Society for American Archaeology, 77th Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN Session: Lessons from the Trenches: The Pedagogy

of Archaeology and Heritage

TEACHING OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE IN THE DISTANCE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Arek Marciniak Institute of Prehistory, University of Pozna/Department of Anthropology, Stanford University (arekmar@amu.edu.pl) April, 2012

Abstract

The paper aims to present an overview of experience in teaching archaeological heritage in the distance learning environment based upon e-learning course Archaeology in contemporary Europe. In particular, it will discuss content of the training in the light of changing perspectives on archaeological heritage, strategies of content delivery, use of interactive multimedia e-learning modules in the learning process, overview of didactic process among different target groups such as graduate and extramural students as well as employees of the archaeological heritage sector. The paper will then discuss strengths and weaknesses of this method of content delivery in archaeology and archaeological heritage.

1. Introduction E-learning is a form of distance education in which the development of skills and knowledge is realized through the use of modern electronic technologies. This is a broad category defined as any type of learning environment that is computer enhanced and supported by multiple computer and online multimedia technologies. These involve, in particular, the internet as well as other electronic media such as CD-Rom, interactive TV, intranet, or extranet. The process of learning is independent in time and place and the trainer and trainee are bridged through the use of these technologies (see Collison et al. 2000; Horton & Horton 2003). The content of e-learning courses should be communicated using different media including text, voice and sound. The efficiency of training directly depends not only on the quality of training materials but also on interesting and stimulating form. E-learning courses are characterized by a number of functionalities making it possible to exchange learning materials, do tests, communicate with each other in many ways, track and trace the progress, etc. E-learning education is of a universal character and can be used and directed to a wide audience. It is particularly suitable for working professionals who lack time for participating in traditional training and/or are working in remote geographical territories, the disabled, the unemployed, etc. Selection of methods for e-learning course delivery in the internet environment can always be directed by the explicitly defined character and expectations of the target group. Efficiency of any methodology can only be measured and evaluated by its application to the preparation of training materials and its further testing in training. E-learning has a long and rich history. The technologies used in this environment originate directly from more traditional modes of learning at a distance. They have been increasingly developed and improved reaching their current and most advanced form by being communicated by the Internet. At the end of the 1990s the learning management systems (LMS) were implemented making possible the emergence of such solutions as web based training. The emergence of these new computer and online technologies and their application in the domain of education mark a new era in distance learning. They facilitate faster, more efficient and usually cheaper means of distance education. Different forms of distance learning are now dynamically growing in different public institutions as well as at schools, colleges and academic institutions across many disciplines. As indicated by many examples,

e-learning has proved to be one of the best methods leading to competitiveness among companies in the knowledge based economy. E-learning is supported by multiple computer and online multimedia technologies. The following types of e-learning can be distinguished depending upon the methods of didactic material acquisition: (a) computer-based training (CBT), (b) videoconferences, (c) mobile learning (M-learning), and (d) web-based training (WBT). The two first solutions are relatively simple. CBT refers to the production and distribution of didactic material on CD-Roms. Videoconferences make it possible for people in different locations to see and hear each other at the same time. It requires software allowing audio and video streaming to be coded and decoded (Carliner 2002; Horton 2006). Mobile learning has different meanings. In the most general terms, it refers to learning with different mobile devices, including notebooks, pads, MP3 players or mobile phones. The WBT is a sophisticated approach distance learning in which training is delivered by the internet or intranet. The WBT course is explicitly designed to be placed on the Internet and provided by the LMS/LCMS multi-user environment making it possible to create, store, manage, and deliver digital learning content. It is usually written in an XML-based framework known as SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) - a standard making it possible to share learning objects among different learning management systems. 2. E-learning in archaeology E-learning solutions in archaeology have been implemented for more than a decade. A large body of applications comprise M-Learning solutions. These include the use of mobile devices to teach the general public about the archaeological and historical environment or for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and learning in archaeology. GIS, GPS and mobile technologies are set to deliver information and audio-visual resources of heritage outside museums or heritage sites, making it possible for their individualized exploration. Similar results are achieved by the use of podcasts that can take on a number of forms including audio-only, enhanced audio (i.e. sound with still images), or video. Used to support learning and teaching in different aspects of archaeology, they are comprised of recordings of lectures (audio-only), audio-only podcasts for use on fieldtrips, enhanced-audio skills podcasts, and Interactive Quick time VR and audio soundtrack. The availability of userfriendly software packages and hardware make the production of such digital resources increasingly easier.

