviews were transcribed and a thematic analysis applied to the conversations. Questioning was grounded in the examination of 2D and 3D visual resources. This provoked cross-curricular and educational design thinking. Results: Teacher responses highlighted a wide range of cross-curricular possibilities. However, they expressed a more ‘assimilative’ than ‘accommodative’ approach when relating resources to the curriculum. Such ‘assimilation’ involved seeing the site artefacts as raw material for more instrumental ‘curriculum activities’ (e.g. within art and design, geography, maths or literacy) rather than a more accommodative approach whereby curricular disciplines were exercised to make new meaning from the artefacts. In relation to 3D technology design, most teachers highlighted three technology features that would render it well matched to educational practice and three educational benefits over non-3D immersive environments. Conclusions: Teachers can easily imagine a rich range of opportunities to utilise 2D and 3D heritage site artefacts within the curriculum. However, the largely assimilative nature of this cross-curricular appropriation suggests the value of providing more guidance and support to teachers in the interpretation and application of artefacts. Their design suggestions can usefully inform construction of educational features within 3D immersive technologies that support heritage site experiences

<em>One River</em>: Telling Stories of the St. Louis River

In fall 2016, some of the stories and legends of the St. Louis River were woven into a play called One River, written by theatre professor Tom Isbell and performed by a student cast from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)

Women as agents of change in the cultural heritage sector

This study of 12 women professionals in archaeology and heritage grew out of my interest in archaeological ethics. The study addresses issues of heritage management and values and the role of multiple stakeholders in the stewardship of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. Today women play an important role in the cultural heritage sector, including public archaeology initiatives and education programs in archaeology and heritage. My own experiences and my observations of women colleagues in the field led me to ask questions about their role as leaders in the changing cultural heritage arena. My two key questions were: How do women professionals in the cultural heritage sector describe the changing issues they face in their professional lives? What new strategies are cultural heritage professionals using in their teaching, scholarship, and service to respond to changing realities? Over a two-year period beginning in 2007, I carried out semi-structured qualitative interviews with 12 women from four countries. Using narrative analysis and a constructivist approach to grounded theory, I identified themes that appeared throughout the interviews. Research findings are presented through extended narrative portraits of four of the interviewees and an integrated summary of data from all the interviews organized by key themes that emerged through document analysis. The experiences of the women in my study corroborate the findings of recent publications and reports on the status of women in archaeology. While significant progress has been made toward gender equity, there are still challenges related to employment opportunities, salary disparities, and work and family issues. The women in this study are risk takers, serious scholars, and they place a high value on working collaboratively and in community. Their approach to archaeology is consistent with newly emerging trends in heritage studies

Libraries Burning

The impact of climate change on archaeological and heritage sites in the Arctic region is devastating. New techniques of research and analysis are providing increasingly rich data about the long history of humans in the environment. Just as the value of these sites is being recognized more fully, the sites themselves are being destroyed by thawing permafrost, rising sea levels, and increasingly violent storms. Nowhere is this being felt more intensely than in the Arctic, which is warming two to three times as fast as the rest of the planet (Hoag 2019)

Climate Change and Rivers

Open Rivers contacted Paul Huttner, Chief Meteorologist for Minnesota Public Radio. Huttner writes the Updraft blog and hosts MPR’s weekly Climate Cast. We wanted to learn more about the impact climate change is having on rivers and communities and how discussions about environmental issues and water are changing

Evidence-based (S3) guideline for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in women and in men

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common hair loss disorder, affecting both men and women. Initial signs of androgenetic alopecia usually develop during teenage years leading to progressive hair loss with a pattern distribution. Moreover, its frequency increases with age and affects up to 80 % Caucasian men and 42 % of women. Patients diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia may undergo significant impairment of quality of life. Despite the high prevalence and the variety of therapeutic options available, there have been no national or international evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men and women so far. Therefore, the European Dermatology Forum (EDF) initiated a project to develop an evidence-based S3 guideline for the treatment of andro-genetic alopecia. Based on a systematic literature research the efficacy of the currently available therapeutic options was assessed and therapeutic recommendations were passed in a consensus conference. The purpose of the guideline is to provide dermatologists as well as general practitioners with an evidence-based tool for choosing an efficacious and safe therapy for patients with androgenetic alopecia. copy; 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH, Berlin.SCOPUS: ar.jFLWINinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe