Who used the SLL

The 2020 Survey provided an understanding as to who the SLL registered users are, with the majority of the respondents self-identifying as educators in different capacities. In particular, slightly over half of the respondents identified themselves as teachers (51%, n = 319), with the rest, in descending order, self-identifying as museum staff members, librarian/media specialists, curriculum specialists, topic enthusiasts, parents, home school instructors, and school administrators (see Figure 2). Survey respondents taught a variety of grades from Pre-K to adult education as well as a variety of subject matters from art education to STEM subjects (see Figures 3 and 4).

Figure 2

Shows SLL users’ self-reported usage roles (from the SLL Registered Users Survey 2020).

Figure 3

Shows SLL users’ self-reported grades taught. (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020. Results do not equal 100%, as respondents could have selected multiple grades.)

Figure 4

Shows SLL users’ self-reported subjects taught. (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020. Results do not equal 100%, as respondents could have selected multiple subjects.)

Attending PD was associated with a difference in use of the SLL

The OET provides a variety of PD for educators on the use of the SLL. This paper does not address differences among formats of PD; however, data showed that close to half (42%, n = 263) of the 2020 Survey respondents had attended some form of PD ranging, in descending order, from a workshop facilitated by the Smithsonian, watching tutorial videos, online office hours offered by Smithsonian educators, and workshops facilitated by an entity outside of the Smithsonian (see Figure 5). Fifty-eight percent (n = 360) of the 2020 Survey respondents did not attend PD.

Figure 5

Shows how SLL users self-reported professional development attendance. (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020. Results do not equal 100%, as respondents could have attended multiple forms of professional development.)

Results from the 2020 Survey demonstrated that having attended PD was associated with different patterns of experiences with the SLL. When asked how they heard about the SLL, not surprisingly, respondents who had attended PD more frequently indicated hearing about the platform through Smithsonian in-person training, conference presentations, or professional association communications than respondents who had not attended PD. Respondents who had not attended PD more frequently indicated hearing about the platform through an Internet search, online forum or blog, and social media than those who attended PD (see Figure 6).

Figure 6

Shows how SLL users heard about the SLL. (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020. Results do not equal 100%, as respondents could have selected multiple subjects.)

Our results uncovered different patterns in past frequency and future intent to use the SLL with respondents. For example, respondents who had attended PD utilized the SLL more regularly with students during the academic year 2019–2020 than those who had not. Specifically, they had more frequently used the SLL on a weekly (8%) and monthly (30%) basis than respondents who had not attended (weekly = 6%; monthly = 26%, respectively). Also, participants who had attended PD were less likely to have used the SLL only once: respondents who had not attended PD more frequently used the SLL with students only once (24%) than those who attended (21%) (see Figure 7). As for the users who had attended PD who selected “Never,” as shown in Figure 7 (meaning they had not used the SLL with students during the academic year 2019–2020), a deeper analysis indicated that only one had assigned a collection to her/his students when asked later in the survey. These PD participants who had not used the SLL with their students had primarily searched for resources (71%) and viewed collections (69%). Many of these PD participants selected “Not applicable” to the statements regarding student learning outcomes found in Table 4. Over half (57%) of these PD participants also indicated that they did not share a collection. While further research should be conducted, it can be ascertained that these participants primarily use the SLL to search for resources and view collections rather than directly using the platform with their students. Furthermore, the 2020 Survey results showed that the respondents who had attended PD were more likely to indicate that they would continue using the SLL in the future than those who had not attended PD (see Figure 8).

Figure 7

Shows how SLL users self-reported use of the SLL with students during the academic year 2019-2020 (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020).

Figure 8

Shows SLL users’ self-reported future use of the SLL (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020).

Similar results were achieved through the surveys implemented immediately after PD workshops where data showed that the vast majority of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed to be more likely to use the SLL in their professional lives because of workshop participation (strongly agreed = 64% and agreed = 29%) (see Table 2). The respondents to these surveys also strongly agreed and agreed that the workshop participation increased their confidence with using the SLL (strongly agreed = 71% and agreed = 22%, respectively) and that they gained usable skills to apply in their professional lives (strongly agreed = 74% and agreed = 22%, respectively) (see Table 2).

