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Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 March 2023) | Viewed by 25186

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Dr. Ainoa Escribano-Miralles

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Department of Didactic and School Organization and Special Didactics, National University of Distance Education (UNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: teaching and learning of social sciences; heritage education; history education; museum and school collaboration; historical thinking; assessment; competences; teacher training; textbooks; education for citizenship

Dr. Raquel Sánchez-Ibáñez

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Department of Didactics of Mathematical and Social Sciences, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: teaching and learning of social sciences; textbooks; historical thinking; teacher training

Prof. Dr. Pedro Miralles-Martínez

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Guest Editor

Department of Didactics of Mathematical and Social Sciences, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Interests: teaching and learning of social sciences; heritage education; history education, historical thinking; assessment; competences; teacher training; textbooks; education for citizenship
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The implementation of the 2030 Agenda and sustainability to transform our world is a project in which educational and heritage entities are making astonishing progress with their actions over the last few years. The 34th ICOM Assembly (held in Japan in 2019) already established the need to incorporate sustainability into the guiding framework for museums' internal and external practices, as well as in educational programming. Recent studies have focused on using museum and heritage resources in compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals (Rivero, Navarro-Neri, García-Ceballos and Aso, 2020); other work is aimed at the creation of participatory museum funding models (Modzelewska, Skuza, Szeluga-Romanska and Materska-Samek, 2020).

UNESCO points out that culture is part of our being and shapes our identity. Without culture, there is no sustainable development. For this reason, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to the sustainability of cities and communities (Goal 11) and Quality Education (Goal 4) include the promotion of projects that value the conservation and teaching of the artistic, industrial, archaeological, historical and cultural heritage of cities, as well as the use of the resources of the environment, of heritage, to generate learning that contributes to the development of Quality Education and more sustainable use of educational resources. Heritage and its educational and sustainable use is presented as a revealing resource for the teaching-learning process in formal and non-formal education.

The focus of this special edition is on the didactic and sustainable use of heritage resources in formal and non-formal educational environments (museums, heritage interpretation centres, research centres, libraries, theatres, archaeological sites, historical archives...) as one of the most important challenges to contribute to quality education.

The scope of this Special Issue is the configuration of a library of innovative experiences and resources that enable the educational and sustainable use of the heritage and resources that communities and cities present. On the one hand, the aim is to offer useful tools, techniques and strategies to make educational and sustainable use of heritage and its resources and, on the other hand, to present teaching-learning proposals, through active methodologies that have an impact on the use and exploitation of the resources of the educational heritage environment.

The main objective of this monograph is to present innovative didactic proposals and research in which innovative resources from research centres, interpretation centres, museums, libraries, historical archives or other educational spaces are designed, used and/or evaluated for the educational and sustainable use of heritage that contributes to the development of Quality Education.

The lines of research that articulate this monograph are:

Design, implementation and evaluation of resources and didactic proposals aimed at formal education environments for the teaching and learning of heritage and its sustainable use.
Design, implementation and evaluation of resources and didactic proposals aimed at non-formal education environments for the teaching and learning of heritage and its sustainable use.

Dr. Ainoa Escribano-Miralles
Dr. Raquel Sánchez-Ibáñez
Prof. Dr. Pedro Miralles-Martínez
Guest Editors

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1100 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reflections on Establishing a System for Cultivating Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors in the New Era: Based on the Survey in Fujian Province

by Jianfeng Zhang, Xinyi Cai and Zexiong Zhan

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 9088; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15119088 - 05 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1372

Abstract

In the context of globalization and modernization, it has become particularly important to build an effective system to cultivate intangible cultural heritage (ICH) inheritors. This study utilizes a mixed-method approach, including questionnaires, interviews, and fieldwork, to investigate the current status of cultivating ICH inheritors in Fujian Province. The findings suggest that policies, integration into formal education, industry training, and continuing education have guided the cultivation of ICH inheritors in Fujian Province. However, problems persist, including lack of systematization, shortage of resources, and limited coverage. Based on a systematic analysis of the current situation, ideas and frameworks are proposed for developing a new system to cultivate ICH inheritors. This study aims to provide a theoretical reference and practical inspiration for the cultivation of ICH inheritors in other regions and promote the effective inheritance and development of ICH. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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23 pages, 1848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gamification and Controversial Heritage: Trainee Teachers’ Conceptions

by Sergio Sampedro-Martín, Elisa Arroyo-Mora, José María Cuenca-López and Myriam José Martín-Cáceres

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8051; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15108051 - 15 May 2023

