Youth, heritage, and digital learning ecologies

Creating engaging spaces for young people

Ashley Shaw ashleygshaw@gmail.comDon Krug don.krug@ubc.ca

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.