MCN 2016 Sessions – Professional Forum: Making Digital and Data Literacy More Inclusive

 

Professional Forum: Making Digital and Data Literacy More Inclusive
Friday, November 4, 2016 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Session Leader : Elizabeth Bollwerk, Archaeological Analyst, DAACS/Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Co-Presenter : Lesley Langa, CEO, NovaKultura Consulting, NovaKultura Consulting
Co-Presenter : loreto alonzi, Senior Data Scientist, University of Virginia
Co-Presenter : Eric Johnson, Head, Innovative Media for Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, Innovative Media for Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries
Co-Presenter : Robert Connolly, Director/Associate Professor, University of Memphis (retiring in September)
Session Leader : Carolyn Royston, Director of Digital, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Digital applications and data are a critical component of how museums and cultural heritage institutions define their goals, relate to and understand their visitors, and evaluate the success of both digital and analog projects. While museums are allocating resources and creating analyst roles within their institutions, a number of museums technologists have advocated that digital and data need to be integrated into all aspects of museums and cultural heritage institutions. However, those same advocates acknowledge that a crucial part of this process is creating opportunities for more museum professionals to receive digital and data literacy training. This session brings together six panelists who work or have lead digital and data literacy education projects in cultural heritage institutions, libraries, and museums. The presenters will share case studies on their projects that teach students and professionals digital and data literacy skills. The purpose of this session is to bring together individuals from both inside and outside the museum sector who can offer concrete examples of how formal and informal educational initiatives can increase engagement and awareness of the importance of digital and data analysis skills. These presentations emphasize that creating a more inclusive environment around digital and data, i.e. making it accessible, relatable, and interesting, is a key component to literacy education. Attendees will leave with a solid understanding of two or three principles they can use to make engagement programs human-centered, successful, and equally importantly, an understanding of the challenges inherent in such initiatives.

Transcript