Heritage has always been important, but in an increasingly globalized world, our understanding and attitude towards cultural heritage is shaping our sense of place and context more than ever before. Over the last few years, the use of new technologies has grown exponentially, permeating every aspect of our lives. It has consequently also affected the way different communities around the world experience heritage, whether their own or that of other cultures. People are increasingly encountering sites and monuments and learning about the past through digital media, in the form of virtual reconstructions, digital representation of artifacts, online videos, and so on. This is particularly the case for younger generations, for which the first experience of cultural heritage is often through a digital surrogate that shapes their understanding and perception.
History learning is many times considered dull and demotivating by young students. Probably this is due, because the learning process is disconnected from these students’ reality and experience. One possible way to overcome this state of matters, is to use technology like mobile devices with georeferencing software and local history and heritage sources, in a collaborative experimental approach to learning historical concepts of the traditional curriculum.
Combining cultural heritage teaching with technological tools and multimedia, runs into the motivation of the majority of the “digital-born”, for whom the screen is the most natural way to learn, communicate, play and interact (Moura, 2008, p. 142), taking advantage of students’ potential and approaching the school and the teaching practice, to the daily practice of this generation, familiar with the Internet and the constantly updating of technology. Simultaneously, it is a way to provide the same opportunities to all students . “It is the quality of teacher education programs that is the key issue to a successful integration of ICT into the classroom, and depends on the ability of teachers to structure the learning environment in non-traditional ways, to merge new technology with new pedagogy, to develop socially active classrooms, encouraging cooperative interaction, collaborative learning, and group work”. (UNESCO, 2010).
Mobile technology is a resource with great potential to be used both in teaching and learning. Its characteristics of mobility, portability and interactivity, ease of use, low cost, multiple and varied functions (like communication, taking pictures, recording, geographical orientation, etc.) bring great advantages (and challenges) to the process of teaching and learning: it eases experimental learning, it enhances collaborative work and makes knowledge more accessible, personalized and adapted to each one’s rhythm
Some other experiences of m-leaning corroborate the mentioned potential, namely:
– A greater collaboration among peers;
– Better results were achieved, but above all, the quality of learning was considered better: the learning process was more attractive, students felt more motivated and active participants in the construction of learning;
– Also the sense of belonging and identification were increased by the participation in “virtual communities” that overcomes age and cultural barriers” In conclusion, with Druin – “bridges can be built with mobile technologies that transcend differences in age, race, religion, nationality and culture which are worth significant investment” (Druin, 2009, p. 331)
The school has to be “one of the pillars of the information society”, and provide motivating and enriching learning environments that accompany the evolution and change, in a process of knowledge sharing. Research and studies say that for today’s children, who grew up with television, video, Internet, visual modes of learning are extremely important, so the technologies are changing the way we live and learn . Therefore, they have to be seen as allies of the teacher, in any area of the curriculum, and also in History. Not for its use in itself, but because they enable the development of core competencies in transforming information into knowledge.
The school has to keep on this path – assuming questioning and a critical and reflective attitude as the base of knowledge building.
In education, particularly in the teaching of History, ICT and media are an asset that have to be integrated in the practices and instructional strategies, as they are facilitating tools that encourage creativity and autonomy, have a great potential for motivation, promote networking and information sharing, and last but not the least contribute, by young people, for the appropriation of technological literacy and skills that will allow them to integrate the Information and knowledge society.
Students will be not only in close contact with surrogates of tangible cultural remains but they could, also, think and discuss issues of the intangible heritage. They will understand the social importance of a series of daily activities, like, for example, clothing, eating and drinking, producing music or listening to it, feasting, taking part in different rituals. They will, finally, realize the cultural heritage’s significance, either in its digital or in its authentic form, in purpose to understand the past and the present as well.