An effective Internet search is considered one of the most important skills in digital literacy and the OET PD specifically addressed how to search and improve searching for resources on the SLL (Abbott and Cohen 2015) (see Figure 9). When asked to rate their experience with searching for a resource on the SLL, respondents who had attended PD rated it as very satisfactory or satisfactory more frequently than those who had not attended PD (see Figure 10). In addition, respondents who had attended PD searched for SLL collections more frequently than those who had not attended (79% vs 51%, respectively) (see Figure 11).

Figure 9

Shows an image captured of the search capabilities of the SLL. Arrows point at:

• Learning Lab Collections: The tab that leads to collection search results.

• Search Bar: The bar used to search for resources or collections.

• Resources: The tab that leads to resource search results.

• Media Type: The user can filter search resources by image, video, audio, text, and learning resources.

• Resource Characteristics: The user can filter search resources by public domain and/or included transcription.

• Resource Provider: The user can filter search resources by the Smithsonian Museum or Department (e.g., the National Museum of American Indian, Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, etc.).

• Date Range: The user can filter search resources by date range.

• Culture: The user can filter search resources by culture (e.g., Native Americans, Indians of North America, Vai [African People], etc.).

• Place: The user can filter search resources by place (e.g., USA, Africa, Liberia, etc.).

Figure 10

Shows how SLL users self-reported experience searching for resources on the SLL (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020).

Figure 11

Shows how SLL users self-reported use of the SLL. (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020. Results do not equal 100%, as respondents could have indicated multiple answers.)

Different patterns also manifested when addressing experiences with SLL collections. One of the primary features of the SLL is the ability for users to customize digital resources. For instance, users can add new annotations to resources, edit existing annotations, change visible resource metadata, create collections of resources, or copy published collections and use them as is or adapt them to their needs, as previously described. The OET PD specifically addresses how to master these technical functions. The 2020 Survey respondents who had attended PD created and copied collections more frequently than those who had not attended (49% versus 11% and 24% versus 14%, respectively) (see Figure 11).

In addition, our post-workshop survey showed that participants agreed that the PD made them feel more comfortable in their ability to create and adapt SLL collections (see Table 3). Respondents who had attended PD also used collections more frequently for direct instruction and were slightly more likely to assign them to students than those who had not attended PD (36% versus 21% and 17% versus 14%, respectively) (see Figure 11).

The SLL offers users the opportunity to share their collections by publishing them on the platform; this allows other users to find these collections and then copy, adapt, and use them as needed. By recognizing the difference between the amount of created and published collections on the SLL, we tried to understand if PD impacted the publication of users’ collections. We also investigated if users employed different means to share collections not captured by our metrics. The 2020 Survey showed that respondents who had attended PD were more likely to share collections than those who had not attended PD (63% versus 43%, respectively) and, in particular, to publish collections (27% versus 5%, respectively) (see Figure 12) Furthermore, the survey demonstrated that SLL users indeed used different means to share their collections (e.g., by copying the collection URL and sharing it by email, or social media, or by an app on their mobile phone, or by embedding the collection in a different learning platform) (see Figure 12).

Figure 12

Shows how SLL users self-reported means to share SLL collections. (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020. Results do not equal 100%, as respondents could have used multiple means of sharing.)

Survey respondents who had not attended PD were more likely not aware of the possibility to publish a collection directly on the SLL and unsure of the Smithsonian’s expectations for publishing than those who attended PD (23% versus 10%, respectively) (see Figure 13). Interestingly, those who attended PD were more likely not to share the collections as they wanted to work more on them than those who did not attend PD (22% versus 10%, respectively) (see Figure 13).

Figure 13

Shows SLL users’ self-reported reasons for not publishing collections on the SLL. (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020. Results do not equal 100%, as respondents could have indicated multiple reasons.)

PD participants achieved learning outcomes

The data proved that PD achieved our intended learning outcomes for participants. Data from the Post-workshop Surveys showed that a large percentage of individuals agreed or strongly agreed to statements regarding awareness, confidence, and use of the SLL (see Table 2). When these survey participants were asked to indicate their agreement with the statement, “I gained usable skills and will be able to apply them to my professional life,” 96% (n = 518) agreed or strongly agreed. Respondents to the 2020 Survey participants viewed the SLL as a resource for ideas, primary sources, a basis for educational activities, and students’ assignments. Data from interviews reinforced results from the surveys with PD participants. For example, interviewees described the SLL as follows:

Especially in public education, with funding not available for things like going to museums, it’s an incredible way to get the museum to them. That is something within the last 10 years that many don’t experience at all and for some, this is the way they’re going to see it (Teacher Creativity Studios: Latinx Cultural Presence in the Classroom, Year 2).