Viewed by 1293

Abstract

Heritage education is configured as an ideal framework for the treatment of socio-environmental problems relevant to modern society. To this end, it is essential that teachers can develop proposals in the classroom that promote critical thinking and the eco-social education of their students, based on innovative and experiential methodologies. For this reason, initial teacher training must ensure that future teachers acquire these innovative tools. Thus, the aim of this work is to identify the conceptions of student teachers in initial teacher training regarding gamification as a teaching methodology to address controversial heritage. To achieve this, a questionnaire has been designed with questions about heritage, controversy, and educational gamification, which was given to 235 students (M = 60; F = 175) taking their primary education degrees at different Spanish universities. To guide the design of the research instrument and analyze the results, a system of categories was developed and the SPSS data processing program was used. The first results show that, even though students in initial teacher training think that they do have a predisposition to use gamification to work around controversial heritage in class, they lack the knowledge of methodological strategies and gamified educational activities, which suggests a dearth of training on these issues in the primary education degree courses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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13 pages, 1237 KiB

Open AccessArticle

School Trips and Local Heritage as a Resource in Primary Education: Teachers’ Perceptions

by Mª Carmen Sánchez-Fuster, Pedro Miralles-Martínez and Francisca-José Serrano-Pastor

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7964; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15107964 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1419

Abstract

This paper presents the opinions of primary education teachers in relation to school trips (outdoor learning environment). The following questions are answered: What importance do educational trips have in the context of the curriculum? Does the teacher take advantage of the resources that the environment offers? Are the contents of the curriculum taught during field trips? Are outings planned with the aim of showing students the heritage of the surrounding area? What do students’ families think? In order to answer these questions, a structured questionnaire (CUELX-M ^©) was designed, which was then completed by 124 primary school teachers who work in the Region of Murcia (Spain). Through the analysis of the responses to this questionnaire, a detailed study of teachers’ perceptions according to age, gender and teaching experience has been carried out. The reliability of the questionnaire was subjected to expert validation by judges (content, technical and methodological aspects). The reliability of each of the dimensions was also studied, and finally, the construct validity of the scales was studied. The results of Cronbach’s alpha test (=0.867) show that the questionnaire is internally consistent. 98% of the teachers participating in the study agree that school field trips should not be merely recreational and that heritage resources located in the surroundings of schools and cities should be used. However, they also point out that parents of students are sometimes reluctant for their children to participate in such activities due to their economic cost. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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20 pages, 2173 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Validation of an Instrument on Perceptions of Heritage Education through Structural Equation Modeling

by Raquel Sánchez-Ibáñez and Alfonso Cimino

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6865; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15086865 - 19 Apr 2023

Viewed by 752

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the validity of a questionnaire designed to analyze teachers’ perceptions of how heritage is taught. The methodology used is quantitative with a non-experimental design based on a Likert-type questionnaire. The sample is non-probabilistic and consists of 132 primary education teachers from the region of Agrigento (Sicily, Italy). For the data analysis, a structural equation model has been employed. The results show that the validated questionnaire explains the variability of 60% of the surveyed teachers. The teachers identify three teaching approaches in accordance with the theoretical approach of the research: a traditional approach based on the memorization of contents, with which 58% of the teachers identified; a student-based model focused on active learning strategies (23%); and an intermediate model (21%). Consequently, a renewal can be appreciated in the teaching of heritage that can encourage the promotion of training with regard to heritage education and the use of an active teaching methodology. Finally, the instrument has been validated and shown to be appropriate, which implies that the conclusions drawn from applying the model serve to explain teachers’ perceptions of heritage teaching. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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27 pages, 16172 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Probe into the Mutual Enhancement between Tertiary Education of Art and Intangible Cultural Heritage in China: A Case Study of Xiamen Bead Embroidery Course by Xiamen Academy of Arts and Design, Fuzhou University

by Zhaoqing Li and Lin Xie

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6469; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15086469 - 11 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1847

Abstract

Higher education has recently become an essential path to inheriting ICH in China. This research shows consideration about the protection of ICH. Using the ICH inheriting Xiamen d embroidery class undertaken at the Xiamen Academy of Arts and Design, Fuzhou University, as the evidence and example, this study may present the latest status of China’s ICH protection from the perspective of higher art education. This research contains two parts, one consisting of a general outline of ICH protection and status, in China and globally. Another part discusses the details of a class teaching the ICH art form of Xiamen bead embroidery. In this part, a questionnaire survey on social awareness, higher education, and basic understanding of ICH was conducted. Meanwhile, a scientific model was developed, and, with it, public sense was examined precisely by data correlation analysis according to the questionnaire’s distribution. The R language was used as the technical method for all statistical collation and summary. This research attempts to prove the correctness of the ICH inheriting class, which could be used as a model of an advanced and sustainable educational system featuring the scientific integration of ICH inheritance and higher education in the near future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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27 pages, 20155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design Archives: Sustainable Solutions for Young Designers in Valencia, Spain

by Mar Gaitán, Ester Alba, Xavier Giner and María Navarro

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4946; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15064946 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1493

