Unveiling to Educate: Reconstructing Historical Memories with Locative Digital Media in the Pilar Community

Unveiling to Educate: Reconstructing Historical Memories with Locative Digital Media in the Pilar Community | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Unveiling to Educate: Reconstructing Historical Memories with Locative Digital Media in the Pilar Community Fernando Araujo, Alex Gomes, Guilherme Araújo, Aluísio Pereira This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6785327/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This article examines the relationships and impacts between the sense of belonging and the use of locative media by young students from a public school in the municipal education network of the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Within this context, it seeks to foster reflections on the dimension of territorial identity from the perspective of heritage education, guided by the use of georeferencing technology. The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of locative media use on territorial identity. To achieve this aim, the study employed a quantitative methodology, which included the use of digital ethnography techniques to understand the context in which the participants are situated. Participant observation and digital technologies were adopted for data collection. In order to measure the influence of the Gnomon platform on participants' sense of belonging and territorial identity within the context of heritage education, we used a Sense of Belonging Index (SBI) in conjunction with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α). This was used as a reliability measure. The findings reveal the impacts of interactions between urban space and digital media, particularly their potential to make visible cultural heritage elements that had previously been forgotten or unnoticed. The analysis of the data collected regarding the sense of belonging showed that responses to the use of locative digital media, when combined with other pedagogical dynamics, are effective as cognitive mediation tools. They are capable of enhancing and giving visibility to forgotten or marginalized histories and memories. Historical Memories Territorial Identity Heritage Education Pilar Community Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 1. Introduction Processes of intervention and remodeling in the city, financed by private or public capital and safeguarded by the State, appear to produce a fragmented, selective space. It composes a landscape reflecting the diverse cultural and economic groups present in the city. Cities are the result of a series of events that occurred in the past; they did not arise abruptly. Rather, they emerged in places where surplus production existed, and their identities were gradually shaped while their symbolisms were strengthened over time [1]. Transformations in the urban fabric reflect, in the daily organization of life, each individual’s role in society. The city, shaped for the living, also changes in meaning over time, with space becoming a political place [2]. This place is a tangible, constructed environment. Cities present themselves as centers of social and political life where not only wealth but also knowledge, techniques, and cultural works—fruits of social production—accumulate [3-4]. Like other cities, Recife inherits fixed legacies and accumulations that reflect the context of its mode of production. Space is the practice of place. In other words, it is constantly transformed by the occupations, experiences, and appropriations of its inhabitants [5]. Georeferenced digital media, among other approaches, address the potential of urban space as a learning environment. In this regard, such digital technologies go beyond the limits of physical space, constituting new spaces of interpretation, inclusion, and pedagogical approaches to understanding the city [6]. Technologies can be compatible with local knowledge and skills, contributing to community cohesion [7]. However, it is essential to understand how the use of these technologies can displace community knowledge through practices that deviate from traditions to the extent of disconnecting them from local realities [8-9]. More pressing questions inquire how new technologies can effectively help to make visible important historical moments of communities that have been dehumanized, in the sense emphasized by [10], as human beings perceived as disposable resources. They are marginalized under conditions originally imposed by a globalized system. This research seeks to investigate the impact of using digital technologies—specifically locative media—on the territorial identity of young students attending a municipal public school located in the Nossa Senhora do Pilar Community, in Recife, Pernambuco. To assess the impact of these practices on the identity of students and teachers at this educational institution, a field class experiment was conducted with them in the neighborhood of Recife Antigo, Recife–PE. This article is structured as follows: Section 2 explores the theme of education applied to the city as an educational space. Section 3 discusses the role of digital media in identity construction. In Section 4, we present similar studies focused on the city as a supporting tool for heritage education. 