TOPIC : “DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF MUSEUMS IN THE TIME OF COVID PANDEMIC”
TOPIC : “DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF MUSEUMS IN
THE TIME OF COVID PANDEMIC”
Cultural heritage, an important
component of culture, is resultant of social cultural and political- economic
developments . Cultural heritage, including museum heritage is a particular
importance for the human community to which it is associated and for society as
a whole.
Museums are widespread throughout
the world. It takes care of things that are represent historical , artistic,
scientific or other value. They contain the heritage of previous civilizations
in all fields and form all ages to convey to us the picture of civilisations we
have not seen before, whether historical, artistic or cultural. Museums visited
by people have many benefits and purposes that made it gained great importance,
including ---
1.Study and teaching purposes.
2.Entertainment.
3. Educational purposes.
4.Gave us the opportunity to gain
knowledge on our ancient civilisation.
A museum helps people understand the
world by using objects and ideas to interpret the past and present and explore
the future. A museum preserves and researches collections, and makes objects
and information accessible in actual and virtual environments. Museums are
established in the public interest as permanent, not- for - profits
organisations that contribute long- term value to communities. When museums are
examined in more details, we can state that a museums are organisations with
the mission of investigating the production of humanity along the ages from the
viewpoint of science and art to enlighten them about the history in addition to
being spaces that present and conserve the treasures of science and art under
and above ground treasures. Museum plays an important role in the integration
of various groups in multicultural societies. Museums Australia recognises that
museums of science, history, and art may be designated by many other names
including "GALLERY" and "KEEPING PLACE."
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded and museums
began to shut their doors at the beginning of 2020, the need for a digital
transformation for cultural institution was brought to the fore.
Modern education is rapidly
transforming its conventional format. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, all the
instructions are delivered through the Internet now, so students don't have to
leave their homes and attend institutions to learn something new. They have
become more independent since it's not required to be in a certain place at a
specific time. Remote studying added more flexibility in students' lives, which
made the education more accessible for individuals that don't have the
possibility to attend classes. These are only a few advantages of distance
learning available now.
Educators believe that museums can
inspire students to deepen their understanding of how the world works. They can
evoke the youths' interest in various disciplines and engage them in
discovering new things. They also give knowledge to students of all grade
levels and abilities since they provide various resources for individuals of
all ages. No matter what type of institution one attends, they can always get
insights from visiting a museum. This is a great way to broaden the outlook
beyond the narrow focus on academic work and fulfill more learning needs. Many
teachers say that museums help to develop various skills that might be useful
for the world outside of the classroom. All this makes virtual museums vital
for modern education.
The role of museums in today's world
can't be overestimated. In fact, museums are even more important now than a few
years ago since they can address acute social issues triggered by the pandemic
covid-19. They may also shape our society, which is really necessary now. As we
may understand, the Corona virus disrupted a sense of community in people and
made many of us feel lonely. Luckily, museums can bring individuals together by
demonstrating a collective heritage, which gives them a valuable feeling of
belonging to a group.
Not only schools and colleges are
adapting to the new reality, but also galleries, libraries, and museums. Online
museums provide unlimited opportunities for learning in the post-pandemic
world. Students can get acquainted with historical objects regardless of their
location. Whether one wants to see the Prado Museum in Madrid or the National
Women's History Museum in Virginia, they can check some exhibitions on the
Internet.
The rapid rise of technology over
the last few decades has questioned what the museum really is. Innovations
transform the museum to improve both educational and practical aspects of the
museum experience. Since the COVID-19 pandemic made it almost impossible to
visit public areas, the question is whether a museum can work online only. Managing
directors are also wondering if museum's digital content can entirely replace
physical exhibitions.
Nevertheless, there are a lot of online
resources considered to be museums. For example, there is the Tucson LGBTQ
Museum, which exhibitions can be accessed on the web. People can see objects
and artifacts of the LGBT movement that have been collected since 1967. This
online museum provides historical content for research and creates a great
community space. Another online museum, which is also more technologically
advanced, is the Internet Museum based in Sweden. It was designed in 2014 to
document the history of the internet and preserve Sweden's digital heritage.
This platform is probably one of the most vital historical resources now as it
keeps the artifacts of the worldwide web.
To understand the importance of
web-based museums for the education process, let us consider the relationship
between museums and pedagogic. Similar to other cultural institutions, museums
affect future generations through exhibitions. They can pass knowledge and
teach students by providing educational programs. Interactive online platforms
also help children enjoy learning, so they start developing valuable study
habits.
Submitted : Rajashree Bhuyan
Student of HS Final year