Capturing the Experience: How Digital Media Affects Memory Retention in Museum Education

This study investigates the effects of digital media usage, specifically photo-taking and video recording, on memory retention in the context of museum education. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, this research involved three groups, each exposed to different conditions: observation without media use, photo-taking, and video recording. A total of 120 university students who participated in the study were divided randomly into groups balanced by working memory capacity. Immediate and delayed recall tests were conducted to assess short-term memory and long-term retention. The results reveal that participants who merely observed the objects exhibited considerably better memory performance compared to those who used digital media. This result is consistent with the cognitive offloading hypothesis and suggests that digital devices weaken memory encoding processes by reducing individuals' internal cognitive resources. The video-recording group exhibited the lowest performance due to the need for sustained attention and increased cognitive load. The photographing group, despite performing lower in the short-term memory test, showed less decline in the long-term memory test than the other groups. This suggests that photographs may serve as a cue in the retrieval process. The research findings reveal that digital media use can have both supportive and disruptive effects in educational environments. In this context, it is important for educators and museum designers to develop strategies that will consciously direct the use of digital tools.