Research contents
Learning objects and learning design
Learning interaction and networked communities
Informal eLearning
Funded projects

This project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Board.

In the virtual museum, gallery or collection what do we make of our virtually represented objects? Very little ... these objects usually take the form of a poorly digitised photograph, a small badly rendered 3D model or lots of descriptive text. They are objects with no communicated sense of their own materiality, presence, history or politic. Released from the constraints of material, gravity and time, these objects could offer a multiplicity of experiences through less passive, more creative and daring uses of digital technology, representing them through simultaneous layers of meaning. Literally getting 'under the skin of culture'.

A screen from the ARTyFACTS learning environment

The ARTyFACTS project has extensively researched two fine art objects, one pre 20th Century and one from the last twenty years. The research material has been used to develop a prototype interactive web-based learning environment. In our research project we have been able to test different ways of re-exhibiting these art objects virtually. This will ultimately help the remote scholar in their studies, the disabled person who cannot access the work itself, or the art historian/lover who cannot travel to see the work. The image shown on this page is an example of how a student of Art History might explore the ARTyFACTS learning environment.

The Learning Technology Research Institute's role in the project has been in providing expertise in software development, the acquisition of the art materials, and the construction of the multimedia learning environment. This role has involved close liaison between software engineers, multimedia designers and developers, artists, musicians and pedagogical scientists.

The system has been fully specified in terms of its design using state-of-the-art software engineering techniques. We have already implemented a first prototype of the ARTyFACTS learning environment.

We are actively seeking further funding to develop our existing system. Informal feedback from museum curators and potential students has been very encouraging.

Project Members:

• John Cook
• Anne Baker
• Peter Oriogun
• Stella Odysseos
• Serkan Yazici

Contact details

John Cook
Learning Technology Research Institute
London Metropolitan University
35 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8AA
Email:  john.cook@londonmet.ac.uk
Tel :  +44 (0)207 133 4341
Fax:  +44 (0)207 133 4348
WWW: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/ltri

Last updated 5 November, 2008