International Higher Education Teacher Award ^2024/25

The Talking Places Platform is an innovative initiative for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) by actively involving students in sustainable, community-centered activities. It transforms cultural sites and traditions into interactive learning environments, where heritage "comes alive" through participatory engagement. This approach fosters the preservation, promotion, and sustainable use of ICH while building bridges between generations.The platform uniquely integrates education, technology, and community collaboration to address ICH preservation challenges. Students serve as active agents of change, using modern tools like digital archives, virtual tours, and creative storytelling to document and share heritage practices. Activities: Student Engagement: Students work alongside local communities to identify, document, and revitalize ICH elements through research, oral histories, and multimedia projects. Digital Innovation: Creation of online archives, mobile apps, and virtual experiences to ensure global accessibility and preservation of ICH. Community-Led Workshops: Collaborative events, exhibitions, and knowledge-sharing sessions led by ICH custodians to teach and promote cultural practices. Sustainability Initiatives: Linking traditional knowledge to sustainable practices, such as eco-tourism and environmentally conscious crafts, fostering long-term community benefits. Outcomes for Students: Enhanced Knowledge and Skills: Gaining a deep understanding of ICH and its significance to culture and identity, developing practical skills in research, documentation, and storytelling using modern tools like multimedia and digital platforms.

Methodology

Planning: Needs Assessment: Collaboration with local communities, cultural institutions, and experts to identify vulnerable ICH elements in need of preservation. Curriculum Integration: Partnering with universities to integrate ICH topics into relevant courses (e.g., cultural studies, sustainable development, digital media). Stakeholder Mapping: Identifying key partners, including local artisans, cultural custodians, NGOs, and governmental bodies, to ensure a community-driven approach. Implementation: Student Involvement: Students actively participate in fieldwork, including documenting oral histories, recording cultural practices, and creating multimedia resources (e.g., digital archives, virtual tours). Collaborative Workshops: Organizing workshops with community members and experts to transfer traditional knowledge to students and create awareness within the local context. Digital Tools: Developing online platforms and mobile apps for sharing documentation and promoting ICH globally. Community Events: Hosting exhibitions, cultural festivals, and local tours to engage the public and promote ICH as a sustainable economic resource. Partners Involved: Universities and Academic Institutions: Provide academic framework and resources for student engagement and learning. Local Communities and Artisans: Serve as key knowledge holders and active participants in workshops and events. Cultural NGOs and Government Agencies: Offer expertise in ICH preservation and help secure funding and policy support. Technology Partners: Support the development of digital tools (e.g., apps, online platforms) to document and share ICH globally. Roles and Actors: Students: Lead research, documentation, and project execution, developing skills in heritage preservation and sustainable development. Faculty Members: Guide students in integrating academic learning with practical, community-based projects. Community Leaders/Artisans: Mentor students, share traditional knowledge, and participate in preservation efforts. NGOs and Cultural Experts: Provide expertise and assist in scaling the project to reach wider audiences.

Tools, equipment, technology used

Mapping and GIS Tools: ArcGIS and Google Maps are employed to digitally map cultural sites and track the state of ICH, helping monitor their condition and guide conservation efforts.,,Talking Places is ingenious because it invites territorial communities to build their narrative universe, without yielding to the flattery of the mainstream, but by involving locals in the story of their essence and identity. ,,Talking Places” is a real territorial marketing tool useful for tracing, sharing, and expanding the understanding of the territories for both international and local visitors. Through the NFC tags, it is possible to guide the visitor to discover the territory by indicating routes, companies, attractions, activities, and events. (LBT)

Outcomes and outputs, main results

Student Learning and Development: Practical Skills: Students have developed critical skills in digital documentation, multimedia production, and cultural research, enhancing their employability in fields like cultural heritage management, tourism, and sustainability. Global Awareness: Students gained a deeper understanding of global cultural diversity and its connections to sustainable development. The platform has produced a comprehensive digital collection of ICH resources, including multimedia records (videos, audio, images) and transcriptions, stored in easily accessible online repositories for academic use and public access. Cultural Revival: Traditional knowledge and practices, such as local crafts and performance arts, have been revived and kept alive for future generations. Long-term Impact on Education: The platform’s integration into academic curricula has provided students with a holistic, interdisciplinary education, preparing them to be leaders in heritage preservation, cultural tourism, and sustainable development. Students gained hands-on experience in digital documentation (photography, videography, and audio recording), learning how to create high-quality multimedia content for heritage preservation. They developed proficiency in editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere, Audacity) and learned how to create virtual exhibitions, digital archives, and multimedia storytelling projects, valuable skills for careers in cultural heritage, media, and technology.

Lessons learnt

Lesson Learned: Effective communication between all stakeholders (students, faculty, community members, partners) is essential to avoid misunderstandings and ensure smooth project execution. Defining clear roles and responsibilities is crucial for efficient collaboration. Mistake to Avoid: Lack of clear communication and role definition can lead to confusion, delays, and inefficiency, ultimately affecting the quality of the outcomes. Lesson Learned: Providing comprehensive training and support for students is vital, not just for technical skills but also for cultural sensitivity and understanding the ethical considerations of working with local communities and heritage. Mistake to Avoid: Underestimating the level of preparation required for students can lead to poor-quality work and misunderstanding of the cultural significance of ICH.

