digital space – Online Portfolio

Essay: “Advantages of Teaching in a Digital World”

Teaching students in the 21^st century comes with several challenges, and the challenges allow educators to tweak their lesson plans to adjust to the ever-changing environment. In general, people are inundated by the digital world; there is so much information overload that most people can get overwhelmed. Consumers of the digital world are less than 2 or 3 clicks (with reliable internet service) away from discovering and learning about the past instantaneously. For more than a decade, people have been programmed to search online for convenience without thinking about the complexities of what is happening to the way they search online and how information is displayed and received by the consumers. There is no fine print to read when it comes to encountering the search engine. If there is such a thing, then most of the consumers of the digital world have missed it. The most popular search engine is Google, and my students and I are consumers of it. Unfortunately, people are not taught how to search properly and be skeptical of search results and websites. The massive amounts of information in the form of text, images, and videos are on the web; but people must be aware of how, what, why, and who they search online. Since students rely on the web for recreational and academic purposes, they can learn from teachers to be smart consumers of the digital world. Educators can use the web for providing credible information and show their students how to examine, evaluate, and analyze information on the web. The malleability of the past in the digital world has made it easier to teach about and help our audience to engage with the past.

Even though the web has made it easier to teach about the past, there are some unsettling challenges that complicate the work of teachers. The mass reliance on Google to conduct research is one of them. “Since search engines are becoming a preferred method for discovering, retrieving, and organizing scholarly information, it is critical that we understand the emerging trends” (Rieger). College undergraduate students tend to search for topics in Google rather than the suggested library databases because it is very popular, convenient, user-friendly, visually appealing, and most used search engine. Most of the time, Google displays the results on several pages, but most students usually view the first page of results. In the first page, they select the first 3 links to view. Sometimes, students will view the remaining links and quite possibly the 2^ndor 3^rd page of the results. Most people have been programmed to just click and view without carefully considering what they selected. That is when the educator comes in to help the students. In addition to all the lesson plans they are required to teach students about a subject, teachers might have to consider teaching students how to use search engines, evaluate the web sources, and analyze them for academic purposes. Unfortunately, most of the search is completed away from the campus when students leave. So, the educator just has to hope his or her students will be cautious and aware of how and what they search on the web.

On the flip side, the digital world has provided several great ways for teaching students about the past. One great way to teach about the past without being inundated with links of historical information from a simple search is teach the students how to evaluate the search results. Educators can teach the students about key terms for search results such as SEO and explain how search engine results are displayed on the screen. An educator might consider asking the students to conduct a Google search of a historical term from an electronic device in different settings, or they can conduct a Google search with the same laptop, tablet, or smartphone from two different settings (e.g. coffee shop, campus, home, etc). They can compare their results and discuss the differences and similarities with the entire class. Then, the educator can teach students how to examine and evaluate links. For instance, “the goal is to encourage searchers [students] to integrate information effectively and efficiently by evaluating credibility of a source, and using and citing information ethically and legally” (Rieger). Students will learn to question search engine results and begin to evaluate which websites are credible or not. This lesson will teach them to be smart consumers of the web.

The digital world provides excellent resources on the web that students are unable to see in person. Historic sites with valuable and interesting information are crucial to foster historical thinking. Educators who would like to teach students about history with primary sources can have access to them on the web. Educators can introduce credible, historical websites and provide a short lesson for students to examine a primary source without leaving the classroom. In “Why Historical Thinking is Not About History,” Sam Wineburg makes a good point by stating, “Reliable information is to civic intelligence what clean  air and clean water are to public health” (16). Educators can propose two questions to help their students learn to evaluate sources for reliable information: “Who owns a site? Who links to it?” (Wineburg 16). By answering these two questions, students can begin to evaluate the website. Also, a digitized primary source with text can be compared with a transcription of it. The educator may ask 1 or 2 questions to help students to examine both sources. Sometimes, when the physical site is too far away for students and educators to visit in person, the website of the physical site provides digital resources for helping the educator to provide an engaging history lesson for his or her students.

