Presentation for “Users, fans and followers: Engaging with museums, galleries and heritage via social media”, Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle University, 7 June 2013 (http://digitalculturalengagement.wordpress.com/). This event was funded by the AHRC Cultural Engagement Fund.

1. A Study of Digital Engagement with
Cultural Heritage Collections
across the Scottish Sector
Dr Michela Clari
Moray House School of Education
University of Edinburgh
Users, fans and followers:
Engaging with museums, galleries and heritage via social media
7th June 2013
Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne

2. Digital Engagement and
Cultural Heritage Education
Sharing Knowledge across the Scottish Sector
a 3-month research project, supported by
the AHRC Cultural Engagement Fund
in collaboration with
Glasgow Museums

3. Three main strands:
Strategic focussing on the development of institutional
strategies for digital user engagement in cultural heritage
Applied focussing on recent public engagement projects
employing digital media at the participating institutions
Networking widening the School of Education’s
knowledge exchange network in the heritage sector in
relation to digital engagement and learning

4. The study was conducted employing a research-informed
Framework for the Analysis of Online Engagement with
Digital Heritage Collections*
* Clari, M. (2012b). In the Hands of the User: A Study of Changing Models of Participation and Learning through RCAHMS’ Digital Heritage
Collections. Special Issue of the ICOM-CECA journal: Museum Education and New Media. Vol. 23, pp. 15-30. Last retrieved: 31/01/2013
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8yHu7SudP4kTXg2b1NpVlBNbkk/edit?pli=1

5. An analysis and discussion of
NGS’ Digital Engagement Review
currently under development
Key activities:

6. In-gallery testing and review of
ArtHunter
NGS’ first free in-gallery multi-platform
app launched in April 2013
(http://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/a
rthunter)

7. An analysis and discussion of
recent developments in the
NMS’ Digital Media Strategy

8. A pilot study of the
Britain from Above
project
95,000 IMAGES FROM
THE AEROFILMS COLLECTIONS
WHICH CONTAIN 1.2 MILLION AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS
DATING FROM 1919 TO 2006.

10. A preliminary review of digital engagement and learning
practices across Glasgow Museums, in discussion with
institutional stakeholders

11. Funded in 1807
Scotland’s oldest public museum
… also, an introductory meeting with
the Hunterian’s management team to
investigate issues around digital
innovation in the context of university
museums.

12. Project’s Outcomes
o A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SOME OF THE CONCEPTUAL AND
PRACTICAL CHALLENGES FACING HERITAGE PRACTITIONERS GRAPPLING
WITH DIGITALITY ACROSS DIFFERENT CONTEXTS OF PRACTICE
o AN ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS BEING EMBRACED AT STRATEGY
AND IMPLEMENTATION LEVEL
AND RELATIVE MERITS
o INSIGHTS INTO CHANGING NOTIONS OF
ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNING THROUGH
NEW PARTICIPATION MODELS

13. Project’s Outcomes
o THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST AND REFINE A RESEARCH-BASED
FRAMEWORK FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ONLINE ENGAGEMENT WITH DIGITAL
COLLECTIONS IN RELATION TO STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS AND
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS

14. Emerging from the work:
A SET OF RESEARCH-INFORMED
(DIGITAL) ENGAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

16. (DIGITAL) ENGAGEMENT PRINCIPLES*
• digitality not as separate but as an integral aspect of engagement
• independent and interrelated, they offer a way of thinking and a direction of travel
• they unpack a set of ideas on digital engagement and provide a language for
sharing and talking about good practice
• they provide a framework to make connections against examples of good practice
• they can function as an analytical framework at strategy and implementation level
* the formulation of the principles draws on Nicol’s research-informed guidance for principle writing,
http://www.reap.ac.uk/TheoryPractice/Principles.aspx

17. A Study of Digital Engagement with
Cultural Heritage Collections
across the Scottish Sector
Dr Michela Clari
michela.clari@ed.ac.uk