Abstract

Design education is practical and theoretical; however, it does not usually include the study of cultural heritage. Nonetheless, relations with academia have been strong since the 18th century, when the need to educate designers spread across the continent to improve design and make it competitive in the market. In this paper, we recover that spirit and act as mediators between heritage and young people to create links and preserve cultural heritage. A case study was conducted at the Public Valencian Design School with 31 product design students. The methodology applied was based on iterative processes that allowed students to discover design and silk heritage when they proposed innovative ways of approaching it. A qualitative survey was used to evaluate the case study. The results showed that students increased their appreciation for cultural heritage (by more than 90%) as well as their willingness to preserve it and reuse it in their future creations. Collaboration between cultural heritage and design might foster sustainable conservation and mark the future steps of ongoing collaboration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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22 pages, 3852 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Applying War Heritage in the National World War II History Course for College Students in China: An Exploration of Digitization Strategies

by Han-Xing Chen and Yikang Sun

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2417; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15032417 - 29 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1198

Abstract

Digital media is increasingly being used in formal education. In China, in order to reduce the negative emotions and behaviors of college students in World War Two (WWII) history courses, digitized resources of war heritage are being applied to improve their learning experience. However, their effectiveness remains unconfirmed. Therefore, the purposes of this study are to: (1) test whether the transformation of war heritage into digital resources can help to improve the learning experience of college students; (2) explore the pivotal factors that affect the learning experience of college students; and (3) provide suggestions for improving the digital teaching resources regarding war heritage. The results of the questionnaire survey show that the participants have a positive view of digital teaching resources. In addition, low-interactive digital media can achieve higher learning effects. The multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis also reveals that creativity in teaching and helping to form students’ values regarding cherishing peace are the foci with respect to improving the learning experience. On this basis, suggestions for improving the digital teaching resources regarding WWII heritage are proposed in this study, as follows: (a) to improve the quality of multisensory experiences in digital teaching media regarding war heritage; (b) to reduce the difficulties with human–computer interaction regarding digital teaching media; (c) to strengthen the correlation between digital resources and the teaching aims; and (d) to build a vision for peace and sustainable development through the narrative of digital media. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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15 pages, 2243 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maximizing Engagement with Cultural Heritage through Video Games

by Daniel Camuñas-García, María Pilar Cáceres-Reche and María de la Encarnación Cambil-Hernández

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2350; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15032350 - 27 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2886

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a framework for creating and analyzing cultural heritage games, with the intention of maximizing players’ cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement with digital heritage. To achieve this, a set of game design characteristics was identified through semi-structured interviews with experts (n = 16) and subsequently validated through a discussion with university students (n = 19). Grounded theory was then applied to the comments of the experts to create a framework of ten fundamental characteristics, divided into three dimensions: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. Additionally, an assessment of the literature was conducted to explain and support the inclusion of each game component. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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20 pages, 3872 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Cultural Innovation Practice: Heritage Education in Universities and Creative Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage Craft

by Wen-Jie Yan and Ke-Run Li

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1194; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15021194 - 09 Jan 2023

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3893

Abstract

The scientific management and protection of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) cannot be separated from continuous innovation and the public’s active participation. The evolution of the value of local cultural heritage can help prevent the loss of valuable cultural identity and cultural heritage. This study is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the innovative practice of heritage education in colleges and universities is explored through the case studies of “She costumes culture” and “Quanzhou traditional embroidery skills”. In the second stage, a questionnaire survey on creative products and activities of technical, intangible cultural heritage is conducted. SPSS and AMOS are used for statistical analysis of the questionnaire results, and a total of 26 indicators are obtained, as well as six dimensions: heritage education, the local value of heritage, cultural participation, cultural identity, cultural and tourism integration, and cultural reflection. Among these are a covariant relationship between cultural tourism integration and heritage education, which shows that they play an equally significant role. Sustainable ICH education requires the government and local communities to make corresponding adjustments upon clarifying their own roles and functions in preserving cultural heritage. Ultimately, practical innovation in ICH requires more citizens to change their inherited cultural values. In particular, inheritors achieve sustainable protection of ICH through self-management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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17 pages, 3468 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Architectural History and Sustainable Architectural Heritage Education: Digitalisation of Heritage in New Zealand

by Renata Jadresin Milic, Peter McPherson, Graeme McConchie, Thomas Reutlinger and Sian Singh