Another teaching method that teachers can do is to incorporate a lesson that helps students learn how information is posted on the web. Educators can use Wikipedia as part of a lesson to teach students how information is posted in a digital space. They can uncover complexities in history by conducting research on certain Wikipedia entries with historical information. For example, Brown and Olsen assigned their students to revise a Wikipedia entry on Tianamen Square after learning about it for a several weeks. They conclude that “one of the principal tasks of historians is to not let the complexities of history go unnoticed. Wikipedia’s ubiquity has made it a useful forum to communicate such complexities to the public, as well as an effective tool for future historians to improve their academic abilities” (Brown & Olsen). Also, students can learn to compare the information between Wikipedia and a historical website. They will learn to ask questions and begin to think historically about the information on the web. Also, they will inquire more about the past. Providing a lesson for students to engage with history by examining, evaluating, researching, analyzing, and editing information on the web, teachers can use the web as means of teaching how information is posted on the web.

Finally, there are free digital tools on the web that educators can introduce to students to work with historical evidence. For data mining, educators can introduce easy and user-friendly digital tools such as Voyant and Wordle to examine the text of a historical document and how the words appear in context. Educators should “make sure your [students’] visualizations expose something new, hidden, non-obvious” (Cohen). The visualizations of the data mining will help students to uncover something different or new. Also, they can use mapping tools as visual reference of key historical places and uncover some complexities of geo-history. Working with digital tools to understand and analyze historical evidence allows students the opportunity to think about history in a different way. It also helps them to uncover interesting things and discover new information to fuel their inquiring minds. There are so many great digital tools that educators can introduce to students to help them work with historical evidence and to help them to foster historical thinking.

Despite the challenges and downfalls of a malleable past in a digital world, it makes it easier for educators to teach about and to help students engage with the past in multiple ways. The digital world has helped educators teach students about search engines and evaluating search links. It also introduced the concept of learning about the past in a digital space, especially when the physical space is out of reach. They learn to examine and evaluate digitized primary sources on the web. Students learn to use digital tools to analyze historical evidence on the web and uncover complexities in history. According to Kelly, “the best way to use digital media to teach them to see history as we see it is to create learning opportunities that make it possible for our students to do history—to practice it as we practice it—to help them make history, using their own creative impulses, rather than simply giving us what they hope is the correct answer to a question we have posed” (“Teaching History”). The malleability of the past in the digital world can have its challenges, but it can help educators find ways to teach students to be smart consumers of the web while learning about the past.

Bibliography

Brown, J. & Olsen, B. M. (2012). Teaching Tiananmen: using Wikipedia in the undergraduate classroom to learn how to write recent History. American Historical Association. Retrieved from https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/april-2012/teaching-tiananmen

Cohen, Dan. (2016). It’s about Russia. Digital Humanities: Theory & Practice. Retrieved from http://edchnm.gmu.edu/dhcert/sites/default/files/pdf/Its_About_Russia.pdf.

Kelly, T.M. (2013). Teaching History in the Digital Age. Digital Humanities. Retrieved from http://edchnm.gmu.edu/dhcert/sites/default/files/pdf/TeachingHistoryintheDigitalAge.pdf.

Rieger, O.Y. (2009). Search engine use behavior of Students and Faculty. First Monday, 14(12). Retrieved from http://www.firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/%20view/2716/2385

Wineburg, S. (2016). “Why History thinking is not about History. History News, 71(2),14-16. Retrieved from http://resource.aaslh.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2016/10/Wineburg-Spring16-a.pdf

Response to “National Parks and New Audiences”

Coslett and Chalana incorporate interesting ideas that reflect ways of teaching historical thinking to the general public. After providing a historical background of two historic sites: WM-NHS and SJI-NHP, they point out the elements that best represents them. At the same, they also point out the elements for improvement in order to increase their presence for more visitations and reaching out to a broader audience. They express the need for uncovering the complexities of history by arguing that the NPS should continue to be progressive with improving their parks because “the agency recognizes the need to expand its interpretive approaches to incorporate different cultural groups” (104) and “without straying too far from the founding mandates” (103). For WM-NHS and SJI-NHP, the authors argue that the physical and online presence need to be improved in order to uncover some parts of history that need to be acknowledged while adhering to the mandates. Besides the permanent exhibit (physical site) that is divided into sections that present information about the Whitmans and Cayuse, some of the language and outdoor signage need improvement at WM-NHS. For SJI-NHP, Coslett and Chalana advise themes beyond the “Pig War” that should be explored and continue to be uncovered such as the Native people and women’s experience. They also mentioned that both parks used film to engage the audience. Even though Coslett and Chalana point out the steady progress of the parks, they argue that the parks “fall short of directly engaging the park’s more complex and controversial human histories, particularly with regard to the perennially marginalized contributions and experiences of Native peoples” (122). Their argument echoes what most of our readings in this course have mentioned. Uncovering the complexities of history is an ongoing process that includes changes in language, historical studies, humanities, technology, and people. Asking questions about sources is unavoidable even in physical spaces such as the historic sites. Being skeptical about the presented information invites the questions from the audience in order to face the challenges that sometimes changes need to be made in order to uncover the complexities of history.

