Between June and October 2020, Cristina Da Milano and Pascuala Migone from ECCOM carried out two cycles of workshops meant to build capacities for the implementation and evaluation of the pilots deployed in the MEMEX project.
In June, the first workshop focused on presenting the social impact evaluation strategy for the MEMEX project, describing in detail the three data-collection instruments employed – interviews, observation and analysis of the digital stories – and explaining how to collect the data and how to solve potential difficulties during the process.
In October, ECCOM hosted its second training cycle, focused on Audience development and Digital Storytelling. During 3 sessions, ECCOM addressed both topics from a theoretical and practical perspective, with a particular focus on building capacities for the pilot projects partners to be able to guide the pilot participants in the creation of their own digital stories related to cultural heritage.
This training was aiming to help the pilot partners and their local stakeholders understand how Digital Storytelling can be used as a dialogic, democratic and intercultural tool and a resource for audience development.
Beyond the assessment that Audience development is a process that MEMEX value, one of its strategies is diversifying audiences and attracting people with a different socio-demographic profile. Digital devices like the MEMEX app promote user’s interaction, engagement, personal fulfilment and enjoyment of cultural heritage. Digital Storytelling empowers the traditional Storytelling through narrative strategies (music, sounds, images, voice-over, etc.). and promotes values like Equal Representation. All those are part of MEMEX vision and goals. It will be used in the MEMEX project to help the pilot communities to tell their stories.
In the third session, Valentina Nisi and Vanessa Cesário, from ITI (Interactive Technologies Institute) hosted a session dedicated to Gamification and the importance of maintaining the interest of the people participating in the pilots through the use of game mechanics and concepts (such as points, badges, leaderboards) in non-game contexts, to encourage and reward engagement. The objective is to give a sense of accomplishment to the end user for dedicating time to a particular task.
At the end of the training cycle, the participants shared their own digital stories.
