Cultivating Empathy through Exhibit Design to Engage Students in the AI and Handheld Tech Era - Three Case Studies

Authors

Angela R. Whitlock, Mississippi State UniversityFollow

Abstract

This article examines how exhibition environments can foster empathy, participation, and meaningful connection among student visitors within an increasingly digital and technologically mediated cultural landscape. Through a comparative multi-site case study, it analyzes three exhibition environments that engage students through immersive design, participatory technology, and interpretive framing: the African American Military History Museum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; the Ulysses S. Grant exhibit space within Mitchell Memorial Library at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi; and the in-progress redesign of the Southern Literary Trail exhibit, also located within Mitchell Memorial Library and scheduled for completion within the next year. While each site operates within distinct institutional, spatial, and curatorial constrains, when examined together, they reveal shared strategies for encouraging embodied engagement, empathetic response and connection, and visitor participation, all of which strengthen the retention of historical material. Drawing on museum studies scholarship related to historical empathy, visitor-centered learning, and post-museum practices, this article explores how immersive environments, narrative focus, interactive technologies, and participatory prompts can reframe historical and literary materials in ways that align with how students learn, navigate information, and form connections today. This analysis also addresses common challenges faced by institutions working with predominantly analog collections, diverse audiences, and evolving technological expectations. Ultimately, this article argues that museums and related learning institutions must continually reconsider exhibition design and interpretive practices in response to shifting modes of engagement, emphasizing transferable design approaches that position visitors as active participants and co-creators in meaning-making.

Recommended Citation

Whitlock, Angela R. (2026) "Cultivating Empathy through Exhibit Design to Engage Students in the AI and Handheld Tech Era - Three Case Studies," The Primary Source: Vol. 38: Iss. 1, Article 1.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/theprimarysource/vol38/iss1/1