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16432; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142416432 - 08 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1897

Abstract

Over the last few decades, a significant amount of literature on the preservation and adaptive reuse of historical buildings has been published. More recently, the use of digital technologies in heritage projects and academic research has become increasingly topical worldwide. However, the topic of architectural education and the teaching of architectural history in relation to heritage is less discussed. This paper contributes to this relevant and necessary topic that has not received much attention in academia so far, and presents a case study—a real-life heritage project to teach architectural history in higher education. The methodology applied in this case study is based on the digital methods of heritage surveying. The paper explains the methodology process and illustrates the key tasks across three project phases of a Scan to BIM/Capture to CAD methodology: methods and activities developed with the students, from building survey, data processing, development of BIM models, etc. The aim of the paper is to analyse the positive contribution for the teaching curriculum and the benefits for community and industry. The paper is a reflective narrative piece and seeks to share useful tools and strategies to make educational use of a heritage building and its resources as one way of teaching architectural history and heritage today. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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14 pages, 289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Welcome Refugees! The Use of Cultural Heritage to Teach Democratic Values

by Juan Ramón Moreno-Vera and Jeisson Oswaldo Martínez-Leguízamo

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13466; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142013466 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1370

Abstract

The main aim of this research is to analyze the implementation of a teaching unit, based on cultural heritage education, to teach democratic values among a group of migrants and refugees in Spain. An educational experiment was proposed consisting of four activities based on the Islamic heritage of the Region of Murcia. For data collection purposes, the researchers designed a pre-test and post-test instrument with 13 items divided into 3 sections (social values, democratic values, and cultural values). The analytical process was performed using the statistical package SPSS v 24. The post-test results show a higher degree of identification with the host country, shared democratic values between refugees and the host country, a better understanding of democratic participation and, finally, a good degree of knowledge about the cultural past of Spain and the Region of Murcia. In conclusion, refugees and newcomers feel more integrated and identified with the host country when they are aware of the shared past between Islam and Christianity in the south of Spain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

27 pages, 6017 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Museography and Sustainable Historical Heritage

by Rafael Sospedra-Roca, Francesc Xavier Hernàndez-Cardona, Maria Feliu-Torruella and Isabel Boj-Cullell

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6665; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14116665 - 30 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2027

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in the 2030 agenda point out the need to safeguard cultural heritage and the importance of convergence towards quality education. Through different museum projects (between 2010 and 2021), the DIDPATRI research group of the University of Barcelona has developed heritage museum models following sustainability parameters. The lines of work have been based on the use of previous museum cultures (integrating existing models) to respond to the needs of the present. The working hypotheses have raised the need to build a new social museography around the historical heritage, which can respond to the social demands of citizen education and sustainability. Museography should be oriented to formal and non-formal teaching-learning environments. Social museography must be based on the understanding of historical heritage in broad sectors of the public as well as on the participation of social agents, civil society, and the scientific community. Social museography must be based on the enhancement of heritage resources (tangible or intangible) in a way that is compatible with sustainable development options; it must be built with the support of protocols that consider production costs that are consistent with the economic and social resources available and with the reasonable use of complex technologies. This desire for research (on the paths of a new social museography) has been channeled through the development of research and transfer projects. The results obtained have generated empirical models that have contributed (methodologically) to the development of museographic options that respond to emerging demands in the environment of historical-archaeological heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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16 pages, 1269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Musical Heritage as a Means of Sustainable Development: Perceptions in Students Studying for a Degree in Primary Education

by Marta Martínez-Rodríguez, José Manuel Hernández-de la Cruz, Borja Aso and Carlos D. Ciriza

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6138; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14106138 - 18 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2184

Abstract

Education is an essential vehicle for valuing cultural legacy, and musical heritage is a part of that cultural legacy that we must protect as it is one of the main areas of intangible cultural heritage, a reflection of cultural diversity, and a conveyor of meaning, and social, cultural, and economic values contributing to sustainable development. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to evaluate the perception students studying for the Degree in Primary Education at the University of Zaragoza and the Autonomous University of Madrid have of the value, significance, and importance of the sustainability of musical cultural heritage. This non-experimental and descriptive research is based on the statistical descriptive method, with a sample of n = 202 preservice teachers. A questionnaire consisting of fifteen items was designed and validated as a data collection instrument. The data analysis shows differences in the analyzed categories and points to the need to take action to solve them. It also reveals the importance students attach to musical cultural heritage, to including it in the curricula of the various educational stages, and to the need to protect it as an essential requirement for sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Resources for the Educational and Sustainable Use of Heritage)

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