Digital Attitudes and Skills for Heritage (DASH)

What is DASH?

DASH stands for Digital Attitudes and Skills for Heritage. It is a framework that helps culturalheritage professionals and volunteers develop the mindset, confidence and practical abilities needed to work with digital tools and data. The initiative, launched by the UKs National Archives and the Heritage Alliance, recognises that the future of heritagework is increasingly intertwined with technology from 3D scanning of artefacts to online storytelling and opendata publishing.

Heritage is a living dialogue between the past and the present. Digital skills are the language that keeps that dialogue open. DASH Working Group

Why It Matters

• Accessibility: Digital formats can reach global audiences, breaking down geographic and physical barriers.
• Preservation: Highresolution imaging, 3D modelling and digital archiving protect fragile objects from handling.
• Engagement: Interactive experiences (AR, VR, gaming) attract younger audiences and diversify participation.
• Collaboration: Shared standards and opensource tools enable crossinstitution projects.
• Professional development: Staff who are comfortable with digital methods can innovate and secure future funding.

Core Components of the DASH Framework

1. Digital Attitude

This dimension examines an individuals openness to learning new technologies, their confidence in experimenting, and their willingness to share knowledge. It is measured through selfassessment statements such as I feel comfortable trying a new software tool even if I have never used it before.

2. Digital Skills

Skills are grouped into three tiers:

• Basic: File organisation, copyright awareness, simple image editing.
• Intermediate: Metadata creation (e.g., Dublin Core), digitisation workflows, basic web publishing.
• Advanced: 3D laser scanning, GIS mapping, API integration, data visualisation.

3. Digital Practices

How skills are applied in realworld contexts: documenting collections, curating virtual exhibitions, cocreating content with communities, and contributing to openaccess repositories.

4. Support Structures

Training provision, peertopeer mentoring, policy guidance, and sustainable funding models are essential for embedding digital work into routine heritage practice.

5. Evaluation and Reflection

Regular review of projects against the DASH framework helps identify gaps, celebrate successes and plan future learning pathways.

Implementing DASH in Your Organisation

Step 1 Assess Current Attitudes and Skills

Use the free online DASH questionnaire to capture baseline data from staff and volunteers. The results guide the design of a tailored training programme.

Step 2 Set Clear, Measurable Goals

Examples of SMART goals:

• Increase the number of staff able to create descriptive metadata from 30% to 70% within six months.
• Produce one 3D model of a local artefact per quarter for inclusion in the online catalogue.

Step 3 Choose Appropriate Learning Formats

Blend facetoface workshops, short elearning modules, and peerled digital clinics. Consider partnerships with universities or tech companies for specialist sessions.

Step 4 Embed Practice into Everyday Work

Integrate digital tasks into existing project plans. For instance, require a basic metadata record for every new digitised item, or allocate time each week for staff to experiment with a new tool.

Step 5 Provide Ongoing Support

Maintain a digital hub on the intranet with tutorials, FAQs and a discussion board. Assign a Digital Champion to coordinate helpdesks and champion best practice.

Step 6 Review and Iterate

After twelve months, repeat the DASH questionnaire, compare scores, and adjust the training plan. Celebrate milestones publicly to reinforce a culture of continuous learning.

Case Study Snapshot

St. Marys Parish Museum (UK) After a 2022 DASH audit, the museum ran a sixmonth Metadata Bootcamp. Staff confidence in creating descriptive records rose from 35% to 85%, and the museum uploaded 1,200 new items to its online portal, increasing web traffic by 40%.

Further Resources

• Official DASH website framework documents, selfassessment tools and case studies.
• Museums Association Digital Skills Toolkit
• Heritage Hub Openaccess training videos
• Digital Heritage and the Museum (book)
• IFADigital Free webinars on 3D scanning and GIS for heritage

Image Gallery Digital Work in Action