Fortunately, NPS has begun to make such improvements in the 21^st century by collaborating with people with different experience such as working the design students for “Parks for People.” Another way NPS engaged with the public was “Find Your Park” that uses social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to bring attention the parks and reach out to a diverse audience. Coslett and Chalana refer to “dark parks” that make visitors think and learn about unpleasant things about the past such as internment camp sites, isolated leprosy community, etc. “These NPS units offer contemplative places for consideration of the less savory aspects of our nation’s struggles with violence and oppression,” and “parks like these may inspire tolerance by revealing and exploring prejudice while contributing to important communal healing processes” (124-125). The uncovering or discovery of complexities of history is part of that learning and healing process.

I would advise the NPS to continue reaching out to a diverse audience for collaborative opportunities. They might meet some innovative individuals who will bring fresh perspectives to the current historic site. Also, I would advise the NPS to work with more individuals from diverse backgrounds to help improve their online presence. I checked out the webpages for WH-NHS and SJI-NHP, and I noticed some elements that could help improve their online presence and traffic. For the WH-NHS, the images in the Photo Gallery section need metadata. Also, it would be nice to zoom in and out of each image. The Education page needs great improvement. I think if the right digital tools and more teaching resources were implemented, then it would be a great way for teachers to refer to this page. Possible voice recordings of some of the transcriptions would be nice for visitors who are visually impaired. SJI-NHP needs some updates on their web page. The last update was in March 2015. The history and culture page displays images with the text. I can actually click on the image to viewer a larger image. The Education page also falls short; it desperately needs more information to engage the teachers to view this page with their students. The Photo Gallery is a little confusing because the photos are all on one page of an exhibit and not separated. The visitor is not allowed to zoom in and out of the image. Also, I would advise taking more pictures of the physical site and post them online. Unfortunately, I did not see any questions to help the audience to think about the historical evidence and uncover the complexities online. Posting 1 or 2 questions to capture to the audience’s attention would help them to begin thinking historically about the historical evidence. The maps seem out of date or need improvements to engage the audience. An interactive map might would be useful to connect the items from the other sections of the digital site. Maybe in the future, NPS might consider adding 1 or 2 languages to increase international audience. After viewing these two sites online, my final advice would be for the NPS to reach out to individuals who are interested in improving the online presence for certain parks. Both the physical and digital spaces are significant to uncovering historical complexities, so NPS might consider working with GMU students who are in the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program to help them improve their digital space and presence.

Exploring Mobile History Site: The Sixth Floor Museum

For the “Exploring Mobile Public History” activity, I explored the The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza on my smartphone. The information and images presented on the website were viewable on the smartphone. The only drawbacks for viewing the site on the phone are the enlarged images and extended timeline information with images. On the phone, it is difficult to have a wide view of the images and timeline that are displayed across the screen on a computer or laptop. On the other hand, viewing the digital public history on the smartphone had some advantages. Based on the place-based or location-based techniques, the mobile site adhered to all three of the responsive approaches: how they want it, when they want it, and what they want. For visitors who are curious or unable to visit the museum in person, viewing the public history is accessible via the website. But, it is even more accessible for people who want to view it from their smartphones. The disadvantage will be for people who do not have cell phones or mobile devices. Also, if there is no WiFi, then there is no access. I was able to view the museum site on my phone while I was in an area that did not have desktop computers or laptops. Also, I was able to view the site while I was having lunch. As long as I had access to WiFi, I was able to view the site on my phone. By having access to the site via smartphone, laptop, or desktop, reflects that the site can be viewed with WiFi in different locations. Also, I could view the site when I wanted it. Instead of worrying about the Museum’s hours of operation, I could view the site whenever I wanted.

