14th January 2015, 02:18 PM
Digital heritage interpretation and engagement
Richard Lewis-
Among other outcomes, the archaeology sector aims to engage a wider audience with archaeological data. Increasingly, digital technology is used within the heritage industry to interpret sites, following a global trend towards increased digitisation. Rising sales of portable digital technology and members of social media websites have created a new audience for engagement with issues from politics to humanitarian causes. Accordingly, heritage smartphone apps and social media pages are becoming commonplace. These developments raise concerns regarding how digital technology engages the public. To measure this, several factors must be considered, including the nature of digital engagement strategies, their appropriateness within their settings and effectiveness in achieving their aims. This allows for modification of engagement strategies to better suit the intended audience. This talk examines various digital heritage interpretation techniques for promoting interaction with the public. Based on the studies conducted during my MA dissertation, I will highlight the issues raised through an intensive desk-based analysis of digital heritage interpretation techniques. For example, top-down versus grass-roots methodologies, the utilisation of social media and some concerns raised by so-called 'techno-dystopians' are considered. The points raised here will be analysed in conjunction with a central case study of the Stonehenge Audio Tour app, by English Heritage. Forming the basis for my dissertation research, this study compares site visitors with online social media respondents to understand to what extent the public utilise available digital interpretation tools. The conclusions will examine why digital engagement appears to be low, and what can be done to combat this.
[video=youtube_share;PKr2lQrxO00]http://youtu.be/PKr2lQrxO00[/video]
Richard Lewis-
Among other outcomes, the archaeology sector aims to engage a wider audience with archaeological data. Increasingly, digital technology is used within the heritage industry to interpret sites, following a global trend towards increased digitisation. Rising sales of portable digital technology and members of social media websites have created a new audience for engagement with issues from politics to humanitarian causes. Accordingly, heritage smartphone apps and social media pages are becoming commonplace. These developments raise concerns regarding how digital technology engages the public. To measure this, several factors must be considered, including the nature of digital engagement strategies, their appropriateness within their settings and effectiveness in achieving their aims. This allows for modification of engagement strategies to better suit the intended audience. This talk examines various digital heritage interpretation techniques for promoting interaction with the public. Based on the studies conducted during my MA dissertation, I will highlight the issues raised through an intensive desk-based analysis of digital heritage interpretation techniques. For example, top-down versus grass-roots methodologies, the utilisation of social media and some concerns raised by so-called 'techno-dystopians' are considered. The points raised here will be analysed in conjunction with a central case study of the Stonehenge Audio Tour app, by English Heritage. Forming the basis for my dissertation research, this study compares site visitors with online social media respondents to understand to what extent the public utilise available digital interpretation tools. The conclusions will examine why digital engagement appears to be low, and what can be done to combat this.
[video=youtube_share;PKr2lQrxO00]http://youtu.be/PKr2lQrxO00[/video]