Essay Sample on Virtual Museums

Introduction

The concept of museum authenticity is not necessarily objective. Over the years, museums have managed to frame different experiences giving the public insight into different historical events that are perceived to be essential. This is because Museums take a snapshot of a time in history and freeze it for future generations to see. However, virtual museums do not offer a one on one experience with an artifact, making it difficult to authenticate an object. McTavish notes that "personal experience cannot be replicated through virtual museums even with advanced imaging devices" (McTavish 2). Websites blur the boundaries between the real and the virtual by ensuring that they portray the website as an artistic medium instead of enhancing art (McTavish 3). Additionally, a museum should be interactive and accessible offering different patrons to guide visitors.

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How Might One Use Virtual Museums to Enhance Classroom Learning, Help in Research and to Prepare Oneself for Museum Visits

Museums are not that useful because they offer contradictions and have conflicting objectives. This is evidenced through the reshaping of different art collections, transformation of the interactive role of a museum and how the virtual museums deploy technology (McTavish). Additionally, virtual museums cannot be used as innovative mechanisms and a marketing tool for most museums. One becomes a virtual visitor by regularly visiting virtual museum websites at home instead of physically visiting the museums. The virtual museums can be used to enhance classroom learning because they offer virtual galleries, virtual exhibitions, and collections where a visitor can see different forms of art taught in class. Various art collections in the gallery also make it easier to research by ensuring that there is enough data in the virtual museums for a researcher. However, before a visit to any virtual museum, it is imperative to have a pen and a paper to write all the useful information.

Digitization of Museum Collections

Digitization ensures that there is a continuous and active interaction of a virtual museum and virtual visitors. Digitization also enables a complete transformation of art into different models by enhancing its features to meet the needs of virtual visitors. The ability to design one's collections ensures that a virtual visitor is in a position to create their museum. This strengthens virtual visitor skills as a critical thinker by providing that they take part in design art forms. This makes it easier to relate and translate some forms of art.

Work Cited

McTavish, Lianne. "Visiting the virtual museum: art and experience online." New museum theory and practice: An introduction (2006): 226-246.