It’s possible to do a really deep dive on something and you never run out of places to look. You would look at a Native American image and find more collections, so it’s a great trail. It’s a collaborative effort. A way to get a whole bunch of different perspectives of the same image in different collections and lenses and fitting into different context[s] (Teacher Creativity Studios: Latinx Cultural Presence in the Classroom, Year 2).

They also used it for their personal learning, to satisfy curiosity, and for personal knowledge/continuing education. For instance, when talking about the use of the SLL, a respondent from the 2020 Survey wrote:

For my own learning, I’ve looked at other people’s collections. For example, others presented at workshops and I later looked back at their collections for further understanding. I then did some of my own research using resources/images they had shared in their collections.

And another remarked, “I enjoy the Smithsonian Learning Lab resources for my own continuing education.”

Even partners recommended the use of the Smithsonian Learning Lab in the classroom, with one saying:

You get to curate your own museum by using the SLL, you get to make your own digital museum with your own purpose. If your purpose is social justice, your purpose is to revise dominant narratives that have been told about a particular context or history, then you can be intentional in curating primary documents and you can supersede the intentionality of these different museums. [Teachers aren’t] beholden to a director, board of directors. There are people that control these things and they want to control a narrative. What it does for teachers, is it allows them, in a moment, to be able to control the narrative and I think that that’s something that, if I can use marketing to publicize the SLL to teachers, that is something that’s really useful. This is a moment where you get to rewrite the dominant narratives. You get to use museum stuff and you get to tell the story and you get to remedy propaganda (Teacher Creativity Studios: Latinx Cultural Presence in the Classroom, Year 2).

Participants who attended PD were more likely to be very satisfied with the SLL than those who had not (see Figure 14). In addition to this, those who did not attend PD were more likely to be neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

Figure 14

Shows how SLL users self-reported satisfaction with the SLL (SLL Registered Users Survey 2020).

Educators, especially those who participated in PD, agreed with statements about successfully achieving student learning outcomes when using SLL in classrooms

A major interest in our study was to shed further light on the use of digital museum resources to achieve student learning outcomes in classroom settings. As researchers are working to identify realistically achievable student learning outcomes when using museum digital resources in classrooms, initial data from ten in-depth interviews uncovered that teachers spoke of students’ increased engagement and demonstrating a higher level of thinking and application of learning when using the SLL. They talked about students’ increased curiosity and how students asked more questions. They described increased student autonomy and inspiration for future learning and felt that the use of the SLL improved students’ ability to make connections and think more deeply. These preliminary findings informed the design of questions about students’ outcomes in the 2020 Survey meant to further explore the subject. Respondents who used the SLL in their teaching or curriculum writing, especially those who had attended PD, agreed that students increased observation skills, technology skills, discipline-based thinking skills, and critical thinking skills (see Table 4). They also reported that students engaged in project-based learning and collaboration.

To reinforce these results, when talking about the use of the SLL, responders from the 2020 Survey wrote, “[I used the SLL to] engage university students in examining images from within your collections, learn about metadata, develop critical thinking skills in relation to their own work with primary source research,” while another remarked, “I used the lab to create activities to help improve student observational and critical thinking skills in science.” A third articulated, “ [I used the SLL to] research and reference for students when looking at systems thinking and cultural implications for sorting and cataloguing. Also evaluating collections for their usefulness for specific research.”

Aspects of impactful professional development

The triangulation of the results of the 2020 Survey with the Post-workshop Surveys and the interviews from specific PD projects added nuances about the importance of incorporating strategies with museum resources in classroom instruction and of tailoring PD to the participants’ specific needs with a learner-centred approach. We uncovered possible explanations of the different patterns between educators who had attended PD and those who had not attended. When discussing these results, it is important to keep in mind the earlier reported limitations of the triangulation. As suggested by findings from the OET’s previous research, workshops about the use of the SLL and digital museum resources in classrooms incorporated pedagogical strategies such as the Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines and the National Portrait Gallery’s Reading Portraiture guide, among others. The importance of having and discussing examples of using the SLL in classroom settings and the effectiveness of matching digital resources with pedagogical strategies were among the major themes discussed by workshop participants. By talking with teachers who participated in PD projects targeting specific content about the value of using these strategies with their students, we uncovered emerging themes of perception of how the strategies led to greater engagement, increased participation, and a higher level of thinking and learning. For instance, an interviewed PD participant said, “I’m working on a collection where I will use two photographs and ask students to observe and then compare. I will use the Project Zero resource to develop my questions.” A Survey 2020 responder wrote, “I use individual images and the questioning strategies I learned during that workshop on a regular basis when examining visual text.” Workshop participants found pedagogical strategies on the SLL relevant to their subject areas. They agreed that dedicated time to explore suggested museum resources to pair with pedagogical strategies was important or very important and that, as a result of participating in the workshop, they found themselves integrating different teaching strategies when building curricula for or teaching their subject matter (see Table 5).

