E 5 · Information and communications technology in the heritage environment
This report looks at the potential for using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for learning in the historic environment. To gain a perspective on the current position, 137 properties were taken as a sample and their ICT output was assessed. The number of properties with websites was established and the content of each website was subsequently reviewed. Thereafter, the websites were accessed at intervals over a period of four months. The number of properties with on-site computer interactives was established and site visits were made to examine the use of interactives in context. The websites of heritage bodies, as well as museums and archives, were reviewed to identify general trends in online cultural education. The discussion below is based on the patterns observed in this research.
Background
Over the past few years the introduction of new technologies has greatly increased the means of communication available. To varying degrees, websites, CD-ROMs, and onsite multimedia interactives, or ‘kiosks’, have been employed alongside more traditional interpretative methods by historic buildings and heritage organisations.
This section considers current usage of ICT in the sector. It includes a number of case studies exemplifying good practice and incorporates suggestions for enhanced use of ICT.
The new technologies bring certain benefits. For example, ICT can enable historic properties to extend their educational reach. By making material available over the World Wide Web heritage institutions can open themselves up to a wider audience. This level of access means there is potential for attracting non-traditional audiences to material on historic properties. Websites are useful marketing tools. Recent research suggests that a significant proportion of visitors to a property’s website will also visit the property. Some online visitors will have accessed the website for the purpose of planning a visit, while other users might be encouraged to visit the property.
Aside from wider distribution, ICT enables historic properties to present information using a range of integrated media.
Multimedia presentations incorporating images, audio, video, or animated elements can be run on computers or distributed on the Web. Broadband Internet connections will accessing media-heavy presentations on the Web less problematic in the coming years. ‘Interactivity’ is a feature associated with digital multimedia. The user is generally not a passive recipient of information but can choose what content they access. There is also the opportunity to include interactive features such as games and quizzes.
The capacity to present information in a range of integrated media gives great scope for engaging the user in multi-sensory learning. The interactive approach allows the user to construct their own path through the available material.
ICT can be used by historic heritage sites to extend their provision for education and interpretation. Websites can function as independent resources but can also provide preparatory and follow-up information to support actual visits. On-site multimedia interactives can add another dimension to a property’s programme of interpretation. They can maintain a permanent presence in an exhibition area when it is sometimes impossible to supply constant ‘face to face’ education with guides or education staff. Computer interactives can store a huge amount and variety of interpretative material and can provide an alternative for visitors who find textual information difficult to manage.
CD-ROMs allow people to explore multimedia publications on their own PCs. Other possibilities for development include the use of small wireless computers as portable multimedia guides. These could be hired by visitors to historic properties in the same manner as audio guides.
ICT can be used to good effect for education by heritage sites but there are factors which limit its widespread use. The major difficulty is lack of adequate funding. A arelated difficulty is lack of staff to oversee ICT projects or insufficient funds to train existing staff. Some properties are reluctant to adopt an unfamiliar and often costly approach to education and feel it is more appropriate to allocate funding to other education initiatives. The possibilities which ICT opens up are worth exploring in each case. With access to knowledge of the available technology, and the costs of various options, properties could make cost-effective use of ICT.
In addition, there are difficulties for smaller sites with limited resources in developing ICT material. This is a fast-moving world and there is a risk in investing substantial resources in equipment which may soon be out of date. In addition, maintaining ICT is expensive: some large London museums (which will not be identified here) where many of the terminals are out of action illustrate the perils even for large and relatively well equipped sites. In addition, in a world where people are constantly exposed to screens, it may be a relief and stimulus to visit a site where we can think and enjoy in a different way.
Research
The degree to which ICT is currently being used by heritage sites is examined in this section. Statistics refer to research carried out during the first half of 2003 on a representative sample of built-heritage sites in the UK and Ireland; 137 in total.
85 (62%) of the properties in the sample were not represented on the World Wide Web. The majority of the remaining properties, 41 (30%), were represented on the websites of managing bodies such as the National Trust, English Heritage, The National Trust for Scotland, Heritage Ireland, and Local Authorities. Because of the scope of these ‘umbrella’ websites information on individual properties is often limited to one page with visitor information, contact details, and lists of facilities on-site. The majority of umbrella websites provide excellent resources for learning about broad heritage considerations. In-depth education resources on individual properties are, however, generally beyond the scope of umbrella websites.
11 (8%) of the properties in the sample had no Web presence whatsoever.
