Heritage Appreciation and Awareness: A Child Educational Approach Exploiting Animated Video

Abstract

This article describes the motivation, aims, and consequent processes involved in designing an engaging and informative animated educational video that explains the historical exploitation of the Mount Dagushan iron ore mine in China. The mine is recognised as the deepest in China. It has been the source of raw material for the Anshan Steel Factory, which is now formally acknowledged as a significant example of heritage architecture. The effectiveness of an animated video created by the authors, regarding knowledge and appreciation of industrial heritage, has been investigated through user testing of early primary school students (grades one to six). The research presented here reports on the success of instructional design using digital storytelling as an animated video in conveying knowledge of industrial heritage, and its associated cultural and societal influences. This has included gathering primary education students' feedback and opinions in China through a survey. The research aims to illustrate how Industrial Heritage education can foster engagement in, and awareness of, important connected histories.