Activities & Publications

In line with our focus on digital cultural spaces, the following publication has been published:

Klepacki, L., & Schröder, K. (2022). The transformation of museum exhibitions in the era of digital objects. In B. Jörissen, L. Unterberg, & T. Klepacki (eds.), Cultural Sustainability and Arts Education. International Perspectives on the Aesthetics of Transformation. Singapore: Springer, S. N.N. (Upcoming)

New publication from the project “Heimat Digital: Potentials and Strategies of Digital Regional Development in Rural Areas”

From this project an empirical study has been published in the Journal of Rural Studies (Impact Factor 4.849): Birnbaum, L., Wilhelm, C., Chilla, T., & Kröner, S. (2021). Place attachment and digitalisation in rural regions. Journal of Rural Studies. 87(7),  189-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.09.015 (open access)

Abstract: This paper reflects on place attachment in times of digitalisation in rural regions. Our qualitative study explores the extent to which and with which characteristics place attachment ‘translates’ into the digital format. The paper analyses 193 digital projects presented in the internet. These cases cover several European countries with a particular focus on Germany. The analysis is based on a three-dimensional framework involving attachment concepts, space/place and digitalisation. From a systematic categorisation of the case studies, six result patterns emerge: Some of them confirm place attachment patterns, which are well known from the debate on ‘non-digital’ place attachment (e.g., the importance of emotions). Other findings show that digitalisation does make a difference, in particular concerning abstract, non-localised spatial references to the rural area. Finally, we deduce some implications from our findings for practical implementation in regional development.

Keywords: Place attachment; Regional identity; Digitalisation; Rural areas; Sense of place; Regional development

New publication from the project “Digitalization in Aesthetic, Arts, and Cultural Education”

From this project, a scoping review on making has been published in the Journal of Research on Technology in Education (Impact Factor 2.043): Smolarczyk, K., & Kröner, S. (2021): Two decades in the making: A scoping review on research on digital making and its potential for digital empowerment in non-formal settings. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1974987   ( post-print)

Abstract:

FabLabs and makerspaces offer unprecedented opportunities for digital empowerment, especially for children and adolescents. However, reviews on making with regard to empowerment are lacking. We identified n = 180 publications on digital making with children and adolescents and, after categorizing them regarding formal criteria and formality of settings, identified the main topics in publications on digital making in non-formal settings. Results revealed a great demand for empirical studies with experimental designs. Three main topics emerged: domain-specific determinants of participation, equity, and skills and competencies. Implications for further research and limitations as well as implications for digital empowerment processes are discussed.

Keywords: Maker Movement, digital empowerment, maker education, children, scoping review