KEEN historians can explore some of Scotland’s most famous sites from the comfort of their homes during the lockdown as part of a new online education tool.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which manages a host of the country’s key attractions and sites,
has launched the free online learning service to keep youngsters engaged while schools remain shut as part
of the pandemic response.
HES runs sites including Edinburgh Castle, Skara Brae in Orkney and Arbroath Abbey, but all its staffed properties and sites have been shut to the public as part of the coronavirus outbreak.
The organisation has introduced a new learn at home programme while schools remain closed. The project allows youngsters and parents to gain access to HES’ digital resources.
The online tool follows the introduction of the organisation’s learning programme, which allows people to access historic sites online as well as digital archives and resources.
Craig Fletcher, HES senior learning manager, said: “Throughout this strange and stressful time, we know it can be a challenge to keep children entertained and a struggle to be productive indoors.
“With this in mind, we wanted to help in whatever way we could, using heritage themed materials, to support and inspire educators, parents and learners. We’ve created an online learning portal with digital resources that are easily accessible and updated regularly.
“Our goal is these will be useful tools for anyone learning at home or looking for something different to do.
“These resources will allow us to engage with audiences and provide new fun ways for everyone to learn
and connect with Scotland’s historic environment from the safety of their home.”
In the last year, HES has engaged with more than 128,000 learners through a range of access schemes and programmes, including self-led site visits, on-site activities, and outreach activities that took place in school and community venues.
The new learn at home programme includes users being able to “investigate” Scotland’s historic sites and topics in more depth.
The scheme also includes games to play, Gaelic learning, art activities, a range of videos – as well as crafts to make and recipes to create.
To ensure these resources are now easily accessible to all, a special area has been created on the Learn section of our website that will gather regularly updated digital content from across the organisation and provide links to further information.
Access to cultural heritage learning website Scran has been made free until the end of July in an attempt to support children learning from home while schools remain closed.
The online database features more than 400,000 images, film and audio files from archives, galleries and museums across Scotland and the UK. Users can browse resources by topic, and these are linked to the Curriculum for Excellence in more than 600 pathfinder packs.
Teachers working from home can continue with existing access routes or register online. Home educators and parents can also get in touch by email.
In an attempt to help inspire those learning from home, HES will use the hashtag #LearningWithHES across its social media channels to help support youngsters and those learning at home as well as addressing queries.
Meanwhile, academics at Stirling University have created a smartphone app to help people explore and experience Scotland’s heritage without leaving the house.
The free app has been launched by Dr Catherine Mills from the university’s faculty of arts and humanities.
The technology allows users to follow a series of curated heritage walks from their living room, using a mix of industrial archaeology, historic maps, images and spoken testimonies.
The app is proving popular with people who are using it to explore the environments virtually from their homes during the lockdown restrictions.
The Landscape Legacies of Coal app has 12 routes around sites in Scotland’s coalfield, while a further nine routes are in various stages of construction.
The number of routes has increased as more people have engaged with
Ms Mills and her team, sharing their own stories about Scotland’s a range of videos – as well as crafts to make and recipes to create.
To ensure these resources are now easily accessible to all, a special area has been created on the Learn section of our website that will gather regularly updated digital content from across the organisation and provide links to further information.
Access to cultural heritage learning website Scran has been made free until the end of July in an attempt to support children learning from home while schools remain closed.
The online database features more than 400,000 images, film and audio files from archives, galleries and museums across Scotland and the UK. Users can browse resources by topic, and these are linked to the Curriculum for Excellence in more than 600 pathfinder packs.
Teachers working from home can continue with existing access routes or register online. Home educators and parents can also get in touch by email.
In an attempt to help inspire those learning from home, HES will use the hashtag #LearningWithHES across its social media channels to help support youngsters and those learning at home as well as addressing queries.
Meanwhile, academics at Stirling University have created a smartphone app to help people explore and experience Scotland’s heritage without leaving the house.
The free app has been launched by Dr Catherine Mills from the university’s faculty of arts and humanities.