Of the 85 properties with their own website, 29 (34%) were judged to have educational content on the website. This amounts to 21% of the total number of properties in the sample. Educational content is defined in this context as material specifically created for and/or distributed on the website, to facilitate learning. This includes online exhibitions, activities, and resources as well as downloads which can be saved or printed off. Of the websites judged to include educational material, 52% had curriculum related material, 31% had material for researchers or students, 34% had material for children and families, and 76% had material suitable for lifelong learners. The remaining 56 websites (66%) might be described as ‘brochure-style’ websites.
Brochure-style websites for the most part include practical visitor information, and a short history of the property or online tour. They are useful before a visit but fulfil a primarily introductory role. They do not always make full use of the medium: information is sometimes presented on long pages, possibly following the format of existing printed material, rather than utilising hypertext links and shorter text pages. The majority of the brochure-style websites do have ‘education’ sections. Typically these pages refer to on-site education, giving lists of the tours, trails, lectures, and workshops provided for schools and general visitors. These web pages are useful, and often reflect an active education programme, but are not learning resources in themselves.
As regards the use of ICT onsite, 24 (18%) of the properties in the sample had multimedia interactives. The 24 properties fall into different categories and an analysis of their distribution gives a general idea of what kind of historic site is most likely to use ICT for interpretation.
The table below summarises the distribution of onsite multimedia in the sample.
| Type of Site | Number with Onsite Multimedia | | Ecclesiastical buildings | 1 | | Historic Houses | 3 | | Built Heritage Education Centres | 1 | | Visitor Centres | 4 | | Museums of Type A | 9 | | Museums of Type B | 6 |
Museums of Type A = buildings which house historic or general collections not specifically related to the building.
Museums of Type B = historic buildings housing displays referring solely to that building.
When contacted, several of the historic properties in the sample expressed an interest in developing onsite multimedia and said that it was something which had been discussed.
Case studies
Historic properties and heritage organisations have used ICT to provide material for learning and enjoyment. The projects described below demonstrate different contributions that online or on-site digital resources can make to an institution’s ability to communicate.
On-site multimedia
The on-site multimedia interactives reviewed for this report generally fell into two categories; those with encyclopaedic content covering all aspects of a site’s history or collection (Southwark Cathedral), and those focusing on one theme (Kilmainham Gaol).
Southwark Cathedral, London
As part of its Millennium Project, Southwark Cathedral introduced a permanent exhibition called The Long View of London. It explores the Cathedral’s place in Southwark and the borough’s changing identity, incorporating multimedia elements. The exhibition space is limited in size, so the compact multimedia units help to communicate a high level of information in the available space. Touchscreen computers make up the majority of the multimedia exhibits. Central banks of touchscreen monitors with speakers allow visitors to choose from several short presentations examining such subjects as Bridgehead to London, London’s Pleasure District, Commerce and Conflagration, Social Care and Control, and Monastery, Parish Church, Cathedral. Desk-mounted touch-screens facilitate in-depth study. The content covers the evolution of the site as an ecclesiastical centre. The three phases of its development: Monastery, Parish Church, and Cathedral are covered in impressive detail with reference to contemporary Southwark. Good use is made of text, image, audio, and video elements to enable the visitor to explore the Cathedral’s history in the way they choose.
Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin
Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin uses multimedia to good effect in its exhibition on the history of the Gaol. In this instance, a multimedia interactive is used to examine one topic closely linked to the Gaol rather than provide a comprehensive history. The subject explored is The Death Penalty. Atouch-screen monitor enables visitors to access information on four subjects: the history of capital punishment, the arguments for and against, the positions of different countries on the death penalty, and executions at Kilmainham. Alarger monitor, mounted above, allows other visitors to see the information being accessed. Content is delivered in different media to illustrate different perspectives; the user can, for instance, access video footage in which ‘A Hangman Speaks’. The purpose of the kiosk is to enable visitors to make an informed decision as to whether they think capital punishment is just. Having reviewed the available information, visitors are invited to cast their vote ‘for’ or ‘against’. Every vote is registered on an electronic counter which acts as a record of votes since the exhibit opened. Multimedia is used here to relate the history of the Gaol to an ongoing debate. The opportunity to cast a vote enables visitors to affect the status of the exhibit and leave a record of their visit behind them.
CD-ROMs
CD-ROMs can be costly to produce but are a useful means of distributing media-rich content in a controlled format. The Dyrham Park CD-ROM, produced by the National Trust, incorporates features which could be used successfully on historic property websites. For instance, the disk provides a list of suggested activities for schools based on the content of the CD-ROM. This is a useful feature which could translate well. On the disk, there is also introductory material explaining how it can be used for learning. Interpreting the educational potential of the content in this manner is a useful way of clarifying the opportunities.