A significant field of e-learning applications in archaeology is distance courses offered by academic institutions. A number of e-learning courses are provided by The Subject Centre for History, Classics and Archaeology. This is a part of the Higher Education Academy that aims to support teaching and learning in UK higher education, including archaeology. The most elaborate e-learning program in academic archaeology is offered by the School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester that has been running since 1997. It offers a two year long distance learning MA in Archaeology and Heritage and an MA in Historical Archaeology for students from all over the world. The current state of e-learning development in archaeology has also been summarised in the recently published book E-Learning Methodologies and Computer Applications in Archaeology (2008) edited by Dionysios Politis. It presents a range of applications of elearning solutions in education in archaeology. The book is divided into four sections including http://my.barnesandnoble.com/communityportal/WriteReview.aspx?EAN=9781599047591ELearning Technologies; Strategies, and Methodologies; Spatial-Computational Technologies and Virtual Reality Reconstructions in Archaeology; Electronic Publishing and Copyright Protection followed by a section presenting a range of interesting case studies. The first part is aimed at discussing such issues as open and distance learning tools, teaching and learning in virtual environments or the emergence of e-learning 2.0. The second part is only very generally related to e-learning as it is focused upon virtual reconstructions, virtual museums, the use of expert systems or machine translation systems. The third part covers a range of issues related to publishing such as the legal issues of electronic publishing in virtual environments or electronic forums. 3. Teaching archaeological heritage in the distance learning environment example of an e-learning course Archaeology in contemporary Europe 3.1. Overview The last two decades in Europe have brought about numerous challenges posed by recent developments. The upsurge in infrastructure development and urban expansion across Europe and intensive agriculture have brought about the large scale destruction of numerous archaeological sites and landscapes. Other developments include the internationalization and standardization of archaeological heritage management as manifested by the adoption of international standards and regulations such as e.g. the Valetta Convention or later the European Landscape Convention and their implementation in national legal regulations. It 5

became clear that archaeological heritage management should become integrated in planning (Fairclough & Mller 2008). The public has been recognized as a stakeholder in the decisionmaking process of heritage management, and its role as a consumer of the products of archaeological activity has become increasingly apparent. These changes have resulted in the move to development funding projects and have brought new concerns for professional standards and accountability to archaeology. One way of dealing with the challenges posed by recent developments is education. The need to develop and upgrade vocational skills in the sector of the protection and management of archaeological heritage and in the final users, decision-makers and experts at different levels is a must, taking into account the current state of the heritage sector across Europe. Doubtless to say, the very nature and consequences of these rapid changes in almost all domains of archaeological heritage, including its theoretical foundations and practical regulations, are not sufficiently known among people professionally responsible for the protection and management of archaeological heritage in particular countries. This refers in particular to archaeologists with decades of experience who completed their academic training some time ago. 3.2. An outline of the course The major objective of the e-learning course Archaeology in contemporary Europe was to prepare and get a group of trainees acquainted with the most appealing issues in archaeological heritage protection and management across Europe and provide them with practical solutions in their implementation. The course was produced within the Leonardo da Vinci project one of the programs of the European Union. The project was conducted by institutions representing six UE member states including Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The training was composed of fifteen individual modules covering major issues in contemporary European archaeological heritage protection and management (see more A.Marciniak 2009). Course parts Part I: Theory of archaeological heritage E-learning modules Theorizing cultural heritage Mentalities and perspectives in archaeological heritage management Concepts of understanding spatial valorisation of archaeological heritage resources