Our results also pointed to the importance of cultivating long-term, supportive relationships with PD participants who expressed the need for PD offered over multiple, sustained, and variegated sessions. We learned that crucial components of a sustainable and supportive PD were cultivating long-term relationships with program partners (that assist in recruitment, development, and instruction of PD) and the human interaction among the programs’ multiple participants. Project partners were highly complimentary of the staff they collaborated with in planning and implementing the workshops. The following quote by a staff member from a partnering Institution represents the theme:

I am engaged because I am now more interested in using our collections in a different way, not just to study objects but because I need to go and look and search for other objects that we have that I am not aware of or that I don’t see that often because they are in storage. Instead of having them in storage all the time, if I could have access to them and create a digital collection then at least make them available even if you can’t see them physically (Teacher Creativity Studios: Latinx Cultural Presence in the Classroom).

In particular, project partners appreciated the timely, frequent, and helpful communications that led directly to well-run workshops. They also appreciated the OET staff’s flexibility and intention to support the local facilitators to design a workshop appropriate to their audience. The voices of the program participants reiterated the importance of a sustained communication plan with clearly articulated expectations and deadlines and regular updates on new resources and features of the SLL. Clear and consistent communication and assistance throughout the process made the experience a positive one for the organizing partners. This highlights the value of having service-oriented staff organizing PD projects and could suggest that each iteration of the PD will become easier for the partners as they have more examples and experience working on similar projects. Members of a partnering Institution spoke about the OET staff involved in the program, saying:

They were very clear in their communications and expectations. They met all of their deliverables in terms of providing things we needed or things that needed to be completed. I like this group because they are not only planners and visioners, but also do-ers. They are not in an ivory tower, not above setting up and breaking down on [the] day of. They were good listeners (Teacher Creativity Studios: Latinx Cultural Presence in the Classroom).

Even during the shutdown it didn’t feel like any lag in our communication. [OET staff member] made sure to provide us the materials we needed in advance. Before the shutdown happened, she went ahead and shipped everything we would need for the workshop. I have no complaints and all good things to say (Teacher Creativity Studios: Latinx Cultural Presence in the Classroom).

User-centred marketing research and strategies are important

We observed that different users heard about the SLL through different means. In particular, those who had not attended PD more frequently indicated hearing about the platform through an Internet search, online forum or blog, and social media than users who attended PD, while the latter indicated different forms of PD as the preferred means to hear about the platform. As means of advertising are considered crucial elements of marketing campaigns, especially if integrated with pathways to access digital resources and patterns of use, our observation reinforces paying particular attention to user-centred marketing strategies to expand the reach of museum resources. Several scholars suggested that user-centred marketing research and strategies are not always clearly established when distance education programs begin and should be considered from the very onset of the development of learning platforms and programs. These scholars, among others, pointed to how marketing has become an increasingly important skill set to be included in teams embarking on addressing access to and developing digital resources (Stellefson et al. 2008; Yamamoto 2009). Stellefson, Eddy, Chaney, and Chaney, in addition, provided several examples and tips for effective marketing strategies, ranging, among many, from developing a user-centred mindset branding to establishing a customer relationship management system to collect users’ interests and provide pertinent direct information users may need, to optimizing the functionality of distance education websites to market programs by strategically choosing “meta tags” (i.e., title, keywords, descriptions) designated for the website.

