Digital Learning Experiences in virtual Museums

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemics, the virtual space became relevant in teaching practice. It has been necessary to find new ideas to teach, being this the perfect setting where the virtual museum is seen as a space for teaching and learning. In today's digital ecosystem, there are many resources, so the educational application of these resources makes them interesting, exciting, and relevant. The research’s objective is to create a virtual museum articulated with the axes and areas of development and learning of the national curriculum of Ecuador for pre-school children and to analyze the effects on the teaching-learning process. With the opening and democratization of the knowledge of these cultural centers, it is possible to create synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences and explore fine arts world by selecting artworks, figures and objects that allow meaningful learning. The methodological design of this study is based on the qualitative-quantitative paradigm, with the participation of teachers and pre-school children, integrating collection, analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data, as well as experts’ criteria about the subject, which allowed obtaining data concerning the use of virtual museums and the applicability of relevant interactive resources. With the focus group technique, 30 children aged 4 to 5 years old expressed their opinions, feelings, and experiences, generating an enriching debate about users’ experience in the virtual museum. The design of the museum was developed on a platform that allowed the creation of a guided visit circuit similar to that of a physical museum, where the teacher becomes a mediator and interpreter of this new virtual museology focused on the user. The results are encouraging with a pertinent design and according to the national curricular logic. Promoting the use of other non-formal spaces, highlighting the importance of cultural centers use such as physical or virtual museums and routes as well as city or world’s corners to develop learning sessions, and expanding the scope of visits to the physical and virtual museums in a kind of hybrid didactics will be the subjects of this research.