STEMM Institute Press
Science, Technology, Engineering, Management and Medicine
From Sensory Activation to Community Engagement: A Dual-Path Approach to Constructing Educational Ecology in University Museums
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jhet.202515243
Author(s)
Yuwei Zhu, Wenwen Wang
Affiliation(s)
EAaD School, Xi'an Eurasia University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Abstract
Amid the digital transformation reshaping cultural communication paradigms, university museums must transcend the traditional “display cabinet model” of one-way transmission to construct educational ecosystems that meet the demands of the new era. Grounded in the theoretical framework of educational ecology, this study proposes a dual-path approach synergizing sensory activation and community engagement: multisensory experiences employ sensory storytelling to trigger embodied cognition, thereby transforming cultural DNA into bodily memory. Meanwhile, community engagement restructures social relationship networks through participatory co-creation, fostering intergenerational collaboration and localized practical innovation. Research reveals that multisensory experience design deepens cultural identity, while cross-sector collaboration networks drive social innovation via resource sharing and dynamic equilibrium mechanisms. To transition from knowledge repositories to cultural organisms, university museums must integrate sensory narratives with community co-creation. By establishing multisensory exhibition systems and online-offline community platforms, they can catalyze the integration of design practices with urban cultural development, thereby constructing a sustainable educational ecology that offers innovative pathways for cultural heritage preservation and social cohesion.
Keywords
University Museums; Educational Ecology; Multisensory Learning; Community Engagement; Participatory Experience
References
[1] Deng, X., & Du, C. (2009). Twenty years of educational ecology research. Educational Theory and Practice, 29(13), 12-16. [2] Yu, H., & Yang, C. (2023). Public participation, knowledge sharing, and community building: A study of Japan's "Citizen Curator" program. In Committee of Museology, Chinese Museums Association (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2023 Symposium on "New Museum Definition and High-Quality Development of Chinese Museums". China Women and Children Museum; Industrial Culture Development Center, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, 24-30. https://doi.org/10.26914/c.cnkihy.2023.126567 [3] Fan, G. (2014). Educational ecology. People’s Education Press. [4] Du, X., Yang, Z., & Wei, J. (2022). Defining museums: Discussions on ICOM’s proposed museum definition. Journal of Cultural Heritage and Museology, 2022(3), 54-61. [5] Wang, S. (2019). Multisensory museology: Embodied cognition and the communication of museum phenomena [Doctoral dissertation, Zhejiang University]. https://doi.org/10.27461/d. cnki. gzjdx. 2019.001961 [6] Li, B. (2020). Diversity and inclusion: Examining museum-community relationships in the context of "harmony" and "uniformity". Chinese Museum, 2020(2), 22-26. [7] Liu, W. (2023). Visitor services under the new museum definition. In Committee of Museology, Chinese Museums Association (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2023 Symposium on "New Museum Definition and High-Quality Development of Chinese Museums" (pp. 420-425). Hebei Museum. https://doi.org/10.26914/c.cnkihy.2023.126614 [8] Dang, Q., & Lin, W. (2024). Community building and cultural identity in Guangxi Museum’s digital communication during the metaverse era. New Legends, 2024(37), 111-113. [9] Wang, Z. (2024). Innovative integration of art and science in museum exhibition design. Decoration, 2024(8), 108-111. [10] West Bund Museum launches large-scale public weaving project "Threads of Connection". Digital Photography, 2025, 20(2), 130. [11] Simon, N., & Yu, X. (2018). Participatory culture and the third revolution of museums: Translator’s preface to The Participatory Museum: Entering the Museum 2.0 Era. Chinese Museum, 2018(4), 67-73.
Copyright @ 2020-2035 STEMM Institute Press All Rights Reserved