Open Digtal Archive-oriented Practice and Examination in an Art Museum : A Study in Possibility of Digital Archives

Abstract

Today, there are as many as about 5,360 cultural facilities in Japan, and most of them are facing severe shortages of human resources and funds due to the decreasing number of visitors and financial cutbacks. This requires the domestic museums to develop the base of long-time visitors from now by closely working with the local communities, especially schools. In the educational field, the Course of Study was revised in 1998 to incorporate the new section of "appreciation" training. Because this"appreciation" training requires expertise, there are various efforts underway. Therefore, museum staffs and schoolteachers should recognize the professional positions of each other once again, and actively enhance their mutual cooperation. However, there are many difficulties with their cooperation, and solutions to these problems are essential. This research examines the practical classroom activity that uses the Internet and the web appreciation materials directed by a teacher in collaboration with Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art. By evaluating and verifying the activity results, this research also discusses the effects of the digital museum as another "virtual" space-"alternative space."