Exploring new approaches to enhance audience engagement.
2024-2026
Digital Spektrum
An Erasmus+ project led by the University of Roma Tor Vergata
The main objective of Digital-Spektrum project is to provide museum staff with digital skills and expertise to design inclusive museum experiences for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). One of the main priorities of the Digital-Spektrum project is to promote inclusion and diversity in all fields of education, in this case, educational experiences that take place in museums. Museums are now known as cultural and education hubs that promote inclusion and diversity (ICOM,2022). In order to concretize this goal, supporting and encouraging museum digital transformation is fundamental. Digital technologies are indeed powerful tools to design personalised, adaptable, flexible, and diverse educational opportunities (European Council 2021/C 221/02, 2021) that ensure accessible forms of learning to all. Thus, this project identifies developing digital readiness, resilience and capacity as another priority. However, there is evidence that museum staff, those who welcome visitors, who design museum spaces and exhibitions, those who interpret the collections and communicate them, are not equipped with adequate digital skills (Poce, 2019; Commissione Europea, 2017; OCSE, 2018). Another priority for this project is to improve the competences of educators in museums in this regard, both for ensuring inclusive and accessible museum experiences for visitors with ASD, both for developing employability
opportunities for museum staff, who need to acquire new skills to keep up with the society demands. Through the realisation of activities focused on Object-based Learning, Digital Storytelling and digital technologies for well-being, the concrete objectives that this project aims at achieving are training museum professionals to understand and master digital skills and be able to apply them to the enjoyment and enhancement of cultural heritage; developing professional skills for museum staff in the field of inclusive design of museum spaces and educational experiences; and promoting knowledge on ASD visitors and how to engage with them among museum staff. Finally, Digital Spektrum aims to design a toolkit of methodologies and digital tools to be used by museum staff to make museums more autism-friendly.
Project website: www.digitalspektrum.eu
Contact us: viaartisnga@gmail.com
WPs
Object Based Workshop in Rome
The Digital Object-Based Learning (OBL) workshop aims to train museum staff on how to design, implement, and evaluate OBL workshops for visitors with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The workshop will cover essential digital skills, methodologies for inclusive education, and practical sessions where participants create a sample workshop. Tasks include identifying workshop elements, setting objectives, developing a communication plan, and organizing hands-on training. A minimum of 30 in-service and in-training museum professionals will participate, gaining valuable skills in digital technology and inclusive educational practices, ultimately enhancing museum accessibility for ASD visitors.
Digital Storytelling Workshop in Paris
The Digital Storytelling workshop will train museum staff in using digital storytelling to create inclusive educational experiences for visitors with ASD. This workshop will teach participants how to utilize digital tools to narrate stories, cater to the specific needs of ASD learners, and foster a participatory approach. Key tasks include designing the workshop, engaging the target audience, developing a communication plan, and conducting practical sessions. By the end of the workshop, at least 30 museum professionals will have acquired digital storytelling skills and a deeper understanding of ASD visitors’ needs, promoting cultural inclusion within museums.
Testimonials
“Opportunities for lifelong learning and professional development like this are essential to make us feel part of an ever evolving community of pratice”.
Pietro Antonelli
“Digital Storytelling is globally recognised as an effective tool for audience engagement in museum, both in the physical and in the digital space”.
Antonia Liguori
VIA ARTIS 