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Heritage
Special Issues
Progress in Heritage Education: Evolving Techniques and Methods
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Progress in Heritage Education: Evolving Techniques and Methods

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 7026

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Olaia Fontal-Merillas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Didactics of the Musical, Plastic and Body Expression, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
Interests: heritage education; art education; heritage studies; museum education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Alex Ibañez-Etxeberria

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Educación, Filosofia y Antropologia (Edificio Magisterio), University of País Vasco (UPV-EHU), Plaza Oñati 3, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
Interests: educacion patrimonial; heritage education
Dr. Pablo De Castro Martín

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Didactics of the Musical, Plastic and Body Expression, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
Interests: arts and humanities; cultural heritage; museum studies; heritage conservation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to a special issue titled "Progress in Heritage Education: Evolving Techniques and Methods".

For several decades, heritage education has been among the fastest-growing scientific disciplines within the social sciences, adopting a wide array of research procedures. Some of these procedures originate from quantitative methodologies, but an increasing number are derived from qualitative approaches, relying on strategies related to ethnographic methods, for instance, as well as the application of complex algorithms in collaboration with artificial intelligence.

Among the new thematic orientations that the discipline has been adopting are the application of cultural identity to educational actions related to heritage, the ability to form heritage communities, the application of heritage-making processes as educational and data gathering strategies, strengthening ties with heritage, the female perspective on heritage, or heritage education as an asset for economic development in rural areas. These lines of work are increasingly featured in publications selected by reference journals.

As heritage education has grown as a research topic in academia, there has also been a shift in how it is introduced in the classroom. It will be of great interest to explore how it is incorporated into teaching curricula, especially when done through educational innovation marked by transversality, transdiscipline, artificial intelligence, and disruptive or artistic methodologies.

This special issue on heritage education aims to gather original research papers and review articles that highlight the techniques and methods of studying heritage education that are currently under development, as well as specific examples of work where such procedures are applied, especially from multifocal, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches. The areas of research may include (among others) the following:

  • Learning and knowledge technologies in heritage education.
  • The role of heritage education in heritage sustainability.
  • Sustainability in promoting heritage education from public administration and in the dissemination of cultural goods (accessibility, dissemination).
  • Heritage education in the social, cultural, and family spheres.
  • Gender, equality, and rural areas in heritage education.
  • Cultural heritage in higher education.
  • Heritage education and citizen participation.
  • Educational innovation and heritage.
  • Learning and evaluation of heritage.
  • Access to heritage through education for vulnerable groups.
  • Heritage communities.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Olaia Fontal-Merillas
Prof. Dr. Alex Ibañez-Etxeberria
Dr. Pablo De Castro Martín
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • heritage education
  • higher education
  • heritage sustainability
  • heritage communities
  • quantitative methodologies