Part II: Mapping of archaeological heritage resources

Part III: Valorisation of archaeological heritage Part IV: Protection and management of archaeological heritage

Part V: Politicising archaeological heritage

Aerial survey in archaeological protection and management systems Geographic Information System as a method of management of spatial data Geophysical prospection in archaeological protection and management systems Images of the past Cultural biography of landscape International conventions and legal frameworks Sustainable development in the archaeological heritage sector Management cycle and information systems in the archaeological heritage sector Commercial archaeology A single voice? Archaeological heritage, information boards and public dialogue Methods of engagement, publicity and media relationships Public outreach museums, schools, services

Table 1. Themes of e-learning modules in the course Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe The first part of the course, Theory of archaeological heritage, contributed to better understanding of the changing nature of archaeological heritage as well as economic, social and political circumstances that shape its character. It further stressed the general public as an important agent in archaeological heritage policies and discussed the diverse concerns of numerous public constituencies in the practice of heritage offices (e.g. Skeates 2000; Carman 2005). The objective of the second part, entitled the Mapping of archaeological heritage resources, was to recognize the principles of mapping archaeological resources with an historical context of its development. It further aimed to present methods of recognizing and recording archaeological resources as well as managing and analysing spatial data for the needs of archaeological heritage protection and management. In particular, the basics of GIS techniques, aerial photography and geophysics in the practice of the archaeological heritage sector were presented (e.g. Wilson 2000; Gaffney and Gater 2003 Conolly & Lake 2006). The third part of the course, Valorisation of archaeological heritage, stressed the significance of efficient methods of the valorisation of archaeological resources by presenting how images of the past are created and valorised by using elements of archaeological heritage. These images are further used in creating and maintaining local and regional identities. In

particular, significance of the history of landscape and landscape elements was stressed in sustainable development and in the field of planning. In this respect, the concept of a biography of landscape as well as the Historic Landscape Characterization, as developed recently by English Heritage, were presented as examples of innovative understanding of archaeological heritage by the general public (e.g. Aldred & Fairclough 2002; Edgeworth 2006). The fourth part of the course, Protection and management of archaeological heritage, was aimed at discussing issues directly connected with the protection and management of archaeological heritage. It provided a systematic overview of these international conventions and regulations that have had significant impact upon archaeological heritage and its protection and management. It presented also the concept of sustainability as translated to the field of archaeological heritage. This part of the training also discussed numerous facets and pitfalls of commercial archaeology (e.g. quality and standard of work, professionalism, ethics, etc.) (e.g. Cleere 1989; Fairclough, Rippon 2002). The fifth part of the course, Politicising archaeological heritage, was aimed at discussing a range of issues related to the production, presentation and popularising of archaeological heritage, as well as communication with the general public at a site, through museums, schools, media, and the Internet. It presented several projects that are concerned with the ways such processes operate in the context of archaeological information as a means of sharing diverse forms of knowledge with different communities. In particular, it stressed that multimedia technology and the Internet have created a new era in the way archaeology is communicated to the public (e.g. Evans & Daly 2006, Richards & Robinson 2000). The course was explicitly directed to professionals in the sector of archaeological heritage protection and management. They are usually employed in local branches of the heritage sector, in participating countries located in provincial capitals, and their branches are placed in smaller cities. Understandably, the group is widely dispersed and characterized by varied access to the newest knowledge in the field. This group is professionally very active and hence methods of vocational training need to combine efficiency of the educational process with their obvious time constraints. Other specialists working in the archaeological sector or people somehow related to this sector, such as contract archaeologists, planners, architects, forest rangers, etc. supplemented this group. Since this was a largely dispersed group, the Internet provided the most efficient application for communication and high quality vocational knowledge distribution. The other potential target group comprised graduate and extramural students of universities from participating countries interested in this field of 8