Adaptability and sustainability of the best practice (for other institutions)

The platform can be incorporated into various academic programs, including cultural studies, sustainable tourism, digital media, and heritage management. Universities or institutions can tailor the platform to suit their specific academic goals and local contexts. The good examples of it are universities and municipalities: 1. Marneuli Municipality - https://www.luoghiparlanti.it/en/marneuli-municipality-talking-tourist-places/ 2. Caucasus International University - https://journal.ciu.edu.ge/storage/articles/October2024/i63QS7fDXZKP85DKJ2xX.pdf

Promotion of best practice

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066825643762 Festival Report: (texts, photos, videos, and interviews) https://www.lifebeyondtourism.org/the-world-in-florence-2023/?utm_source=Lista+FRDB&utm_campaign=5188049ac2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_07_17_08_35&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-5188049ac2-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D Marneuli’s presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQt-sXnknUE&t=5286s Marneuli’s cultural storytelling online: https://www.luoghiparlanti.it/en/luoghi-parlanti-itineraries/ Marneuli’sinterview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyfpxSW58_Q&list=PL88NNyTJ1AduCTKzXReY3pvK_Clm9zhKj&index=11&t=1s Signature of the MoU with Marneuli Municipality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bvtFDUGyG4&t=15339s Festival's YouTube channel, to review all interventions and presentations of the territories: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL88NNyTJ1AduCTKzXReY3pvK_Clm9zhKj

Scope and impact

• Course/department level
• Faculty level
• Institutional level
• National level
• EU/EHEA/International level

The Talking Places Platform contributes to addressing the challenges and goals at multiple levels—course/department, faculty, institutional, cross-institutional, national, and international—by focusing on cultural heritage preservation, student empowerment, sustainability, The course offers students to learn how to use digital tools for cultural documentation, multimedia production, and archiving, making them more competitive in fields related to cultural heritage and digital media. The platform aligns with institutional strategies to engage local communities and safeguard cultural heritage, positioning the institution as a leader in sustainable development and community-based education.The platform contributes to the EU’s cultural goals by promoting cultural diversity, digital heritage preservation, and sustainable tourism. By using digital tools and engaging students from across Europe, it contributes to intercultural dialogue and global awareness about intangible heritage.

6.1 Digitalization

• Outstanding, innovative, excellent practices of online / blended / hybrid learning
• Innovative, novel methodology in using digital tools/devices in teaching
• Innovative use of digital administration tools
• Digital skills development and assessment both general and profession-related, embedded in course design, in teaching and assessment
• Novel digital solutions (tools, frameworks, devices, tasks to enhance efficiency and motivation)

Reasoning: Technology that tells the place Places Talking® combines traditional photographic and textual narration with NFC technology integrated in modern smartphones and offers information, insights, historical notions and traditional to the visitor. Digitalization in the "Places Talking®" concept enhances visitor engagement by integrating NFC (Near Field Communication) technology with smartphones. This allows users to access detailed, context-rich information about the location by simply tapping their d

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6.2 Internationalization

• Outstanding practices of international online collaborative learning
• Students engagement in international projects
• Courses implemented in international cooperation (projects, co-teaching, virtual/blended mobility, etc.)
• Courses offered to international multicultural students both online and offline
• International projects/research results embedded into course development and T&L

Reasoning: For internationalization, students can act as guides or ambassadors, helping to adapt the content to different cultural contexts and languages. Students can be involved in promoting the system in educational contexts, helping to introduce it to schools, museums, or tourist sites, and educating visitors about its benefits.

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6.3 Inclusion and diversity, universal design

• (Innovative) use of devices and tools for inclusion
• Senzitivizing students to consider special needs when practicing their profession
• Course includes hints on how the services/products of the profession could be universally designed/inclusive

Reasoning: The system can include audio descriptions for the visually impaired and translations for non-native speakers. By integrating various modes of interaction, such as text, audio, and multimedia, the platform promotes an inclusive, accessible experience for all visitors.

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6.4 Sustainability

• Sustainability goals are addressed in the course(s)
• Teaching material contains profession related sustainability aspects
• Special courses reflecting to UN 2030 Sustainability goals, Green Deal - mini-courses, microcredentials
• Social entrepreneurship projects, service-learning in the topic
• Extra-curricular student activities for sustainability

Reasoning: Interactive learning through real-world examples of sustainable practices in tourism, alongside case studies of "Places Talking®", encourages students to think critically about the role of digital technologies in supporting sustainability. Students work on projects that connect the SDGs with cultural tourism, offering solutions that align with sustainable development goals, such as responsible consumption, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability. They also engage with local communities to implement sustainable practices.

3.3 Public contact datas

Name	Email address	Website
Eka Devidze	edevidze@ibsu.edu.ge	https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066825643762