Attending an educator need-centred PD that addresses digital literacy skills is associated with increased confidence, skills, and satisfaction using digital museum resources

A recent literature review on factors affecting primary teachers’ use of digital technology pointed out that teachers’ attitudes toward the use of digital technology were found to be related to teachers’ confidence, beliefs, and self-efficacy (Spiteri and Chang Rundgren 2020). Our findings showed that PD attendees reported feeling more aware of, more comfortable with using, and more satisfied with the platform’s functions than non-PD attendees, which may have led to more frequent use and, correspondingly, to increased confidence as described by other authors (Pongsakdi, Kortelainen, and Veermans 2021). Furthermore, our results showed that attending PD that targeted skills customized to the users’ needs on the use of the digital platform was associated with different uses. For this paper, we focused on searching, creating, copying, and sharing digital resources. As many scholars consider search to be a key element of digital literacy, and our initial studies found that searching required both discrete skills and accumulating experience in when and how to use them, the OET PD specifically addressed how to search for a particular resource or collection on the SLL. Survey respondents who had attended PD more frequently rated their search experiences as very satisfactory or satisfactory than those who had not attended PD.

Educators can be confronted with a plethora of difficult-to-use digital resources leaving them with the need to quickly sort out resources for usability and/or adapt them to their students’ needs. Digital learning platforms now often offer the possibility to adapt resources, but literature on digital literacy, while emphasizing the importance of educators’ skill of flexibility, has not frequently addressed how educators adapt digital resources (American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills 2010; Kelentrić, Helland, and Arstorp 2020). Our findings show that attendees of PD more frequently created their collections and copied and adapted others’ collections. These results point to the need for further research on how resources are adapted, what set of skills educators need to adapt resources to achieve effective instruction and students’ learning outcomes, and to assess this effectiveness.

Additional skills within digital literacy are a collaboration among peers and sharing content and practices that contribute to cooperative learning models. Among other scholars, McCann indicated that communities of practice may foster best practices, knowledge sharing, and innovation to the field, as well as assistance to those educators who lack access to such resources and technology (McCann 2009). From its conception, the SLL offered the possibility for users to share their collections by publishing them on the platform so that they become available to all users and discoverable through search engines based on the quality of the metadata added (Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access with the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine 2018). Over time, we noticed a difference in the number of created and published collections. Initial findings demonstrated that users who attended PD were more likely to publish collections on the SLL as they were more aware of the function. This study confirmed the initial finding and uncovered uncertainty of the SI expectations in publishing on the platform as a barrier. Our data revealed other means to share collections such as by copying the collection URL and sharing it by email or social media or by an app on a mobile phone, or by embedding the collection in a different learning platform. This lesson can prove particularly useful when addressing educators’ needs of intercommunicating digital learning platforms, as school districts are rapidly moving in adopting them, and structuring and assessing marketing strategies (Rhode et al. 2017).

Educators, especially those who participated in PD, agreed with statements about successfully achieving student learning outcomes when using SLL in classrooms

As literature evidenced that teachers seek educational technology because it “can have considerable positive impacts on student performance,” museums are eager to demonstrate that their digital learning resources contribute to achieving student learning outcomes, especially when they are used in classroom settings (Terada 2020). Our findings showed that educators, particularly those who participated in PD, agreed with statements about successfully achieving student learning outcomes when using the SLL in classrooms. Student learning outcomes varied from increased observation skills, technology skills, discipline-based thinking skills, and critical thinking skills. SLL users also reported that students engaged in project-based learning and collaboration. Widely accepted by the museum world and considered among the outcomes that promote lifelong learning, documenting these skill achievements contributes to advancing the field of digital learning, especially if further assessed (Savva 2013). Our findings begin to articulate achievable learning outcomes when using museum digital resources in the classroom and prepare for further research needed to advance the field of digital learning and promote the use of digital museum resources among educators. Even though it is not the focus of this paper, a particular mention is dedicated to addressing pedagogical strategies to effectively use digital museum resources in classrooms. Following its initial findings, the OET introduced pedagogical strategies as resources in the SLL, and now constantly addresses their use through PD opportunities. Our preliminary findings indicated that PD workshop participants found the pedagogical strategies pertinent to their subject matter on the platform and integrated them into classroom practices. The use of research-based pedagogical strategies to achieve student learning outcomes has been amply reported in the literature and our study points to the need for further studies to specifically link the use of digital museum resources paired with pedagogical strategies to student learning outcomes.