As for what I wanted, I was able to select different sections to view collections, timelines, shared memories, videos, and transcripts. Instead of reading about the history of the museum, I can jump to the next section and read about the assassination. I can also select Collections or The Legacy. If visitors at the museum do not have mobile devices or smartphones, the museum provides electronic devices for a voice driven tour. However, the mobile version does not provide a voice driven tour for visitors who want to use their own devices. The timeline presented in the “The Assassination” section closely resembles what is at the physical museum, so visitors get a similar experience. The images on the timeline are not viewable alongside the text when a specific part of the timeline is selected for closer viewing. The oral history in “The Collections Section” includes more transcripts than video recordings. The video recordings are linked to their YouTube Channel, and they are easily viewable on the smartphone. The audience engagement with the site is layered with different things. The Legacy section includes previously shared memories of the event, and there is a “Share Your Memories” tab to invite the audience to provide their stories during that time period or what they know about it.

The theory of history that The Sixth Floor Museum is putting forward is living history. Instead of teaching about the past in a single space, it engages the audience to trace the events leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 in a digital space. Also, The Sixth Floor Museum invites the audience to question what had happened and how the assassination of JFK is still thought provoking after so many years. The audience can envision the past while connecting with the present surroundings. For example, the site shows the physical spaces related to the tragic event from past and present. The audience can view the location of the assassination and where the sniper was positioned at the time. The site links to an Earthcam that allows the audience to view the Dealey Plaza from the sixth floor of the museum. The live camera shows cars, people, roads, buildings and other structures in today’s time. Placing the audience in the location of where the sniper was positioned during the assassination perfectly connects both digital and physical spaces together. Whether it is in physical or digital space, the The Sixth Floor Museum site engages the audience to think about history as living history.

A Reflection on Oral History in DPH Projects

Digital technologies have provided different ways of including and delivering oral history in a digital space. There are systems or software programs that are available to help project designers to include oral history in a digital space. For example, “The Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS), a web-based system, provides users with word-level search capability and a time- correlated transcript or index, connecting the textual search term to the corresponding moment in the recorded interview online” (Boyd 95). On the other hand, there are some challenges that complicate the practice of oral history. According to Boyd, “… it still remains underutilized because oral history can be a cumbersome resource to use, even in an online environment” (95). Initially, OHMS was developed for transcribed oral history; and it became a challenge in the digital space. Also, “Software designed to offer access to archived materials is not sensitive to specific challenges posed by oral histories” (Boyd 96).

The American Folklife Center uses Oracle APEX for their platform. Groce and Lyons “expect the online platform developed for the Occupational Folklore Project to result in cost-efficient protocols for the acquisition of oral history materials from partners in geographically dispersed locations…to minimize the work of translating and mediating data that accompanies these acquisitions” (65). It allows the user to include content with less complications.

Another challenge is the cost of transcribing and auditing oral history. “The digital index has the advantage of being a true timecode; however, very few digital archival systems have been developed to automate the linking of the timecode representing the segment created to the corresponding moment in the interview” (Boyd 101). As a result, “Indexing in OHMS allows us to create a workflow that puts these interviews online much more quickly and efficiently at a very low cost” (Boyd 103). It is not cheap. So, OHMS developed a better option. Currently, OHMS is free. Also, OHMS is compatible with certain programs. For example, “As part of this initiative, OHMS is being developed as a plug-in, working seamlessly with other content management systems, including Omeka, Kora, CONTENTdm, and Drupal” (Boyd 96). There are helpful video tutorials (and transcripts) on how to use OHMS for annotating oral history.

Furthermore, there is a challenge of having too many topics. The Occupational Folkore Project, designed by the American Folklife Center, came up with a great solution. “To address this challenge, we again worked with our archiving and cataloging colleagues to develop a controlled vocabulary, a list of preselected words and terms designed to limit ambiguity and aid the search and retrieval of information” (Groce and Lyons 62). This solution created an efficient way to catalog the topics prior to the oral history interviews.

To ensure that the project site maintains its user centered focus, testing the site at various times is very helpful. Including oral history in a digital space presents another complication that can be good for the project designers. American Folklife Center uses Beta-testing, which they rely on volunteers from libraries, schools, organizers, etc. This allows the AFC to “use testers’ feedback to refine our [their] procedures and improve our protocols” (Groce and Lyons 65). Referring to Angela Colter’s “Testing Content,” “Whatever your budget, timeline, and access to users, there’s a method to test whether your content is appropriate for the people reading it.” Therefore, testing the site is a win-win situation for both the project designers and users.