expertise. For heritage professionals, the knowledge acquired during the course was meant to be efficently implemented into their own professional practice. For students, who already had a body of knowledge produced by leading experts in the field in Europe, the course made it possible to recognize the most appealing issues in the domain of protection and management of archaeological heritage across Europe. This would considerably enrich their qualifications in the job market. The results of the project clearly stretched out far beyond the direct target groups. Its products could be used among employees in the sectors of protection and management of archaeological heritage in all European countries, both new and old EU members and beyond, as well as among other individuals working in the archaeological sector or otherwise related to it. Other potential users might comprise graduate students interested in the protection and management of archaeological heritage. They could either use the project results in languages of the project partners or translate them into their own languages.

3.3. Methodological issues All distance learning activities in the training were provided on the e-learning platform (LMS/LCMS system) available at www.e-archaeology.org. The e-learning platform refers to the learning management system Edumatic available at the address above. All partners conducting the courses in the project used technological solutions physically located and operated by Adam Mickiewicz University in Pozna, Poland. The technical support was also organized centrally in Poland and delivered to the project partners. The LMS/LCMS system was set to support the organization and conduct of all elements of the distance didactic process. In particular, it facilitated (a) flexible mechanisms for course organization by meeting demands of individual trainees, (b) building, managing and publishing the didactic content, (c) didactic process management and progress monitoring, and (d) tools for communication between trainees and trainers. The mechanisms of user management and the management of training process allowed organization of the entire training in the system and the building of training groups. It secured necessary flexibility for both the trainees and the course management. It was particularly significant as the training was composed of several parts, and didactic materials were provided to trainees in different time slots and were not accessible all the time. The LMS/LCMS system facilitated also flexibility of constructing, managing and publishing didactic content directly in the system and organizing it according to the predefined

requirements. In particular, it made the training content available in the multimedia e-learning courses form and supported the distribution of all other materials in electronic format and facilitated delivery of different auxiliary materials (as Word files, pdf files, etc.). The system also made it possible to support management of the entire didactic process and monitoring of the progress of all trainees in the form of detailed reports. It also provided efficient tools for knowledge verification, including managing homework and the self-testing of knowledge. The LMS/LCMS system also facilitated communication between trainers and their trainees in the form of forum, chat, electronic mail, and calendar. The didactic content of the Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe course was delivered to trainees in the form of multimedia and interactive e-learning modules. The trainee was encouraged to participate in the course in the form of interactive simulations, i.e. learning by doing. The modules were built in DHTML (dynamic HTML) or flash technology, both of which are recognized by major web browsers. Each e-learning module had a hierarchical structure and was composed of independent units of knowledge known as learning objects. The material from a single object required between 5 to 15 minutes of work for mastering the purpose. The modules could get uploaded in the learning management system as they had been produced in the popular standard of the didactic content representation, e.g. SCORM (e.g. Carliner, 2002, Horton, 2008). As mentioned above, Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe distance learning course was made of a package of fifteen multimedia e-learning modules. The first version of the course was built in English, and then it was translated into the partner languages (German, Latvian, and Polish). Altogether 60 e-learning modules were built. Each of them was recorded in the SCORM 1.2 standard, which guaranteed that the course could be uploaded into practically any professional system supporting the process of education by distance learning. Another significant tool facilitating efficient training was the course syllabus. This was a detailed document describing rules of participation in the training. It covered the entire course and each of its five parts individually. These documents were delivered to the trainee prior to the course (or its part) beginning. The guide served as a support for the trainee, who was unable to ask questions directly, as is possible during traditional meetings. It also significantly facilitated the work of the trainer. If essential practical information for the trainee had not been provided in this format, the trainer would have expected to get a large number of individual enquiries on the same subject. In particular, the syllabus was set to clarify the following issues: (a) aims of the course, (b) course organization, (c) course 10