2. The City of Recife: A Locus of Privilege Production The history of Brazil has been strongly shaped by monoculture-based economic cycles, including sugarcane, coffee, cotton, and rubber. This legacy can still be observed in the country's heavy dependence on agribusiness. However, many of the areas originally designated for these activities have lost their economic relevance due to urban expansion, leading to functional changes in the territory [11]. The rapid development of cities brings with it new cycles of socioeconomic activity [12]. As an example, consider the area formerly known as Favela do Rato , now referred to as Comunidade do Pilar , in the context of this study. This location once existed on the margins of the neighborhood's economy, tied to the port. However, the port neighborhood has been losing its economic importance in recent years, making way for tourism and real estate speculation. A space that once served as a dormitory for low-income port workers has been absorbed by the recent functional dynamics of the economy. Various factors contributing to land value appreciation—while signaling a “new era” for the area—also systematically exclude former residents [13], as will be discussed further on. Space can be felt, thought, and appropriated. It is through the body and its senses, through everyday modes of use, that human beings build a network of meanings to appropriate a territory. It is the mundane, daily relations lived within a space that generate a sense of belonging and identity [14]. Likewise, it is in routine activities—playing, walking, interactions with neighbors—that one’s place in the world emerges, a place understood as a historical identity that links the individual to the lived experience of a location [15]. Relationships with places are contextualized both temporally and spatially. Therefore, the marks left by each generation that appropriated a given location must be understood in relation to their time, and the corresponding worldviews. In this sense, forming an identity with a place may increase attachment to it, even when it is deteriorated [16]. Neighborhoods can present barriers that hinder place attachment, especially among socially vulnerable populations. These are areas marked by insecurity, neglect, socio-spatial segregation, and socioeconomic disparity, all of which can undermine a sense of place, the development of social-physical ties, and the maintenance of bonds with the location [16]. The process of displacing long-term residents from a neighborhood is characterized as gentrification . Gentrification involves shifts toward a more elite-oriented demographic and reshapes the bodies, environments, and minds of those living in a neighborhood [17]. These are demographic and environmental changes that must be analyzed beyond the geographical structures of the place—beyond what remains or is modified—to understand how affected individuals will experience this dynamic. Recife Antigo Island is one of the oldest areas occupied by Europeans in Brazil. Colonial occupation extended beyond military or political control of the territory to include transformations in space and sociocultural relations within the colonized areas [18]. This control and reorganization of societal structures rewrote spatial relations, sustaining territorial organization through inequality and mechanisms of control. This process was based, among other parameters, on defining specific zones for different categories of people, which impacted the property system. The hierarchical division of space includes resource exploitation and the creation of imaginaries that justify the core privilege status of certain groups, along with a rigid social control where physical space becomes an instrument of power and segregation [10]. Pilar is a community located in the Bairro do Recife that, like many others, has precarious infrastructure and a population in an advanced state of social vulnerability. Moreover, it is surrounded by a rich yet decaying historical site, an abandoned industrial network, a port undergoing intense revitalization, and new developments of high-end housing. It is an ephemeral space undergoing uncertain changes as a result of an ongoing gentrification process. It is within this context that we conduct the present study. 3. Learning from the City: Impacts on Subject Formation through Interaction with Locative Media Ubiquitous learning applications and learning platforms allow urban spaces to be explored as a means of connecting citizens to historical places, enabling users to learn outside the classroom environment. These tools offer new ways of experiencing heritage education mediated by digital technologies such as augmented reality [19], avatars [20], and immersive virtual video [21], among many others. Gutiérrez et al. [22] conducted a study analyzing the leading role of youth from marginalized communities as historical actors. Their article examines the sociocultural development and learning of young people as they use digital media and technologies to create new meanings and reinterpret the social order in their everyday lives. The authors’ goal was to foster processes through which youth become conscious historical agents, developing critical awareness of their identities in relation to the social and historical forces that surround them. Thus, attributing meaning to their everyday experiences and to the society in which they live. To this end, the authors contextualized the concept of historical agency through the transformative Migrant Student Leadership Institute (MSLI) at UCLA. Castro-Calviño and López Facal [23] conducted an assessment of heritage education programs through the Patrimonializar initiative. The