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SHORT DESCRIPTION
A virtual gallery is not just a website that features images of creative work, but an interactive experience that can take many forms. A virtual gallery gets value when there is an audience. The audience interprets the exhibits and aims at making meaning.
EDUCATIONAL GOALS
This activity aims at the development of digital literacy skills providing opportunities for cultural exchange and collaboration simultaneously. Moreover, participants’ creativity, research and presentational skills are promoted as well as their ability to reflect upon content.
OF PARTICIPANTS
There is no limitation in the number of participants in an activity that revolves around the creation of a virtual gallery. It is recommended to invite learners to work in groups.
AGE OF PARTICIPANTS
The age depends on the digital tools that will be selected for creating a virtual gallery. In general, a virtual gallery can be created by learners 15+. The walkthrough the gallery can also be made by learners of all ages.
TIME
It is estimated that a small virtual gallery can be made within 2-3 hours. However, the time may vary depending on the tool that will be selected and the visual content that will be collected.
ATTACHMENTS
TOOLS
Below you can see a list of tools for creating a virtual/digital gallery. The selection of the tool closely affects the final experience, which can be 2D or 3D. All the tools mentioned below are free. However the free version of CoSpaces has only the basic features available.
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2D or 3D experience |
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Google slides |
2D |
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Programming environments (i.e. Scratch) |
2D |
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Genially |
2D |
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Wakelet |
2D |
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Padlet |
2D |
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CoSpaces |
3D |
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ArtSteps |
3D |
STEPS
Step 1: Participants in groups of 3-4 decide upon the topic of the virtual gallery. The topic should fall into their field of interest. The educator can support this stage with ideas and guidance. Examples of topics: poverty, climate change, artistic movements, artwork (photography, painting and more)
Step 2: The participants collect their visual content (images, media) and create supportive multimodal text (i.e. combination of titles, subtitles, explanatory text). The collection can be based on images that are available online or their own material. Content should be placed on a common online folder (Google drive, Dropbox or relevant) or stored locally (whatever works better for the group). Please note that if the content is stored online, the educator can review it at any time providing feedback if needed.
Step 3: The groups make a rather abstract and diagrammatic plan of the exhibition on paper.
Step 4: Together with the educator, the tool for creating the virtual gallery is selected. The groups start uploading their content and organise it online. Optionally, they can make a sketch of the gallery’s layout to plan the arrangement of the exhibits
Step 5: The virtual gallery is shared and the other groups are invited for a walkthrough.
Step 6: Debriefing: a discussion takes place based on the online experience that the groups had. Alternatively, comments and reactions are collected through an online form. Through this step, the educator and the gallery creators will explore the extent to which the messages were conveyed through the virtual galleries. Future steps and promotion of the galleries can be discussed among the groups.
INFO CORNER
Additional or background information, needed for the educator conducting this workshops
It is important to introduce the method ensuring that the participants have understood what a virtual gallery is.
The educator should invite the learners to think upon their theme in advance and how this will be narrated. An important step in the collection of the material that will be displayed in the gallery. This should represent the participants’ styles and convey well the message of the gallery. It is useful to guide learners towards making a rather abstract and diagrammatic plan of the exhibition on paper.
The educator should encourage participants to carefully select any titles, subtitles, media and/ or texts. It is equally important to help participants during the onboarding phase in the selected tool. In this line, it might be useful to provide demos or examples.
Last, when the virtual content is complete and the gallery is ready, the educator should activate a sharing process encouraging the learners to visit one another’s gallery. This stage can be followed with an online discussion or the collection of visitors’ experiences.
USAGE
SOURCES
Download the PDF version of the digital method