Interpreting for All Minds: Synthesising Practices for Cognitively Inclusive Heritage Interpretation

Abstract

The thesis discusses cognitively inclusive heritage interpretation and how it can increase learning and engagement at cultural heritage sites. Inclusive tourism aims to develop accessible opportunities for marginalised groups, while heritage interpretation seeks to create learning opportunities about heritage sites and their history. The aim of the thesis is to in-crease understanding of how cognitively inclusive practices in heritage interpretation can benefit a diverse range of visitors based on their educational backgrounds, learning preferences and difficulties, and cultural and language barriers. Given the importance of education at heritage sites, the purpose is to understand which practices enhance learning and engagement at heritage sites through interpretation.

The study was conducted by semi-structured interviews with interviewees of different educational backgrounds, languages, cultures, and learning preferences. The interview questions aimed to investigate the interviewees’ perceptions, opinions, and experiences in heritage interpretation. Additionally, they evaluated different cognitively inclusive practices, which were synthesised on the basis of previous literature. Therefore, the research methodology was qualitative. The findings were analysed by content analysis.

The findings indicate that participants agreed on three main challenges in current heritage interpretation: barriers in comprehension, sustained attention, and engagement. Furthermore, participants with different educational backgrounds and learning preferences agreed that heritage interpretation could lower these barriers by providing a holistic structure throughout the heritage site and each narrative, using interpretive storytelling, offering different presentation methods, and making heritage sites more visitor-centred. Lastly, the research shows tendencies that cognitively inclusive practices are also beneficial for visitors with high educational backgrounds.

In conclusion, the research suggests that cognitively inclusive practices can make heritage interpretation more accessible and engaging for a wider audience. The practices were evaluated positively and seem engaging for a variety of visitors. It could be beneficial to focus on creating heritage interpretation for general visitors, rather than experts, including different presentation options, offering visitor-centred facilities, and enriching the content through value-adding and emotion-provoking experiences.