The articles and project sites for Oral History (Module 7) have strongly influenced my proposed decision to add an oral history component to my project. Here is the link for my OHMS annotation assignment: https://ohms.uky.edu/preview/?id=35461. I plan to add interviews to complement the Exhibit items in Omeka. Also, the oral history component would be a great add-on for including and engaging the audience. I might consider adding an option for the audience to add their oral history of Koreatowns in North Texas by selecting one of the two options: text or recording (voice/video). They can upload a document or type their history in the space provided (with word limit), or they can upload a short video. The transcription of the oral history will be beneficial for me and the audience. I like the idea of the segmented transcription of oral history in OHMS. If either text or video includes Korean language, I will have to find a way to translate it in either format. Adding the oral history, in the form of text, voice, or video recording, reflects a humanistic approach to my digital public history project. The audience will be introduced to real people and their stories in order to make human connections in a digital space. The connections result in engaging and interesting communication that will help me improve my project.

A Reflection on Doing Local History or Affinity-Group Community History Mediated by Digital Technology

Working on local history or an affinity-group community history mediated by digital technology invites various challenges. One challenge involves communication via the digital space. Selecting the right interface to present the public history contents requires carefully paying attention to the audience, design, and content management. Another challenge is creating ways to engage a broad audience. The digital public history site needs to be displayed in different ways to capture the audience’s attention in order to engage them. According to Gutterman, “Digital history scholars have emphasized the need for interactivity, but most digital history Web sites fail to attain this goal” (“Outhistory.org” 102). So, various digital tools or plug-ins have to be tested in order to find the right ones for engaging a broad audience. The third challenge would be designing the project’s site with various digital tools to create and share historical knowledge with a broad audience. For example, Outhistory.org invites the audience to “Create Content” and to share their stories “Tell Us Your Story.” They allow the audience to take part in building the digital public history site. Whether the audience is a scholar or someone from the general public, the digital technology must be accessible and user-friendly. The last challenge is to constantly keep the communication open for collaboration of new and shared ideas to maintain the digital public history site.

After carefully reading the articles and viewing the project sites of local history or affinity-group community history, I have noticed several things that I need to consider with developing my project. I am in the process of looking at another plugin to add to my project site. The plugin would be for a timeline. Another thing I would like to consider is reorganizing the featured sections. I may order the sections differently. Also, I would eventually need to test the site with actual users, people who represent my proposed audience/persona. Testing the site will help me see the flaws and gain knowledge about my real audience. To broaden my audience and to encourage more people to contribute to building the Koreatowns in North Texas project, I would like to add a Korean language feature; so I can include both English and Korean. Also, I have learned that I need to collaborate with more people who have knowledge about the Koreatowns and Korean American history in North Texas. The collaboration will help me with designing a bigger picture for my project. Therefore, while I am selecting the digital tools and designing the interface, I have to keep in mind the audience and the communities throughout the development of the project.

A Comparative Review of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame

Depending on the environment or space, the representation of a public history project may vary. Whether it is a physical or digital space, the same public history project will be interpreted differently. Also, the audience interacts with it differently when presented with various ways of engagement between the physical and digital sites. Each space is open for interpretations based on its rhetorical representation; it is constantly changing and transforming. For the comparative review of a physical and digital site, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas was selected.

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame conveys the importance of recognizing the history and culture of cowgirls. The concept of the cowboy is a nostalgic and more commonly mentioned in American history. However, the concept of the cowgirl is almost forgotten or rarely mentioned in mainstream American history and culture. This museum demystifies the concept of the stand-alone cowboy and acknowledges the contributions of cowgirls. The outer space of the museum has two amazing statues placed in front of the museum. A bronze, life-size statue of a cowgirl with her horse stands on the left side of the museum. On the right side, there is a bronze, life-size statue of Sacagawea. Inside the museum, it has a circular design with a rotunda like ceiling. The environment is warm and inviting. It looks like a beautiful mansion with white floors and an impeccable interior design. There are two staircases on each side of the museum. The featured exhibit, “Pure Quills,” is on the far left corner of the first floor. The ongoing exhibit is on the right corner of the first floor and continues to the second floor. There is a video viewing room that is closest to the entrance door on the right; it features a short video of the museum’s collections and featured exhibit.

The audience for this museum varies. During my visit, I saw adult women and men touring the museum. This museum is also great for all ages and students.

