BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Educational goals Heritage Studies and ICT is a module aiming at supporting students in understanding definitions and meanings of heritage and its interpretation and management, with reference to material, immaterial and digital heritage. A visiting professor from abroad will teach part of the course, providing the students with intercultural stimuli and different didactic approaches. Students will face the following questions:
- How are cultural objects and places turned into heritage and heritage sites?
- Who are the experts and agencies that deal with heritage? How do societies/consumers deal with heritage and how it impacts on them?
- Who are the relevant stakeholders and actors in heritage practices?
- How is heritage managed, according to the most recent management practices?
- What makes heritage a complex, dynamic and political concept?
Students acquire:
• Comprehension of the theoretical and critical elements necessary to understand the basic concepts of heritage;
• Knowledge about the fluid heritage typology, as related tonatural/cultural, material/immaterial, digital domains;
• Capacity to consider heritage not only as a ‘site’ or ‘object’ but as a cultural construction or a material/virtual product;
• Understanding of the values of heritage for societies;
• Understanding of the political and ideological implications of heritage;
• Understanding of how do relevant agencies and stakeholders (on the local, national and international levels) design the way heritage is identified, defined, valued, managed, perceived and consumed;
• Capacity of developing a heritage-based personal project (individual assignment).
The objectives of the module are coherent with the Cultural Studies critical approach related to Travel and Tourism theories. The objectives are also coherent with the general framework of the MA PMTS Course, with reference to the AREA “Languages, Art, Culture”, devoted to tourism and heritage in their cultural impact and in managerial perspectives.
Course Prerequisites
Advanced knowledge of English, oral and written
Teaching Methods
Teaching methods The course has a blended approach based on both theory and practical production, and will imply a large use of ICT, as following: • Lectures with the support of Power Point Presentations; • International case studies with ample presentation; • Short videos presented and commented; • Group and individual works and discussions; • Guided excursions and visits with field work. After becoming familiar with the basic concepts of heritage and its management models, students will be guided in the production of their own assignment, applying theory to a heritage-based individual project.
Assessment Methods
Assessment and Evaluation The assessment and evaluation are based on an oral exam, completed by written assignments previously marked. The final evaluation will be expressed in n/30. Detailed instructions will be also given to the students at the beginning of the course. Oral exam. The oral exam is discursive and will test the knowledge of concepts and issues presented to the classroom and related to the text references, and to the recommended readings in the case of non-attendee students. A brief presentation on the Workshop experience is preliminary to the Oral exam. Relevant elements in the final evaluation: • Demonstration of the general comprehension of course discourses and texts related issues (as listed in the Course Content); • Critical argumentation; • Exhibition of thoughtful analysis and conceptual synthesis; • Careful use of references and bibliography; • Quality of the argumentation in fluent English. Mark Vademecum: Outstanding (30 e lode): excellent knowledge of all of the contents of the course. Excellent ability to analyze the texts and to contextualize them in an appropriate way. Proper uses of the academic register/style and technical terminologies. Very good (30 to 28): very good knowledge of all the contents of the course. Very good ability to analyse the texts and to contextualize them in an appropriate way. Good (27-25): Good knowledge of the contents of the course. Adequate ability to describe the texts. The language used is simple but correct. Fair/sufficient (24-20): Sufficient knowledge, coherence, use of appropriate resources and quality of presentation to warrant a basic pass. The ability to analyse the texts is not wholly satisfactory. The performance is very descriptive and does not fully address the issues raised by the questions. Barely sufficient (19-18): The performance is very descriptive and does not fully address the issues raised by the questions. Fail (below 18): The student demonstrates only a basic awareness of the contents of the course. The performance is confused and incoherent, with inaccuracies and major errors.
Contents
• Identification and definitions of heritage; scales/types of heritage;
• Heritage value, significance and impacts on societies;
• The authenticity debate - perception, interpretation, participation, virtual experiences;
• The political and ideological implications of heritage;
• Heritage Conservation and Management: the main actors and bodies dealing with heritage on the global, European, national and local levels;
A Seminarial activity led by the visiting professor will be devoted to the political and ideological implications of heritage and to ICT as an unavoidable academic issue in the present heritage policies and practices.
Online Resources
More information
Further information For non-attendee students, frequent contacts with the professors are recommended (virtual or in presence). ERASMUS STUDENTS: Erasmus students are invited to introduce themselves to the lecturers at the beginning of the teaching period, either if they are attendee or non-attendee students. Programmes and exam contents are the same for Erasmus and non-Erasmus students. In case the course is delivered in the dual/blended or online mode, what has been stated in the syllabus is susceptible to change in order to make both the classes and the exams accessible in a non face-to-face environment.