Interpreting Digital Heritage: A Conceptual Model with End-Users' Perspective

Abstract

Present virtual heritage projects are mostly focused either on ‘process’ or ‘product’ but rarely consider ‘users’ (end-users' perception of the content) with project contents predominantly developed with an ‘ocular-centric’ tendency. There is no significant interpretation method or principle for interpreting digital heritage like other disciplines such as archaeology. This paper argues that, for better interpretation and experience of a digital heritage site, a comprehensive interpretation method is required, which should address end-users with various background, overcome the linearity in narrative level and subjectiveness in content creation. This paper also argues that instead of predetermined instructional sequences or descriptive interpretation, the interaction setting can be participatory and contributive, where the end-users and environment may engage in ‘dialogic-interaction’. In terms of methodology, ‘Interpretation’ is first conceptualized by assimilating definitions from various heritage scholars and interpretation organizations. Notions of interpretation-practice and level of interaction are identified from reviewing some online digital heritage projects. By identifying weaknesses, this paper finally proposes a conceptual model for developing a comprehensive interpretation method for future digital heritage projects.