Dyrham Park, Gloucestershire, CD-ROM
The Dyrham Park CD-ROM acts as both an introductory guide and a resource for indepth study. ‘Explore the House’ takes the user on a guided tour, which explores a 3D modelled version of the main rooms with an audio commentary. The user can also create their own tour by accessing material on the rooms which most interest them. There is the option to access information on individual items in each room; users can regulate their enquiry according to their needs. The CD-ROM also includes sections on the Archaeology and Early History of the site, the Architectural History of the property, the Contents of Dyrham, its Gardens and Parks, and biographies of the Family and Servants. Two further sections greatly advance the CD-ROM’s efficacy as a learning resource: Archives and Education. Dyrham Park holds a comprehensive set of archives of which many have been made available in digital form on the disk. The records include a range of material, from Accounts and Expenses and Inventories to Social Unrest and Women’s Suffrage. The Education section describes how the CD-ROM can be used to support formal education and suggests curriculum-linked activities for schools based on different sections of the disk.
Umbrella websites
Heritage organisations and managing bodies have produced some excellent online learning resources, based on years of experience in hands-on education. The National Trust’s website, for instance, is a vast resource, covering all of its operations in detail and incorporating an innovative Interactive section which includes the excellent online debate: Whose Land Is It Anyway?
Umbrella websites, such as The National Trust for Scotland’s education site, have the scope to promote general awareness of, and encourage learning about, the built environment.
The National Trust for Scotland education website
www.ntseducation.org.uk
The National Trust for Scotland has created its own education website, a resource for formal education. The three sections are aimed at teachers, students and pupils. For teachers the website offers information on places to visit, as well as curriculum support leaflets describing the educational potential of each property. There are also resources to help with in-class preparation for visits and lesson planning; a bank of images is available online, and a number of NTS-related subjects are covered in detail in the Topics section of the website. For students, the website offers extended information on the Trust’s activities and organisational structure. Detailed case studies describe the NTS’s work on different projects. For pupils, the website offers a Homework section which covers topics such as Scottish Artists and Architects, Scottish Explorers and History. Other resources include images of NTS sites which can be used in school projects and online competitions. This website is a learningsupport site which the NTS can develop and extend.
Websites
The websites in this section illustrate different approaches to online education. Their content has been developed for diverse audiences; lifelong learners, families and children, and those in formal education; both schools and third-level. Some incorporate complex multimedia elements while others use basic web technology. Their common point is well thought-out and imaginative content.
Brickfields, Hackney Building Exploratory, Londonh
www.brickfields.org.uk
The Brickfields website explores the history of the London Borough of Hackney and was created by the Building Exploratory. The content of the website is aimed at all interested individuals. There is material for lifelong learners. Atimeline links to extensive resources on Hackney and London in the Roman, Medieval, Tudor, Georgian, and Victorian periods, as well as in the years before and after the Second World War. Text passages are illustrated by images of relevant buildings from the local area, and by animations, video footage, and interactive features. Each section includes suggestions for visits to museums or buildings which follow up the themes explored on the website. There are two sections aimed at family learning: Victorian Hackney and Homes Through Time. Text is written in an engaging manner and there are interactive games and activity sheets to help reinforce ideas introduced on the website. ‘Brickfields’ includes a forum enabling users to post questions on Hackney and record their own memories of the area. This website acts as an independent resource but also encourages users, particularly local people, to visit some of the locations described on the website.
Harewood House, Yorkshire
www.harewood.org
The Harewood House website is a useful resource for anyone wishing to gather information on the property. The Online Tour option, for the house and grounds, is designed to a very high standard. There is good depth of information; for instance, links in the text lead to biographical entries on people associated with the house. The Tour also incorporates many high quality images which can mostly be enlarged. Two ‘subsites’ explore elements of the contents: Chippendale at Harewood and Portraits at Harewood, both of which were developed to coincide with special exhibitions at the house. The pages on Chippendale include video interviews with the current Lord Harewood, and with a Living History character who speaks of ‘his experiences’ with Chippendale at the house. Users can also access video footage showing stages in the restoration of the State Bed at Harewood. An Archives section makes transcripts of a 1795 inventory, Chippendale’s bills, a history of Harewood published in 1819, and the restorer’s account of work on the State Bed, available online. There is also an extensive biography of Thomas Chippendale on the site. The Portraits at Harewood section similarly promotes online access to the Collection. This website shows an awareness of the potential of online resources to make collections information available and evolve into unique records of the property’s activities over time.
