Youth, heritage, anddigital learning ecologies
Creating engaging spaces for young people
Ashley Shaw [email protected] Krug [email protected]
Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy,University of British Columbia
Context
Goal: To engage fifteen to twenty-five year olds in dialogue
and creative engagement with concepts of identity, culture,
heritage, and genealogy
Research Objectives
1. Identify characteristics of 15-25 year old Canadians.
2. Identify patterns of online behaviour and participation of this demographic.
3. Identify effective modes of online learning for this demographic, particularly in reference to culture, identity, heritage, and genealogy.
4. Identify characteristics of existing online museum spaces and other communities of interest.
5. Identify characteristics of effective and popular online resources.
Characteristics
Variety of life choices
Ethnically and racially diverse
Expressive
Educated
Value meaningful work
Optimistic and goal oriented
Traditional
Culturally and civically engaged
Connected
Online behaviours
95% have internet access
74% have mobile access
8 hours/day engaged with media, but consume 11 hours of content
83% on social networking sites
• Keep in touch• Find information• Technologically confident• Consumers more than creators• High expectations of information
Online Learning
Informal Learning
Knowledge is socially constructed: participatory cultures
Knowledge is ever changing: perpetual beta
Potentially useful concepts:
Digital learning ecologies
Game and play based learning
Social Media and Networking
Social, participatory, collaborative: networked learning
Relationships, communication, interaction: relational agency
Potentially useful concepts:
Engagement
Funds of living knowledge
Identity Exploration
Internet as a space for identity exploration: writing one’s self into being
Dialogic engagement with audience(s): performance of self
Potentially useful concepts:
Acculturation
Hybrid performativity
Currently…
Virtual Exhibitions currently found in Canadian Museums:
• Designed as entry point
• Targeted ‘For Families’ or ‘Teacher Zone’
• Static content: searchable collections, links, podcasts, games
• Unclear navigation
Effective online museum spaces
Destination/experience
Creating community online through social media
Website as a platform (for curators/artists/scientists/commuity/bloggers)
Website as aggregator/curator
Website as portal: virtual exhibitions
Characteristics of effective on-line spaces
Organic• Co-developed• Customisable• Evolving
Participatory• Interactive• Collaborative
Self-directed• Inquiry based• Hybrid spaces • Evaluative
Useable• Attractive and
engaging• Clear guidance and
navigation
Conclusions/Recommendations
Participatory, social, collaborative.
Information on a wide variety of cultures, ethnicities, identities.
Open and engaging content.
Organic, evolving, customisable.