by J. Biggs and C. Tang, Maidenhead, England,
Open University Press, 2007, 360 pp., £29.99, ISBN-13: 978-0-335-22126-4

Teaching for quality learning at university

Virtual reality: applications and implications for tourism.

Latest mobile technologies have revolutionized the way people experience their environment. Recent research explored the opportunities of using augmented reality (AR) in order to enhance user experience; however, there is only limited research on users’ acceptance of AR in the tourism context. The technology acceptance model is the predominant theory for researching technology acceptance. Previous researchers used the approach of proposing external dimensions based on the secondary literature; however, they missed the opportunity to integrate context-specific dimensions. This paper therefore aims to propose an AR acceptance model in the context of urban heritage tourism. Five focus groups, with young British female tourists visiting Dublin and experiencing a mobile AR application, were conducted. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and revealed seven dimensions that should be incorporated into AR acceptance research, including information quality, system quality, costs of use, recommendations, ...

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A theoretical model of mobile augmented reality acceptance in urban heritage tourism

The use of modern technology is becoming a necessity of many destinations to stay competitive and attractive to the modern tourist. A new form of technology that is being used increasingly in the public space is virtual- and Augmented Reality (AR). The aim of this paper is to investigate tourists’ requirements for the development of a mobile AR tourism application in urban heritage. In-depth interviews with 26 international and domestic tourists visiting Dublin city were conducted and thematic analysis was used to analyze the findings of the interviews. The findings suggest that although Augmented Reality has passed the hype stage, the technology is just on the verge of being implemented in a meaningful way in the tourism industry. Furthermore, they reveal that it needs to be designed to serve a specific purpose for the user, while multi-language functionality, ease of use and the capability to personalize the application are among the main requirements that need to be considered in order to attract tourists and encourage regular use. This paper discusses several significant implications for AR Tourism research and practice. Limitations of the study which should be addressed in future research are discussed and recommendations for further research are provided.

Dublin AR: Implementing Augmented Reality in Tourism

After decades of digitization, large cultural heritage collections have emerged on the web, which contain massive stocks of content from galleries, libraries, archives, and museums. This increase in digital cultural heritage data promises new modes of analysis and increased levels of access for academic scholars and casual users alike. Going beyond the standard representations of search-centric and grid-based interfaces, a multitude of approaches has recently started to enable visual access to cultural collections, and to explore them as complex and comprehensive information spaces by the means of interactive visualizations. In contrast to conventional web interfaces, we witness a widening spectrum of innovative visualization types specially designed for rich collections from the cultural heritage sector. This new class of information visualizations gives rise to a notable diversity of interaction and representation techniques while lending currency and urgency to a discussion about principles such as serendipity, generosity, and criticality in connection with visualization design. With this survey, we review information visualization approaches to digital cultural heritage collections and reflect on the state of the art in techniques and design choices. We contextualize our survey with humanist perspectives on the field and point out opportunities for future research.

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Visualization of Cultural Heritage Collection Data: State of the Art and Future Challenges

The use of new media in the service of cultural heritage is a fast growing field, known variously as virtual or digital heritage. New Heritage, under this denomination, broadens the definition of the field to address the complexity of cultural heritage such as the related social, political and economic issues. This book is a collection of 20 key essays, of authors from 11 countries, representing a wide range of professions including architecture, philosophy, history, cultural heritage management, new media, museology and computer science, which examine the application of new media to cultural heritage from a different points of view. Issues surrounding heritage interpretation to the public and the attempts to capture the essence of both tangible (buildings, monuments) and intangible (customs, rituals) cultural heritage are investigated in a series of innovative case studies.

New Heritage: New Media and Cultural Heritage

Increasing recognition is being accorded to the important role of digital media in the management of heritage. Although little explored, there is significant potential for virtual communities to contribute to the interpretation of heritage and engender a sense of place. By way of a case study, the authors examine the theoretical and practical aspects of engaging members of the public in the collection and interpretation of cultural heritage in Hong Kong.

A Virtual Community as the Context for Discursive Interpretation: A Role in Cultural Heritage Engagement

Introduction: Preserving cultural heritage through digital media / Yehuda E. Kalay -- Cultural heritage in the age of new media / Jeff Malpas -- The vanishing virtual : safeguarding heritage's endangered digital record / Alonzo C. Addison -- Virtual heritage : mediating space, time and perspectives / Bharat Dave -- Through form and content : new media components and cultural heritage sites management, in the Jewish traditional society / Yehuda Greenfield-Gilat -- History is 3D : presenting a framework for meaningful historical representations in digital media / Sara Roegiers, Frederik Truyen -- Chasing the unicorn? : the quest for "essence" in digital heritage / Neil Silberman -- Memory capsules : discursive interpretation of cultural heritage through new media / Janice Affleck, Thomas Kvan -- Cross-media interaction for the virtual museum : reconnecting to natural heritage in Boulder, Colorado / Elisa Giaccardi -- Experiencing the city through a historical digital system / Jose R. Kos -- Consuming heritage of the end of tradition : the new challenges of globalization / Nezar Alsayyad -- The politics of heritage authorship : the case of digital heritage collections / Fiona Cameron -- Explorative shadow realms of uncertain histories / Erik M. Champion -- Making a livable "place" : content design in virtual environment / Xiaolei Chen, Yehuda E. Kalay -- The components of engagement in virtual heritage environments / Maria Roussou -- Education tool or expensive toy? Evaluating VR evaluation and its relevance for virtual heritage / Maria Economou, Laia Pujol Tost -- Designing a virtual museum of architectural heritage / Hannah Lewi -- Place-Hampi : co-evolutionary narrative and augmented stereographic panoramas, Vijayanagara, India / Sarah Kenderdine ... [et al.] -- Digital songlines : digitising the arts, culture and heritage landscape of aboriginal Australia / Brett Leavy ... [et al.] -- Conclusion: A future for the past / Thomas Kvan.

New heritage : new media and cultural heritage

This paper describes the context and proposal for an alternative approach to the common pattern of application of digital tools in the area of cultural heritage, also know as Virtual Heritage (VH). It investigates and addresses arising issues in a digital case study developed to implement a theoretical framework and investigate how and if existing technology can support it.

Janice Affleck

Papers

New Heritage: New Media and Cultural Heritage

A Virtual Community as the Context for Discursive Interpretation: A Role in Cultural Heritage Engagement

New heritage : new media and cultural heritage

Reinterpreting virtual heritage

MEMORY CAPSULES: Discursive interpretation of cultural heritage through new media