Engaging with Digital Heritage: Including you end users in strategy discussions on heritage protection.
The NTNU UB, Gunnerus library branch has been running workshops for several years for students of archaeology, archive studies and heritage or Museum professionals in order to map the relationship they consider as important in their study activities when it comes to climate change or war as a factor for deterioration of heritage monuments. The workshops are based on design methods whose core philosophy is to include end-users as active participants in the design process and reflect on how we interact, work and learn in the context of a targeted activity, through observation, discussions, and teamwork so that a concrete idea is produced.
NINIVE: lost cultures
Previous research has suggested that visitors of a cultural heritage site or museum desire interaction and personalization in exhibits, but others have suggested that successful cases of ‘edutainment’ are far too seldom.
In 2019 we are running a course with engineering students on a masters level at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) who is challenged through a subject called experts in team to find solutions on how technology can be used to disseminate History and Archaeology for younger generations and make it more interesting. Issues of 3d models of archaeological sites authenticity have also been addressed by the students.
Including your end users in the process of choosing your strategy can be a way to go for museums and cultural heritage institutions as proposed here.
Alexandra Angeletaki is a classical archaeologist and has worked as a lecturer in archeology at NTNU since2001. For the last few years she has been involved in innovative dissemination DH projects and has worked with Museology and Digital Learning at NTNU University Library.
She is also responsible for library seminars and academic writing support for students in Kalvskinnet Campus.