study involved 40 teachers from preschool, primary, and secondary levels across two schools in the province of Corumbá, providing key guidelines for establishing goals and objectives that enable effective heritage education programs. The framework followed a planning and action model based on program design and evaluation, including the study of local heritage and the use of ICTs. The objective was to highlight the effectiveness of educational projects, emphasizing that needs assessment must be grounded from a critical perspective of current conditions and future aspirations. Understanding teachers’ perceptions and conceptions of heritage education programs represents a valuable means of recognizing local history in its most dynamic aspects. The research revealed that heritage education is not limited to visiting ruins but requires comprehensive projects. Emotions play a crucial role in internalizing and identifying with heritage, helping participants develop a sense of attachment. Today, cultural spaces strive to attract visitors by exploring emerging technologies and offering innovative methods that encourage the dissemination of cultural content and activities [24]. Seixas et al. [25] developed a study on a ubiquitous learning app called YouHE , aimed at supporting heritage education experiences by allowing users to share memories related to their local territory. The author's objective was to enhance learning practices through technology, fostering motivation and engagement while supporting teachers in content creation. The study was conducted over 20 weeks with elderly participants from a community group. The app was used to stimulate the understanding of the city as a learning environment. The results from the proposed phases enabled user profiling, content creation and sharing, and the implementation of strategies in this type of environment. These experiments serve as references for constructing knowledge about collaborative platforms centered on interaction. Fontal et al. [26] conducted a study on instruments to measure heritage learning in digital environments. The research was based on Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) and the Graded Response Model (GRM) from Item Response Theory. This study assessed technology-mediated learning and the effectiveness of digital resources in achieving heritage learning goals. Data were collected on digital platforms and filtered through a standardization process. The study indicated that heritage learning outcomes vary depending on the specific digital medium or mediator. According to the author, the Q-Herilearn tool allows for comparing heritage learning outcomes around the same content in different contexts or using different mediation strategies. Such experiments—like Q-Herilearn—demonstrate significant potential for applying these technologies in various areas of heritage education. The core idea is that digital media serve as extensions or complements to real-world physical environments, yet they are understood as independent informal learning spaces. This understanding is closely tied to recognizing the connection between digital ecosystems and spatial context, as well as identifying factors capable of truly assessing the learning enabled by such technologies and their application to heritage education. Kiniorska [27] aimed to identify ways of digitizing specific cultural heritage sites across six Polish cities. This was done by analyzing materials from official websites, the Tripadvisor review portal, promotional platforms, and social media. According to [27], space is the product of multiple processes of meaning-making, and one way to define the meaning of a place is to insert oneself into it by taking selfies. The scenarios portrayed in selfies can express the relationships formed in a given space and generate new interpretations of it. In this way, places become part of one’s personal narrative, adding meaning to individual identities. Their results suggest that technologies and behaviors such as taking selfies contribute to the construction of new meanings for lived spaces. The studies discussed above demonstrate how different approaches and georeferenced digital technologies contribute to understanding territorial identity in its various dimensions, whether mixed with digital environments or situated experiences [28]. These are guiding concepts in the research, and when associated with participants’ social interactions, they lead to a deeper apprehension of the context in which the experiment is embedded. 4. Method In the pursuit of an objective and systematic analysis, we opted for a mixed-method approach with a qualitative bias, as it provides a holistic and in-depth strategy to uncover patterns observed within this specific scope [29]. This choice responds to the multidisciplinary nature of the project. The method seeks to understand tangible empirical evidence by considering the context in which the object is situated, aiming to construct a framework for data collection, analysis, and interpretation grounded in the essence of situated human experiences [30]. We also aim to explore and understand the meaning individuals or groups assign to a social or human problem [31]. The use of digital ethnography was necessary in order to understand the development of territorial identity among elementary school students who (section 4.4), in some way, are impacted by the situated manipulation of ubiquitous and geolocated computing technologies [32]. This is an experimental