Conservation and Digital Technologies

This subject is not offered in 2013.

120 hours

Admission to the Master of Design (234AA)

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

An introduction to current thinking and techniques linking conservation and cultural heritage practice with digital technologies. The philosophies behind digital and visualisation approaches to measurement, recording and interpretation when researching heritage sites and innovative methods using digital technologies to aid and expand existing practices in heritage management. Development of digital skills in the documentary and physical investigation of buildings, places and landscapes including innovative approaches to recording and mapping data and also managing data that pertains to both tangible and intangible aspects of built, place or landscape heritage.

On completion of the subject students should have:

• an understanding of current global practices in applying digital technologies to conservation and cultural heritage
• an ability to diagnose appropriate digital and visualisation techniques in the heritage assessment of a building or place
• an understanding and working knowledge of digital techniques for the mapping, measurement and recording of a building or place
• an understanding and working knowledge of digital forms of data management in relation to conservation and cultural heritage
• an understanding of the various ways in which digital technologies and visualisation strategies can complement or take the place of conventional conservation and cultural heritage practices

Exercises and seminar/research paper (written/drawn/digital) to the equivalent of not more than 5,000 words, due end of semester, 100%.

F Cameron & S Kenderdine, Theorising digital cultural heritage: a critical discourse, Cambridge, Mass., 2007.
Y Kalay, T Kvan & J Afflek (eds), New heritage: new media and cultural heritage, New York, 2008.
L McDonald (ed), Digital heritage: applying digital imaging to cultural heritage, London 2006.
E Waterton & S Watson (eds), Culture, heritage and representation, Farnham 2010.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• working knowledge of digital and visualisation approaches to the documentation, mapping and physical investigation of buildings, landscapes and places
• working knowledge of digital and visualisation approaches to the interpretation of buildings, landscapes and places
• working knowledge of digital and visualisation approaches to the data management of buildings, landscapes and places associated with conservation and cultural heritage in the built environment
• experience in the application of one or more digital approaches to conservation and cultural heritage in the built environment