Long-term relationships with constituencies and consistently accessible support from museum staff are key components of digital learning ecosystems

Additionally, we would like to consider the importance of long-term relationships with constituencies, and consistently available support with museum staff, within the limits of our methodology. In an increasingly digital world in which many organizations are striving to develop effective education ecosystems, our findings reinforce the importance of the role of human interaction in building strong learning communities (European Union 2021). Our qualitative findings showed how partners and PD participants appreciated the OET staff’s competence, knowledge, flexibility, and availability to accommodate their needs. A clear communication plan and strategy and the human interaction among the programs’ multiple participants were considered crucial elements to ensure a sustainable and supportive PD by partners and PD participants. Prior research on online versus face-to-face instruction demonstrated that positive outcomes were comparable across both formats, and e-learning courses in workplace and organizational settings have begun to include interaction and dialogue among participants to facilitate sharing their personal experiences and establish personal connections (Githens 2007; Russell et al. 2009; Kwaske and McLennan 2021). Our qualitative research confirmed how PD participants not only appreciated the personal connections with PD partners and the OET staff, but also with their peers. Aligned with the existing literature, our findings showed that educators need and ask for a PD offered over multiple, sustained, and varied sessions (Office of Education Technology 2017). To accommodate this need, the OET now regularly offers freely accessible digital sessions on the use of the platform and its resources with dedicated staff members. This “just in time” form of support complements other forms of PD, is accessible to all SLL users, and allows participants and staff members to share experiences and tips to leverage digital resources and tools in meaningful and impactful ways.

Future directions

The data presented through this article pave the way to further research on the effectiveness of specific formats of PD in increasing educators’ confidence and skills related to digital literacy (e.g., office hours, embedded videos, or different workshop formats like progressive sessions over a period of time) and on the length of the duration of these effects after completing PD. While more studies are needed on the impact of museum digital resources on student learning outcomes, our results can provide a foundation to begin the identification of achievable outcomes. The future of digital access to Smithsonian digital resources and tools intended for teachers should continue to be developed iteratively in direct consultation with teachers. The insights summarized in this paper capture responses to observed and recorded needs, but we understand too that from COVID and beyond, the classroom and the needs of those who inhabit it will continue to change and expand. Our approaches to the tools and services we provide, and the PD that informs and supports it, will need to keep pace with that reality. “Online Schools Are Here to Stay, Even After the Pandemic” voiced The New York Times on April 11, 2021, and, as we all work to meet the increasing demand to engage educators digitally, these practical lessons learned can be adapted and applied to provide access to digital resources for the classroom (Singer 2021).

Authorial contributions

Authorship is alphabetical after the drafting author and principal technical lead. Author contributions, described using the CASRAI CredIT typology, are as follows:

Christina Talbert, Consultant to the Office of Educational Technology, Smithsonian, United States, ChristinaLTalbert@gmail.com – ct

Giuseppe Monaco, Office of the Under Secretary for Education, Smithsonian, United States, MonacoP@si.edu – gm

Darren Milligan, Office of Educational Technology, Smithsonian, United States, MilliganD@si.edu – dm

Ashley Naranjo, Office of the Under Secretary for Education, Smithsonian, United States, NaranjoA@si.edu – an

Philippa Rappoport, Office of Educational Technology, Smithsonian, United States, RappoPh@si.edu – pr

Tess Porter, Office of Educational Technology, Smithsonian, United States, PorterT@si.edu – tp

Authors are listed in descending order by significance of contribution. The corresponding author is Giuseppe Monaco, MonacoP@si.edu

Conceptualization: gm, ct, dm, pr, tp, an

Methodology: gm, an, pr, tp

Formal Analysis and Triangulation of the Data: gm, ct

Writing – Original Draft Preparation: ct, gm

Writing – Review and Editing: ct, gm, dm, an, pr, tp

Visualization: ct, dm

Supervision: ct, gm, dm

Project Administration: dm, an, pr, tp

Funding Acquisition: dm, an, pr, tp

Editorial contributions

Special collection editors

Co-Editor-in-Chief:

Marie-Claude Larouche, Full Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, and Co-director (2018-present) of the Research Lab on Culture and Its Publics (lrpc.ca), Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada

Co-Editor-in-Chief:

Hervé Guay, Full Professor and Director of the Department of Literature and Communication, and Co-director (2015–2021) of the Research Lab on Culture and its Publics (lrpc.ca), Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada

DSCN editorial team contributors

Section Editor:

Iftekhar Khalid, The Journal Incubator, University of Lethbridge, Canada

Text Editor:

Émilie Rouillard-Beauchesne, The Journal Incubator, Université de Montréal, Canada

Bibliography Editor:

Morgan Pearce, The Journal Incubator, University of Lethbridge, Canada

Layout Editor:

Chista Avram, The Journal Incubator, University of Lethbridge, Canada