The technology allows users to follow a series of curated heritage walks from their living room, using a mix of industrial archaeology, historic maps, images and spoken testimonies.
The app is proving popular with people who are using it to explore the environments virtually from their homes during the lockdown restrictions.
The Landscape Legacies of Coal app has 12 routes around sites in Scotland’s coalfield, while a further nine routes are in various stages of construction.
The number of routes has increased as more people have engaged with Ms Mills and her team, sharing their own stories.
To ensure these resources are now easily accessible to all, a special area has been created on the Learn section of our website that will gather regularly updated digital content from across the organisation and provide links to further information.
Access to cultural heritage learning website Scran has been made free until the end of July in an attempt to support children learning from home while schools remain closed.
The online database features more than 400,000 images, film and audio files from archives, galleries and museums across Scotland and the UK. Users can browse resources by topic, and these are linked to the Curriculum for Excellence in more than 600 pathfinder packs.
Teachers working from home can continue with existing access routes or register online. Home educators and parents can also get in touch by email.
In an attempt to help inspire those learning from home, HES will use the hashtag #LearningWithHES across its social media channels to help support youngsters and those learning at home as well as addressing queries.
Meanwhile, academics at Stirling University have created a smartphone app to help people explore and experience Scotland’s heritage without leaving the house.
The free app has been launched
by Dr Catherine Mills from the university’s faculty of arts
and humanities.
The technology allows users to follow a series of curated heritage walks from their living room, using a mix of industrial archaeology, historic maps, images and spoken testimonies.
The app is proving popular with people who are using it to explore the environments virtually from their homes during the lockdown restrictions.
The Landscape Legacies of Coal app has 12 routes around sites in Scotland’s coalfield, while a further nine routes are in various stages of construction.
The number of routes has increased as more people have engaged with Ms Mills and her team, sharing their own stories.
To ensure these resources are now easily accessible to all, a special area has been created on the Learn section of our website that will gather regularly updated digital content from across the organisation and provide links to further information.
Access to cultural heritage learning website Scran has been made free until the end of July in an attempt to support children learning from home while schools remain closed.
The online database features more than 400,000 images, film and audio files from archives, galleries and museums across Scotland and the UK. Users can browse resources by topic, and these are linked to the Curriculum for Excellence in more than 600 pathfinder packs.
Teachers working from home can continue with existing access routes or register online. Home educators and parents can also get in touch by email.
In an attempt to help inspire those learning from home, HES will use the hashtag #LearningWithHES across its social media channels to help support youngsters and those learning at home as well as addressing queries.
Meanwhile, academics at Stirling University have created a smartphone app to help people explore and experience Scotland’s heritage without leaving the house.
The free app has been launched
by Dr Catherine Mills from the university’s faculty of arts
and humanities.
The technology allows users to follow a series of curated heritage walks from their living room, using a mix of industrial archaeology, historic maps, images and spoken testimonies.
The app is proving popular with people who are using it to explore the environments virtually from their homes during the lockdown restrictions.
The Landscape Legacies of Coal app has 12 routes around sites in Scotland’s coalfield, while a further nine routes are in various stages of construction.
The number of routes has increased as more people have engaged with Ms Mills and her team, sharing their own stories about Scotland’s pict the chronological development and decline of horse-drawn coal wagon ways in and around Alloa, the story of coal mining and wider industrial history of Dollar and an exploration of colliery housing and the surrounding social environment of Newtongrange in Midlothian.
Developers hope to continue expanding the number of routes during the next 12 months, including the soon to be launched Ash Way, which traces the route the coal ash slurry took from Kincardine and Longannet power stations to the storage lagoons at Preston Island, taking in the wider coal mining, maritime, industrial and cultural histories of Kincardine, Culross and Valleyfield.
Further information is available on the Landscape Legacies of Coal website, Facebook and Twitter pages.
Anyone wishing to get involved with the project or has an idea for a route can contact Ms Mills by email at: Landscapelegaciesofcoal@stir.ac.uk
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