Using memes as a conversational tool

The use of memes as a conversational tool for the co-creation of knowledge in the context of Online Museum Education by Frieda Marti (Brazil)

Online Museum Education is a concept and a didactic-pedagogical approach of Museum Education in/with cyberculture. It considers museums, and their digital presence, as educational networks where various types of knowledge are exchanged within and beyond their physical walls. The fostering of conversations with and between the public/visitors (on and offline) is at the centrality of online museum education activities (MARTI, 2021). Online digital technologies, in this context, are considered the cultural tools and affordances which can help foster the emotional, creative, collaborative and co-authoring processes of knowledge building during the online museum education activities.

Memes, in this case, were used as tools to trigger conversations about natural sciences related topics on Facebook and Instagram. Digital memes are a cyberculture phenomenon. They are most commonly represented as text combined with one or more images. However, their main characteristic is their viral dissemination.

At the National Museum Educational Sector, memes were created and used in order to promote the public´s active participation and engagement, and trigger conversations between educators and the public, because of the familiarity the public has with this type of textual genre.

They were used

- in a post with some zoological information about a species and a "trigger question" to generate conversations;

- In a post containing solely a "trigger question" to generate conversations about a specific topic;

- In a post representing an everyday situation which could be associated with a scientific topic related to the museum research/typology

Or they were created at the end of a face-to-face activity by the participants of a mediated visit at the museum.

So far, online museum education activities using memes have been very effective to foster conversations on the various topics/themes proposed; create a friendly and familiar bond with the public; overcome some of the social barriers imposed by the museum, such as the centrality of content production.

However, museum educators must acknowledge their important active role in mediating the online conversations, by asking more questions than giving answers, and ensuring that the public feel at ease to comment. At the end of the educational activity all the comments are combined in a final text containing all the contributions on the topic.

At the National Museum Educational Sector, memes were created and used in order to promote the public´s active participation and engagement, and trigger conversations between educators and the public, because of the familiarity the public has with this type of textual genre.

They were used

- in a post with some zoological information about a species and a "trigger question" to generate conversations;

- In a post containing solely a "trigger question" to generate conversations about a specific topic;

- In a post representing an everyday situation which could be associated with a scientific topic related to the museum research/typology

Or they were created at the end of a face-to-face activity by the participants of a mediated visit at the museum.

So far, online museum education activities using memes have been very effective to foster conversations on the various topics/themes proposed; create a friendly and familiar bond with the public; overcome some of the social barriers imposed by the museum, such as the centrality of content production.

However, museum educators must acknowledge their important active role in mediating the online conversations, by asking more questions than giving answers, and ensuring that the public feel at ease to comment. At the end of the educational activity all the comments are combined in a final text containing all the contributions on the topic.

How it started

Why did the museum start the digital project/program? As part of a doctorate research that tried to understand Museum Education in/with Cyberculture.

What was the main goal of the digital project/program? To use memes to foster conversations and the exchange of various knowledges on the topic being discussed.

What was the target group for the digital project/program? The Instagram/Facebook followers of the National Museum Educational Sector. .

What budget/funding was available to start a digital project/program? none

Were there any collaborators or partners involved in the digital project/program? Sometimes the educators of the National Museum took part in some of the online museum educational activities. However, after the fire that destroyed the museum, most of these activities were undertaken by me.

The Process

Was the project available online or offline? online

How did the audience access the project?  Instagram and Facebook of the National Museum Educational Sector

In what setting was the project used? There was no specific setting. The activities using memes were published online and the followers responded to them at their own will and interest. However, some meme creation activities took place at the museum after two mediated activities with two museum educators. One activity was with school teachers in training, and the second with school learners.

How many people can you reach at a time with the digital project/program? As many as the educational sector's social networks can reach online.

Was the digital project/program intended for an individual or group? No. They were intended to the followers of the Educational Sector´s social networks - Instagram and Facebook. Majority young adults, ranging from 24-35.

Did the digital project/program need to be moderated live by staff or was it available 24/7? It was available 24/7, but it needed moderation, as it was intended to foster conversations between the followers and the educators.

Were there opportunities for feedback from the participants? The feedback came from their participation in the conversations, as they expressed feelings and opinions about the topic and/or the memes.

New Opportunities

What resources does the museum have if the project becomes permanent? We only need a mobile phone with apps that allow us to create memes. If we do the face-to-face activity of meme creation, tablets with the apps would be useful to have for the public. Wifi is also very important so that the memes can be exchanged between the activity participants and the educators.

Is more funding possible? No

Can the digital project/program be integrated with the overall aims and education and interpretation that are on-site? Yes. The memes are created based on the objects of the exhibitions. Either during the face-to-face activities with the groups or the online museum activities posted on Instagram and Facebook.

Lessons Learned

Did you reach your intended audience? Yes

What new skills were needed for the staff and audience?

- Using apps to create memes

- Online mediation

What was successful and would use again? In my opinion the activities using memes were very successful, in the sense that the public recognise and react well to memes. So they felt at ease to comment and converse with us.