timetable, (d) participation requirements, (e) rules in the course participation, and (f) contact information. 3.4. Content delivery The training process in the course Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe was designed and organized to meet requirements of the LMS/LCMS system, the nature of archaeological heritage, and expectations of the target group (J. Marciniak 2009). The training was conducted in a fully asynchronous mode to provide trainees with a possibility of working in available time and convenient place. No traditional meetings took place due to a wide geographical dispersion of the trainees and their workload. The major activity in the training comprised individual work on successive modules. This was supplemented by other activities such as writing entries on the forum, preparing essays, and consulting on their work with the trainer. The progress of trainees work was systematically monitored by the trainer. The trainees were also given a possibility of individual consultations with the teacher by e-mail. The distance e-learning course Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe was conducted in five participating countries (Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden) in the period between December 2008 and July 2009. In three countries, it was conducted in national languages (Germany, Latvia, and Poland). Considering the good command of English among the target group in the Netherlands and Sweden, the course was delivered there in English. The course structure made it possible to get it organized in a different pace. Accordingly, it lasted from three (Sweden) to six months (Poland). This flexibility was needed to meet different expectations of trainees as well as take into account training traditions in participating countries. As mentioned above, a major component of the course comprised 15 multimedia modules placed in five consecutive blocks. They were supplemented by three discussion forums and two essays (collective and individual). Hence, a number of training solutions offered in the LMS/LCMS system were applied in the course. The training was conducted in asynchronous mode requiring individual work of the trainee with multimedia and interactive e-learning module. In addition, trainees engaged in asynchronous distance conversation in the form of discussion forums, as well as asynchronous collective and individual homework in the form of two essays. The trainees were obliged to get acquainted with the content of all fifteen modules according to the training timetable carefully designed for each partner. In order to encourage their participation in the training, trainees were also obliged to participate in three discussion 11

forums. These covered the following themes: (a) What is heritage? (b) Archaeological heritage. Fact or construction?, and (c) Presenting the past and setting the agenda. The discussion forums were also provided to the trainees according to the precisely designed training timetable. The trainees were also urged to prepare one collective homework. It was supposed to be 3000 words long and address the following theme: Mapping of archaeological resources in the selected region. They were also obliged to prepare one individual essay entitled How would you change / implement (inter)national legislation and policy to meet the requirements of local heritage? Availability of individual modules and other resources was different in participating countries depending upon duration of the entire course. Approximately 7-10 days were assigned to get acquainted with each module, but actual time needed to complete the task ranged between 1.5 and 2.5 working hours. While working on subsequent modules, the trainees obtained access to other resources assigned to this part in the form of different auxiliary materials. Access to the forum set to accompany the course part was only available after trainees acquired some knowledge by studying the modules, and it was provided usually about two weeks after its beginning. Successful training was only possible thanks to efficient monitoring of all the trainees activities. The system facilitated tracking the progress of all participants in successive modules, as well as their parts in forums, and it included such details as a number of entries to the course/module/forum, time spent in subsequent learning objects and modules, the date of the first entry, the date of the last entry, etc. The trainer was also in charge of marking both essays, controlling the work schedule, and motivating participants falling behind this schedule. 4. Concluding remarks

E-learning in the form of web base training, as a method of vocational training in archaeological heritage, is a relatively new method. Its potential has hardly been explored and assessed in any depth. This training mode has certainly a range of advantages, including flexibility, ease in reaching geographically dispersed trainees, availability of materials in the most convenient time, and it takes into consideration individual demands of trainees. It provides a non-sequential use that facilitates navigation of its content in different ways, allows access to the course structure before getting into details, and provides constant access to reference and revision material. It has to be underlined, however, that learning at a distance

