Track chair

Dr Hemamali Tennakoon Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Management Brunel Business School, Brunel University of London
Email: Hemamali.tennakoon@brunel.ac.uk

  1. Track call
    Digital technologies are transforming how societies create, preserve, and engage with cultural knowledge (Pietroni, 2025; Varol and Öksüz, 2025; Wang et al., 2025; Zhang et al., 2025). From the digitisation of heritage artefacts to immersive museum experiences and AI-driven cultural curation, Information Systems (IS) play a critical role in shaping how individuals and communities connect with culture (Almeida et al., 2024; Baghzou et al., 2025; Jangra et al., 2025; J Bem et al., 2025; Themistocleous, 2025; Yap et al., 2024). At the same time, these developments raise important issues around inclusion, accessibility, representation, and sustainability (Avlonitou et al., 2025; Sánchez-Martín et al., 2025).

    This track, “Digital Technologies for Cultural Learning and Societal Good,” provides a dedicated forum to examine how IS can be leveraged to support cultural learning and contribute to broader societal benefits. It aligns strongly with UKAIS 2027 themes, particularly the impact of emerging technologies, human aspects of technology use, and IS for addressing global challenges.

    Cultural knowledge—embedded in traditions, artefacts, and community practices—is increasingly under threat due to globalisation and technological disruption (Urbaite, 2024; Zulkarnain, 2024). While digital technologies offer powerful tools for preservation and dissemination, their design and use must ensure ethical, inclusive, and meaningful outcomes. This track aims to advance IS scholarship on technology-enabled cultural preservation, experiential learning, and cross-cultural understanding.
  2. Scope and Key Themes
    The track invites submissions exploring the intersection of IS, technology, and cultural learning, including:
    • Cultural Preservation and Digitisation: Digitisation of cultural artefacts and intangible heritage; AI and digital platforms for knowledge preservation; digital repositories; ethical and ownership issues.
    • Technology-Enhanced Cultural Engagement: Visitor engagement in museums and heritage sites; AR/VR and immersive systems; digital storytelling; personalised cultural experiences.
    • Experiential Learning: Technology-supported immersive and gamified learning; informal and lifelong learning in cultural contexts; evaluation of learning outcomes.
    • Bridging Cultural Gaps: Digital platforms for intercultural dialogue; inclusion and accessibility; migrant integration; language and communication technologies.
    • Human and Ethical Implications: Accessibility, adoption, and digital inclusion; co-creation and participatory design; bias, representation, and societal impact.
    • Management and Governance: Strategy, policy, and sustainability of digital cultural initiatives; governance of cultural data; public–private collaborations.
  3. Contributions and Audience
    The track welcomes empirical, conceptual, design science, and case-based research, as well as policy-oriented work. It encourages interdisciplinary contributions from IS, management, digital humanities, and cultural studies. It will appeal to IS scholars, digital innovation researchers, cultural heritage experts, and practitioners in museums and heritage organisations.

    References
    Almeida, P., Teixeira, A., Velhinho, A., Raposo, R., Silva, T. and Pedro, L., 2024, June. Remixing and repurposing cultural heritage archives through a collaborative and AI-generated storytelling digital platform. In Proceedings of the 2024 ACM International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences Workshops (pp. 100-104).
    Avlonitou, C., Papadaki, E. and Apostolakis, A., 2025. A human–AI compass for sustainable art museums: navigating opportunities and challenges in operations, collections management, and visitor engagement. Heritage, 8(10), p.422.
    Baghzou, D., Bouameur, A.B. and Szostak, M., 2025. The Art of Curation in Contemporary Galleries: Managing AI-Driven Tools for a Perfect Visual Exhibition. Aesthetics of Human-AI Collaboration in Creative Activities, pp.111-132.
    J Bem, M., Chabot, S.R., Brooks, V. and Braasch, J., 2025. Enhancing museum experiences: Using immersive environments to evaluate soundscape preferences. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 157(2), pp.1097-1108.
    Jangra, S., Singh, G., Mantri, A., Ahmed, Z., Liew, T.W. and Ahmad, F., 2025. Exploring the impact of virtual reality on museum experiences: visitor immersion and experience consequences. Virtual Reality, 29(2), p.84.
    Pietroni, E., 2025. Multisensory museums, hybrid realities, narration, and technological innovation: A discussion around new perspectives in experience design and sense of authenticity. Heritage, 8(4), p.130.
    References
    Sánchez-Martín, J.M., Guillén-Peñafiel, R. and Hernández-Carretero, A.M., 2025. Artificial Intelligence in Heritage Tourism: Innovation, Accessibility, and Sustainability in the Digital Age. Heritage, 8(10), p.428.
    Themistocleous, K., 2025, October. Transforming history through digitization and 3D heritage replication. In Earth Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing/GIS Applications XVI (Vol. 13671, pp. 190-199). SPIE.
    Urbaite, G., 2024. The impact of globalization on cultural identity: Preservation or erosion?. Global Spectrum of Research and Humanities, 1(2), pp.3-13.
    Varol, F. and Öksüz, M., 2025. Use of advanced measurement and reality technologies in cultural heritage sites from the perspective of technology and tourism. Current Issues in Tourism, 28(4), pp.585-603.
    Wang, H., Du, J., Li, Y., Zhang, L. and Li, X., 2025. Grand challenges in immersive technologies for cultural heritage. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 41(21), pp.13682-13703.
    Yap, J.Q.H., Kamble, Z., Kuah, A.T. and Tolkach, D., 2024. The impact of digitalisation and digitisation in museums on memory-making. Current Issues in Tourism, 27(16), pp.2538-2560.
    Zhang, J., Wang, G., Chen, H., Huang, H., Shi, Y. and Wang, Q., 2025. Internet of things and extended reality in cultural heritage: A review on reconstruction and restoration, intelligent guided tour, and immersive experiences. IEEE Internet of Things Journal.
    Zulkarnain, M.A.B., 2024. The Dynamics of Globalization and Local Cultural Identity: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Role of Digital Technology in Cultural Preservation. Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society, 3(1), pp.71-77.