Creswell Crags Museum, Nottinghamshire
www.creswell-crags.org.uk
The Creswell Crags website incorporates an interactive section aimed mainly at children called Virtually the Ice Age. One element of this is a Virtual Tour which indicates what can be found on-site; the user can follow a walking tour round the gorge with a Creswell Crags guide. Each ‘stop’ is illustrated by a QuickTime VR panorama which gives a view, in the round, of that point in the gorge. One section explores changing approaches to archaeology at Creswell Crags from the nineteenth century to the present. The text is written to engage the user in the material, including letters written in the voice of the archaeologists who worked there in the past. Information explains Stone Age living habits, while a quiz challenges children to ‘survive the Stone Age’. Atimeline feature explores how climate changes would have affected Creswell Crags over the last 130,000 years. Adatabase of objects recovered from the caves is also available online. The Creswell Crags Education Pack and Conservation Plan can be downloaded from the website. The Creswell Crags website takes full advantage of the possibilities that the web opens up for extending a property’s educational reach.
Ironbridge Gorge Museums, Shropshire
www.ironbridge.org.uk
This website is an excellent introduction to the various Ironbridge museums, using accessible technology. The Education section includes resources on three of the museums; Blists Hill Victorian Town, Coalport China Museum, and Enginuity. The material has been generated to support school visits to Ironbridge. Blists Hill Victorian Town has developed three online ‘problem-solving experiences’ for KS2 pupils, covering disease in Victorian towns, Victorian nutrition, and a local mining disaster. Each task includes activities to be carried out on a visit to Blists Hill as well as preparatory work and ideas for follow-up projects. The pages also provide resources, including copies of primary sources, on which to base work. Resources for the Coalport China Museum are extensive, including worksheets to download for class and visit use, resource sheets and online activities covering Art and Design, Manufacturing Processes, and the Social History of the Coalport Factory. The new design and technology discovery centre; Enginuity, has a worksheet to download and a guide for teachers interested in bringing their class to the exhibition. The website also has material for lifelong learners, acting as an introduction to the museums and their history through diverse resource. The technology used on the Ironbridge Gorge website is straightforward and could be emulated by other institutions less experienced in producing online resources for learning.
Museums and Archives
Museums and archives are not the focus of this report but should be mentioned as they have often led the way in producing digital cultural content. Many of the larger museums and art galleries have recently developed onsite multimedia interactives. Museums and archives have also responded well to the challenge of producing online resources for learning and enjoyment. One example is the Museum of London’s website which functions as a museum in its own right. It includes specially developed online exhibitions, as well as tours of the galleries which provide a similar level of information for the online visitor as is available to the actual one.
Conclusions
Historic properties and heritage sites have in many cases already begun to make use of ICT for education. The number of existing projects indicates that, given time and adequate funding, historic buildings could be at the forefront of cultural institutions providing digital resources for learning.
A significant proportion of historic properties have their own website but some still do not; 8% of our sample had no web presence and 30% were represented on ‘umbrella’ websites. Developing a website is the most cost effective way to harness ICT for learning in the historic environment.
Of the existing websites in the sector, many are ‘brochure-style’ websites. The benefits of making visitor information available on the web are clear but this type of website fails to exploit the full potential. Websites can fulfil marketing functions and provide general information but can also function as channels for learning and enjoyment.
In the sample taken for this report, the interpretation of ‘education’ on websites sometimes proved to be quite narrow. Education is often equated merely with lists of resources available for school visits. The web is a useful medium for delivering material developed to tie in with the school curriculum and it is vital that this opportunity should be exploited. It is also particularly suited to delivering material which encourages and supports lifelong learning. The internet can give access to learning resources outside formal learning centres. Individuals can access material on the web in their own time, and at their own pace. The number of internet connections will increase in the coming years making these materials more widely available. There is also the potential for historic buildings to create online resources for groups traditionally under-served by cultural institutions. For instance, some or all of a website’s content could be offered in different languages. This might benefit tourists, people accessing the website in other countries, and nationals whose first language is not English. Content could also be produced to suit different needs and levels of enquiry recognising that online visitors are not an homogenous mass. For instance, a property could provide different accounts of its history to satisfy various levels of interest or aptitude. This might mean giving a children’s history, an intermediate history to suit casual enquiry, and an in-depth history for research.