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requires self-discipline and good personal time management. It is most suitable for highly motivated and well organized individuals. An overall very positive experience of preparing and running the course Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe can be seen as the first step in exploring potential of this relatively unknown mode of teaching in archaeology and archaeological heritage. The proposed technological solutions comprised the latest developments in distance education and were chosen to best support both trainees and trainers during the training process. They were verified during the training conducted among the target group in five European countries. The carefully designed methodology of the e-learning course preparation and training of the Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe course can serve as a model for the preparation and implementation of similar courses in the field of protection and management of archaeological protection. It will make it possible to conduct distance courses on a wide variety of aspects of archaeology and heritage protection. The experience gained in this project served as a point of departure for further developing the e-learning solutions in the field of archaeological heritage. These new activities involve constructing a flexible educational system aimed at providing trainings to diverse target groups. This has taken the form of a content depository that makes possible authoring didactic content in response to different needs of a wide range of target groups. The content of any training curriculum can be constructed from the database of didactic materials available in the form of learning objects. These can then be uploaded from the database in the form of ready-to-use SCORM packages. As of today, 40 e-learning modules, covering different aspects of protection and management of archaeological heritage and made of ca. 1300 learning objects, have been produced. The method of didactic content construction and delivery is to be tested in a range of pilot trainings among different target groups such as local administrative entities, teachers, museum staff, the general public, etc., as a part of the second Leonardo da Vinci project, which is currently under way.

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References Cited Aldred, Oscar and Graham J. Fairclough 2002 Historic Landscape Characterisation. Taking Stock of the Method. English Heritage and Somerset County Council, London. Carliner, Saul 2002 Designing E-learning. ASTD Press, Alexandria, VA. Carman, John 2005 Against Cultural Property: Archaeology, Heritage and Ownership. Duckworth, London. Cleere Henry F. (editor) 1989 Archaeological Heritage Management in the Modern World. Unwin Hyman, London. Collison George, Bonnie Elbaum, Sarah Haavind, and Robert Tinker 2000 Facilitating online learning, Effective Strategies for Moderators. Atwood Publishing, Madison, WI. Conolly, James and Mark Lake 2006 Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Edgeworth, Matt (editor) 2006 Ethnographies of Archaeological Practice. Cultural Encounters, material transformations. Altamira Press, Lanham. Evans, Thomas L. and Patrick Daly (editors) 2006 Digital Archaeology. Bridging Method and Theory. Routledge, London. Fairclough, Graham and Per Grau Mller (editors) 2008 Landscape as Heritage. The Management and Protection of Landscape in Europe, a summary by the COST A27 project "Landmarks". Geographia Bernensia G79, Bern. Fairclough, Graham and Stephen Rippon 2002 Europe's Cultural Landscape: Archaeologists and the Management of Change. Council of Europe, Brussels. Gaffney, Christopher F. and John A. Gater 2003 Revealing the Buried Past: Geophysics for Archaeologists. Tempus Publishing Ltd., Stroud. Horton, William 2008 E-learning by Design. Pfeiffer, San Francisco. Horton, William and Katherine Horton 2003 E-learning Tools and Technologies. Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis, IN.

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Marciniak Arkadiusz 2009 E-learning in Archaeological Heritage. An Example of Archaeological Heritage in Contemporary Europe a Distance Learning Course. In E-learning Archaeology, edited by Heleen van Londen, Marjolijn Kok, and Arkadiusz Marciniak, pp. 41-55. University of Amsterdam Press, Amsterdam. Marciniak Jacek 2009 Methodology and E-learning Solutions. Archaeological Heritage in Contemporary Europe Distance Learning Course. In E-learning Archaeology, edited by Heleen van Londen, Marjolijn Kok, and Arkadiusz Marciniak, pp. 56-89. University of Amsterdam Press, Amsterdam. Richards, Julian and Damian Robinson (editors) 2000 Digital Archives from Excavation and Fieldwork. A Guide to Good Practice. Oxford: Oxbow Books. Skeates, Robin 2000 Debating the Archaeological Heritage. Duckworth, London. Wilson, David R. 2000 Air Photo Interpretation for Archaeologists. 2nd edition. Tempus Publishing Ltd.

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