Towards a new era for Cultural Heritage Education: Discussing the role of ICT

Living and being part of today's Knowledge Society implies recognizing the importance of the past and imposes considering Cultural Heritage as a fundamental background of our identity. This paper investigates how ICT tools can contribute to enhancing Cultural Heritage Education. It is an attempt to answer the question concerning whether ICT can really provide any added value to Cultural Heritage pedagogy, education and learning. By focusing on those Cultural Heritage artifacts that pertain to the field of arts and archeology, the paper assumes a methodological perspective and provides examples of some of the most innovative experiences in the field, thus driving the reader to reflect on the pedagogical impact that may derive from exploiting ICT potentialities. ICT, in fact, on the one hand, offers an easier access and a multi-perspective view of Cultural Heritage artifacts, and, on the other, may also enrich and improve Cultural Heritage Education thanks to the adoption of innovative learning/teaching methods.