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 3944 KiB  
Article
Creativity and Awareness in Co-Creation of Art Using Artificial Intelligence-Based Systems in Heritage Education
by Francesca Condorelli and Francesca Berti
Heritage 2025, 8(5), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8050157 - 30 Apr 2025
Viewed by 448
Abstract
The article investigates a learning setting contextualising the use of artificial intelligence in heritage education, with a particular focus on AI systems utilising text-to-image processes. The setting is the one of a university interdisciplinary seminar in communication in South Tyrol, a border region [...] Read more.
The article investigates a learning setting contextualising the use of artificial intelligence in heritage education, with a particular focus on AI systems utilising text-to-image processes. The setting is the one of a university interdisciplinary seminar in communication in South Tyrol, a border region in the north of Italy shaped by a strong cultural identity. The paper illustrates a didactic experience introducing a highly technical and, for most of the students in the chosen context, challenging topic, such as AI. The teaching addresses a critical approach to AI, such as dataset constraints, sustainability, and authorship, and focuses on text-to-image algorithms and artistic co-creation, namely, the shifting role of the artist from sole creator to initiator/collaborator shaping the AI system’s output. The aim of the paper is to contribute to the debate in heritage education on teaching and learning using AI-based systems. The latter are seen as a potential tool for the engagement of students in understanding heritage and its safeguarding and in the relationship between community, territory, and active participation, as emphasised by both the “UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage” and the “Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society”. However, the current boundaries of AI, particularly in terms of bias and limitations of datasets, must be addressed and reflected on. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Heritage Education: Evolving Techniques and Methods)
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29 pages, 3854 KiB  
Article
Role-Playing as a Didactic Strategy for Teaching Intangible Heritage: An Intervention with Trainee Teachers
by Rebeca Guillén-Peñafiel, Ana María Hernández-Carretero and José Manuel Sánchez-Martín
Heritage 2025, 8(3), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8030090 - 22 Feb 2025
Viewed by 713
Abstract
Heritage education has been marked over the years using expository methodologies, as well as by a heritage education that hardly considers intangible assets. In the face of these limitations, there are continuous calls for a transformation of heritage education, which requires significant changes [...] Read more.
Heritage education has been marked over the years using expository methodologies, as well as by a heritage education that hardly considers intangible assets. In the face of these limitations, there are continuous calls for a transformation of heritage education, which requires significant changes in teacher training. This transformation requires the incorporation of active methodologies that increase student participation, stimulate their interest and facilitate the understanding of heritage from an integrative perspective. In this context, the results of a didactic intervention that implements a role-playing strategy with teachers in training are presented. The objective is to validate the potential of this didactic strategy in heritage education. Specifically, the activity addresses the current social problems related to the loss of traditional crafts, as a representative part of intangible heritage. For this purpose, five situations were selected for the students to represent after a group research process: old Mesta cattle breeders, cork extractors, charcoal burners, the problem of large landowners and the possibilities of rural tourism for the knowledge of intangible heritage. Eighty-seven interviews were conducted to learn about their perception of the methodology. The results show that role-playing is an effective strategy for learning about heritage. It proved to be a motivating and effective strategy for understanding complex historical issues, as well as for developing the capacity for reflection and critical thinking. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Heritage Education: Evolving Techniques and Methods)
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15 pages, 243 KiB  
Article
Species Knowledge About a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and the Importance of Connectedness with Nature
by Ricardo Puppe and Till Schmäing
Heritage 2025, 8(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8010027 - 13 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1155
Abstract
Species knowledge of local animal species is of great importance for one’s own environmental awareness and is a major component for managing present and future crises in education for sustainable development. For this reason, this study is the first to survey the species [...] Read more.
Species knowledge of local animal species is of great importance for one’s own environmental awareness and is a major component for managing present and future crises in education for sustainable development. For this reason, this study is the first to survey the species knowledge of visitors to the UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site the Wadden Sea of the North Sea, which is the largest mudflat area in the world. In this context, the self-assessment of the respondents and the extent of their connectedness with nature are also examined. To answer the research questions, a questionnaire survey was carried out to determine the species knowledge and degree of connectedness with nature. For data analysis, various statistical methods such as t-tests and correlation analyses were used. The results show that the 126 visitors to the Wadden Sea Visitor Centre have a rather low level of species knowledge. In this regard, the European Herring Gull is the only very well-known species among the respondents. In addition, a further construct was investigated in the form of connectedness with nature, between which a significant positive correlation was found with species knowledge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Heritage Education: Evolving Techniques and Methods)
25 pages, 7224 KiB  
Article
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Heritage Education: A Multimedia Approach to ‘Phra Aphai Mani’
by Kittichai Kasemsarn and Antika Sawadsri
Heritage 2024, 7(10), 5907-5931; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7100277 - 20 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1302
Abstract
Even though classic literature has cultural and educational value in heritage education, students often have trouble becoming interested because of the archaic language, a lack of good learning materials, the idea that the literature is not relevant, and complicated plots. This research aims [...] Read more.
Even though classic literature has cultural and educational value in heritage education, students often have trouble becoming interested because of the archaic language, a lack of good learning materials, the idea that the literature is not relevant, and complicated plots. This research aims to enhance heritage education by identifying barriers and drivers in youth engagement with classic Thai literature and exploring how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles could be applied to increase motivation in learning classic literature through multimedia. Ten interviews with experts, 100 on-site questionnaires filled out by students aged 15–25 years, and a multimedia e-book were used together in this mixed-methods study. As a case study, the researchers asked both experts and students to read the Thai classic poem “Phra Aphai Mani: Escaping from the Sea Witch” and make suggestions for how it could be better. The results show that there are barriers to heritage education, such as ‘the story is not connected to the present’ (mean = 4.52/5), ‘archaic vocabulary and language barriers’ (mean = 4.36/5), and ‘learning materials’ (mean = 4.25/5). Surprisingly, Thai students showed more positive attitudes towards literature courses than expected based on international trends. Key drivers for enhancing heritage education include ‘classic literature in modern, easy-to-read language’ (mean = 4.65/5), ‘including multimedia’ (mean = 4.58/5), ‘the plot/story adapted to the current era’ (mean = 4.50/5), and ‘new presenting technologies’ (mean = 4.49/5). Next, as an innovative way to improve heritage education, this study developed a free e-book titled “Phra Aphai Mani: Escaping from the Sea Witch”, which includes motion graphics and other multimedia elements. This research contributes to knowledge by demonstrating how UDL can be applied to classic literature within heritage education, enhancing understanding of student needs, and creating more effective, inclusive multimedia teaching methods for preserving and transmitting cultural heritage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Heritage Education: Evolving Techniques and Methods)
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37 pages, 13626 KiB  
Article
Heritage Education of Memory: Gamification to Raise Awareness of the Cultural Heritage of War
by Pablo Rosser and Seila Soler
Heritage 2024, 7(8), 3960-3996; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7080187 - 30 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1989
Abstract
This study focused on the use of gamification, specifically the UrbanGame activity, to enhance heritage education related to the bombings of the Spanish Civil War in Alicante. The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of active methodologies in raising cultural heritage awareness among [...] Read more.
This study focused on the use of gamification, specifically the UrbanGame activity, to enhance heritage education related to the bombings of the Spanish Civil War in Alicante. The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of active methodologies in raising cultural heritage awareness among university students, particularly those in primary and secondary teacher training programs. The methods included the design and implementation of the UrbanGame, followed by surveys to collect quantitative and qualitative data on students’ perceptions, satisfaction, and learning outcomes. The results indicated that meaningful learning showed a positive trend towards content comprehension, and that motivation and concentration significantly influenced learning outcomes. Additionally, the UrbanGame activity promoted memory and cultural heritage by emotionally connecting students with local history, providing future teachers with innovative pedagogical tools for their teaching. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Heritage Education: Evolving Techniques and Methods)
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