Three Case Studies of Digital Twin Museums: Investigating Educational Access and Cultural Mediation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Technological Futures of Arts and Learning

Abstract

This study presents a comparative analysis of three digital twin museum platforms: The Palace Museum (China), Smithsonian 3D (USA), and the Louvre Museum (France) to examine how digital design mediates educational access, cultural representation, and learner interaction. Drawing on multimodal literacy and museum pedagogy frameworks, this study employs structured walkthroughs and artifact analysis to examine how platform features shape users’ engagement with art and history, construct knowledge, frame cultural heritage, and influence learner agency. The findings highlight varying approaches to curating virtual experiences that reflect distinct pedagogical and cultural functions, contributing to ongoing conversations about the role of technology in reimagining museum education and offering insights for designing more inclusive and engaging digital learning environments across formal and informal settings.

Authors

• Qianyu Zhou, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Yihui Jiao, Teachers College, Columbia University