The first floor of the museum features a circular layout. Because of the open and circular layout, visitors can start from different areas instead of one single flow of traffic. After viewing the video, the audience can enter the room next to it. On the right side of the wall, there is a bright red screen that asks the audience to touch the screen to begin. There are five different black and white photos of Annie Oakley, two Native Americans, a cowgirl march, Buffalo Bill, and an image of a cowgirl on a horse. After a photo is selected, the visitor steps into the brightly lit photo booth. After the photo is taken, a copy of the 3×5 photo is printed for free. There is also an option to send a digital photo via email or text. This activity is fun and interactive because it encourages visitors to learn more about the people and settings in the photos. If people were taking up too much time with the photo booth, the layout of the exhibit encourages the visitors to move to other locations in the exhibit that are also equally or more engaging such as the double-sided video screens hanging from the ceiling. Each side of the screen features videos taken during the time cowgirls were part of the Buffalo Bill Show.

The primary items that are used to communicate the interpretation of the museum are the collections of artifacts from well-known cowgirls such as Annie Oakley and Tad Lucas. These artifacts are displayed beautifully in separate glass cases for full 360 viewing. The circular navigation of the museum is very engaging and moves the visitors along. There are hologram videos that are built into the wall. It looks like a diorama that hangs on a wall, but in this case, it’s a digital diorama that speaks to the audience by looking directly at them during the speech. One of the dioramas features an image of Annie Oakley talking about teaching other females how to shoot rifles.

I did not see any docents or curators interacting with the public during my visit. However, the museum will provide a docent led tour for a group if scheduled ahead of time. The receptionist who was also the gift store representative was helpful. After I purchased my ticket, she handed a pink sticker and instructions.

The physical site of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is engaging and informative. This museum is a great treasure for the nation. I wish more people would visit the museum because I learned so much about the American West and history of cowgirls during my first visit. I hope to return soon with my friends and family. I would not change the physical exhibit because it is effective as is.

In addition to the physical site, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame also has a website. The “About” page includes a clear statement for the purpose of the museum: “The National National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience and independence that helped shape the American West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire” (National Cowgirl Museum). From the featured images of cowgirls to the amazing logo, the design of the website clearly communicates its argument. The primary audience might be women because the website seems to show more images of women and their achievements. It also features a slideshow on its homepage of future events such as the artist Barabara Van Cleve’s “Pure Quill” exhibit, Cowgirl Spring Roundup, the luncheon for the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and the Old Bags luncheon.

The website seems to target white/Caucasian women because most of the images in the homepage slideshow feature white women. It makes the assumption that the audience is mostly white women. However, if the audience takes a look at the honorees, there are also women of color who were inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.

The layout of the website is easy to navigate and search. Each of the tabs has categories of interest. For example, the “Museum” tab has seven featured categories with sub-categories. There is an “Education” tab as well as the “Hall of Fame” tab. For the Hall of Fame, the audience can learn about each honoree and her achievements. There is also an image of the honoree. Similar to the physical site, the website allows the audience to begin their journey from different directions. There is no “Start Here” tab or page, which allows more freedom for the audience to navigate the website. Unfortunately, there is no Search area or button on the homepage to allow the audience to narrow their search.

The website offers brief information about the ongoing exhibits and featured exhibit. It also includes the “Hall of Fame” honorees information. The Education page features information for school tours, video conferencing, traveling trunk, and Girl Scout Patch Program. The Support page asks the audience to become members, to make donations, and to volunteer.

In contrast to the physical site, the website provides Education and Support opportunities that a physical site does not provide unless the audience request such information or reads the museum pamphlet. The featured artifacts in the digital space do not compare to the artifacts featured in the physical space. The images of the artifacts and photographs on the website do not have a title, description, or narrative.

For the audience interaction and engagement, the digital space allows the audience to search the list of honorees, view videos, and search the archives. However, the physical space allows more interaction and engagement with the audience. The website allows the audience to interact with the site’s creators and curators. By visiting the “Support” page and selecting “Volunteer, the audience may interact with different departments of the museum. This type of interaction is central to the sustainability of the museum because it engages the public and values their contributions.

For the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame website, there are a few things that can be changed to enhance the digital experience for the audience. They should add titles, descriptions, and narratives to the artifacts and photographs on the website. Instead of placing them all together on one web page like a collage, they should be categorized. Adding a search area on the home page would also be helpful. The social media platforms should not be placed at the bottom right-hand corner of the website. An interactive component to entice the audience to learn more about the museum and the history of cowgirls should be added to the home page. Adding another language such as Spanish would be great because the physical site acknowledges the cowgirls from the Hispanic culture. Adding a tab for cultural diversity in cowgirl history would be helpful to reach a wider audience. The physical site includes information and images of cowgirls from Native American and Hispanic American cultures. Despite these suggestions for changes to the digital space, the museum’s website presents the overall argument very well.