Digital Spatial Story Lines: Constructing Historical Contexts Through Geo-Storytelling With Archival Media

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 38
  In Roundtable Session: Designing for and Engaging With Civic and Social Issues

Abstract

Learning, or meaning making, is a social practice whereby people engage with the world around them using socially and culturally specific resources in line with their interests (Charitonos, Blake, Scanlon & Jones, 2012). This research explored how participants used digital mobile technology to collect and view archival material in the context of the historical locations it is related to. Participants curated archival material and their own media captured in the field to author Digital Spatial Story Lines (DSSLs). Data analysis showed that the practice of creating DSSLs facilitated the development of historical, spatial and temporal understanding of historic locations, the construction of meaningful connections to historical locations and the creation of personal meaning from archival material.

Author

• Helen Elizabeth Collins, Vanderbilt University - Peabody College