Historic properties may also take advantage of the opportunities for distribution and communication opened up by the web. Downloads of existing education leaflets, worksheets, and other material can be made available on the website thereby increasing access. Setting up discussion forums creates networks of interested individuals whose input can add much of value to a website’s content. A property’s website may also be used to provide before and after backup for an actual visit. This is particularly useful for schools; preparatory work enhances the educational potential of a visit and follow-up exercises can reinforce concepts learned. Where it is felt to be beneficial, multimedia and interactive features can be used to present material in novel ways. Well-planned website structures, making the most of links within text to cross-reference pages, avoid the sense that material has simply been transferred from printed sources without reference to the change of medium. Websites can be added to over time to reflect on-site developments and provide relevant listings. A number of the websites, in the sample taken for this report, contained material which was out-of-date. After an initial investment, some had not been maintained. This makes planning a visit more difficult and tends to call into question the reliability of other information on the website. Provisions for maintenance need to be put in place to complement the initial phase of development.
Facilitating online learning does not mean that historic properties need employ the most complex multimedia technology. The major contribution that heritage websites have to make is through well-thought out and engaging content produced by education specialists and curatorial staff. A web-survey, carried out by McKinsey & Company for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, found that breadth and depth of content were very important to cultural website visitors. Historic properties can make the most of their individual attributes to develop excellent online resources, for instance, digitising collections or archives can make resources available which might otherwise be difficult to access.
On-site multimedia can add to the range of interpretative tools used at heritage sites and historic properties. Kiosks are more likely to be found in museums than in historic houses. There is no inherent barrier to prevent kiosks from functioning as well in stately homes as they do in art museums where they have been adopted in greater numbers. Cost, however is the major restrictive factor. CD-ROMs can be useful resources for education, but again, development costs are high. Creating a website might be the most attainable way for many heritage properties to exploit the educational potential of ICT. If content is developed to a high standard, for wide ranging use, there is no reason why parts of the website could not be presented as interpretative material on-site. Indeed, content could be developed for multi-platform use with this in mind. It is possible that there will come a point when most visitors will have access to the Internet on wireless computers. It is often cheaper and easier to create content using web language so this may prove to be a useful strategy in the long-term. Standards need to be identified and observed as regards recording technical data, or metadata, to ensure the long life of digital material. It is also important that historic properties should endeavour to make online material which accommodates the needs of all users including people with disabilities. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published guidelines which define standards for accessibility and inter-operability.
The success of web projects in the built heritage sector depends on the development of content for learning and enjoyment which meets the needs of users. To achieve this it is essential that more research and evaluation should be undertaken. Preliminary evaluation can, and should, guide the development of individual projects. General research is also needed to identify what people want, to analyse their online behaviour, and to identify types of content and modes of delivery which lead to increased levels of engagement. Some useful research has already been carried out. Much of it refers to cultural institutions in general, so it would be useful to have results which pertain to the built-heritage sector in isolation. It is of great importance that research, or evaluation, undertaken by individual properties or organisations should be made available to other institutions. This would reduce unnecessary duplication of research and promote co-operation in the sector. It would be useful too, to develop links with heritage organisations abroad. Resources are being put into ICT projects and research around the world, wider co-operation can only advance the exchange of ideas. There is also great scope to learn from, and form partnerships with, other cultural institutions. Museums and archives, for instance, have often led the way in terms of producing digital cultural content and, as a result, have in many cases achieved a level of expertise.
Of the 85 properties with a website, a small number were hosted on Local Authority websites, they had their own brand identity and were comprehensive so therefore do not fall into the umbrella website category.
Note for E5
Research was carried out in the first half of 2003 and the statistics given refer to this period.
Publications and websites consulted were:
Cultural Web Site Visitor Survey, Results from Cultural Institutions, survey conducted by McKinsey & Company for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, August 2001
www.cultureonline.gov.uk/html/Drummond_Madell_col_files/frame/htm
Results of Omnibus Survey of People in England, survey carried out by Taylor Nelson Sofres Phonebus in part for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
www.cultureonline.gov.uk/html/intro/omnibus_results.pdf
Culture Online, Second Stage Qualitative Study Report, conducted by SRU Limited for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
www.cultureonline.gov.uk/html/intro/sru_report.pdf
Evaluation of Digital Cultural Content, Initial survey, results and research agenda, conducted by Alice Grant Consulting for the Cultural Content Forum. www.culturalcontentforum.org/publications/audience/initial_audience.pdf
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'Heritage is the big picture against which we see our identity. Although Black Environment Network works for ethnic participation, we wish to emphasise that ethnic communities are only one of many social groups with their own histories and cultures which are distinctive enough to warrant special attention. e.g. mining communities. Inclusion calls for the representation of all these diverse groups that contribute to the overall identity of our multicultural society.'
Judy Ling Wong
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