Projects / Programmes
HERITAGE FOR THE FUTURE - INTERACTIVE ONLINE (WEB) MUSEUM FOR CHILDREN
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.04.00 |
Humanities |
Ethnology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S189 |
Social sciences |
Organizational science |
museum for children, Internet, education, interaction, learning of children, framework, cultural heritage
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
21389 |
PhD Lea Kužnik |
Anthropology |
Head |
2008 - 2010 |
0 |
Abstract
Research project “Heritage for the future – interactive online (web) museum for children” will transfer the concept of traditional museum for children, to the »alternative« online environment (Internet). The first time in Slovenia will be exposed the question of terminology of online museum (what is e-museum, what is e-exhibition, who is e-curator, e-visitor…) and definition of individual terms.
The project research will based on scientific and applicable findings of theoretical bases (relevant literature and web sources that refer to research field), fieldwork (research methods: autopsy and structured interviews) and up-to-date technologies, and represent foundation or basic theoretical framework, which will serve as a functional specification for management of traditional museum, curators, designers, programmers and IT personnel. The model will be based on collections of different Slovene museums and private collectors. Interactive pedagogical programs derive from discussing individual objects will be planned for four groups of children and youth of different ages.
Research project will presents foundation and base (proof of concept), that will serve to all traditional museums as help and guideline to all museums during the implementation phase of the interactive online museum, based on their own collections. It will contain analysis of activities concerning cultural heritage, as well as the analysis of the possible technological approaches.
The interactive e-museum for children will allow the visitors rapid and efficient research, detection and realization of their own heritage and also heritage of foreign, less known cultures, and many other contents in accordance with their interests in digital media which is already present in their daily life.
Significance for science
The research results represent a significant contribution to education in the Slovenian ethnological and museological sciences, especially in non-formal education of children and youth about their own cultural heritage, held by Slovenian museums.
Theoretical concept of the children’s museum, based on findings of pedagogical and psychological theorists represents a kind of opposition of so-called traditional school approach, but even schools increasingly exceeding it. Children’s museum and school are in many ways different, but also complementary.
The original theoretical idea of the children’s museum results from Dewey’s concept of experiential learning, theory of active and independent learning Marie Montessori, where children learn through active participation in various activities, Kolb’s theory of experiential learning as a constant cyclic process and findings about the importance of play in children's learning processes.
In second generation of theoretical ideas that have supported the development of the children’s museums contains Piaget’s constructivist theory of the development of children's cognition, which has meant the start of interactive exhibitions and Gardner’s discovery of multiple, relatively independent intelligences, which the individual may develop at different stages, which also affects the difference in the perception of a successful learning situations, depending on the area of perception and cognitive processing of learning content.
Social constructivists, such as e.g. Vigotski highlight the importance of learning as a social process where the personality and identity of the individual occurs as a result of complex social interactions with the child's living environment.
Novelty among the current theoretical concepts that serve as the theoretical framework of children’s museum is the idea of experiential pedagogy proposed by Stanko Gogala, which is still unknown in modern museum pedagogy. He claims that a successful development of child's personality requires experience - emotional exchange, a feeling that in a suitable situation enables us to become aware of the problem and work to benefit from its dismissal. The richer and more active the child's participation in diverse activities, which is important in allowing different experiences, the wider social and cognitive skills will be acquired.
Preschool children build their thinking, knowledge and personality on the basis of practical experience with various objects, people and places.
Theoretical basis can be used for planning, designing and implementing of interactive activities, both in classical as well as online virtual children’s museums, while taking into account the strengths and opportunities of such a museum, and also be aware of the weaknesses and threats of both classical as well as online virtual museums that have arisen in the research.
Interactive online children’s museum enables new possibilities of learning for children, create opportunities for activities which can not be possible in the real world. Above all exploration of museum objects and contents in a different way and from a different perspective: an interactive online museum visitors may modify the size of the object, create new content, play various educational games with which discover the secrets of objects, communicate with other visitors from all over the world...
The survey and analysis of current theoretical concepts in the field of pedagogy, psychology, ethnology and museology is placed a solid theoretical basis which serves as an interactive online model of children's museum, based on actual collections of various museums and objects which result in different educational programs of different age groups. This model can be used efficiently in designing classical or virtual children's museums in modern society.
Significance for the country
The concept of children’s museum is rather unknown in Slovenia, comparing to Europe and the USA, where they have a very long tradition. Research topic represents a novelty in Slovenia, and it combines both theoretical pedagogical and psychological findings about education, learning, play of preschool children, and child development theories, as well as theoretical and practical findings about real and virtual children’s museums.
The research and analysis of current theoretical concepts in the field of pedagogy and psychology about learning, play and development of the child is placed a solid theoretical basis for the development of the children’s museum in modern society.
Theoretical basis is supported by those pedagogical and psychological theories, which have an impact on contemporary thinking about directing learning processes in kindergarten and school, which further confirms the idea that the online virtual museums can be an interactive learning centers for children, which represent one of the "alternative places" for the education of children and youth. It raises the quality of learning for children and deepens the knowledge that children acquire in a more formal, in terms of experiential learning less encouraging (pre)school environments.
The development of modern technologies and the Internet in recent years caused that new possibilities and ways of learning about cultural heritage greatly increases the availability of museum content for larger population, regardless of where they live. This implies a global accessibility and visibility of Slovenian museums, which opened with their virtual presentations to the whole world.
The research project represents a theoretical model that will serve as the basis for Slovenian museums for implementation of interactive online museums or individual interactive content, based on their collections or objects.
In online virtual children’s museums may also be exhibited objects, which for various reasons, can not be displayed in real museums (e.g. objects which are too big or too sensitive). Because we do not have to worry about objects being damaged or stolen, we can display them in unusual or funny places. Because of better possibilities for exploration we can enlarge objects, which are tiny in real-life and the other way around. Interactive online children’s museums enable equal conditions for learning also for people with physical restraints and handicapped.
All theoretical and practical findings serve as a basis of a model of online interactive children’s museum in Slovenia based on objects or collections of Slovenian museums. Slovenian cultural heritage will be accessible to a wider domestic and global public, which in turn means more visitors in Slovene museums and greater visibility of Slovenia in the world.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