research design used as a methodological and didactic strategy within ubiquitous learning environments. Accordingly, we constructed our analysis through a lens that considers both practice and place. These considerations focus on the imagined and real everyday practices of students in relation to the surroundings of the school in which they study [33]. In the first stage, we conducted a participatory curation with the students to identify locations on Ilha do Recife that they recognized as heritage sites. On that occasion, we created a representation in the form of a map of the island, on which students were asked to locate the identified points of relevance. In the second stage, we geolocated these points using locative media through the Gnomon platform. In the third stage, participant observation was conducted during a guided walk led by the teacher, supported by the digital technology of the Gnomon application. All activities were carried out in conjunction with interviews, filming, and photography. 4.1 Objective To determine the impact of locative digital media on the formation of territorial identity in elementary school students, as result of a field lesson that utilized georeferenced technology to explore the built material heritage, memory, and historical content of the Comunidade do Pilar . 4.2 Specific Objectives ● Investigate how digital technologies can contribute to the process of giving visibility to people in socioeconomic vulnerability, marginalized places, heritage, and local histories of the Pilar community. ● To analyze how the Gnomon geolocated digital platform (section 4.6)—whether in isolation or in association with specific dynamics—can enhance the relationship between people and place. ● To investigate whether the Gnomon locative digital platform promoted an effective educational experience that values historically marginalized knowledge, memories, and identities. 4.3 Between Ruins and Resistance: The Territory of the Pilar Community The research was conducted in the area of Ilha do Recife Antigo (PE). The island's historical and territorial formation dates back to the 16th century, when it was still a narrow strip of sand protected by a reef, serving as an anchorage used as a port. A small settlement of about 200 inhabitants formed there, composed mainly of sailors, fishermen, and dockworkers who made their living at the port [34]. The history of the city is woven into its streets, buildings, and connections with the sea and rivers nearby. It is in this context, between the buildings and the port, that the Comunidade do Pilar emerged [35]. The Pilar Community is located in a territory of high historical and touristic value for the city of Recife, despite its precarious infrastructure. The ongoing process of gentrification in the Pilar Community is evident in the local urban fabric and in how the space is being occupied. This process is a key factor in the invisibilization of residents and their history—of those who inhabit the space—since the current gaze is directed at capital, favoring the new and disregarding the spaces inhabited by “undesirable” citizens [36]. The Pilar Community reflects social divides, where poverty is inherently racialized, affecting those who are excluded from the new spaces produced for consumption, effectively marginalizing them from the neoliberal logic of capital [10]. The origin of the Nossa Senhora do Pilar Community is more recent and tied to the areas where port workers once lived. Over time, these areas, due to their proximity to the port, became sites of leisure and tourism [37]. The community is centered around the church Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pilar , although its surroundings have been disfigured by demolitions and invasions. The first residences, which gave rise to the street known as “ fora de portas ” in Recife—on the old isthmus of Olinda—emerged along Rua São Jorge [38]. Large companies such as Sociedade Anônima Grandes Moinhos do Brasil and Fábrica Pilar were drawn to the area due to urban reforms. Alongside the port expansion, they occupied lands that previously had a residential profile, demolishing old homes to build new structures or maneuvering spaces for large machinery linked to port and industrial activities [39]. In the 1970s, a project developed by the state-owned company PORTOBRAS ( Empresa de Portos do Brasil ) led to the expropriation and demolition of six blocks located between the old Fábrica Pilar and the Moinho to allow for port expansion [37]. Although the project was never completed, most of the buildings were demolished. In that same area, the Favela do Rato emerged, later renamed Comunidade do Pilar , in the Recife neighborhood. Currently, the area still faces infrastructure issues and precarious housing conditions. Historically known as “ Fora de Portas ,” the region reflects socio-spatial divisions and symbolic segregation that persist to this day. Some parts of the environment are characterized as favelas —spaces of abandonment and neglect [40]. The area surrounding the community, once known for its port, industrial, and commercial functions, is gradually being transformed. New forms of use and valorization are emerging, now focused on the cultural, tourism, and leisure industries [41], representing new ways of rationalizing the world through corporate logics. Even though the community is located along a route that includes the city’s most iconic landmarks, various forms of appropriation and use coexist on Ilha do Recife , creating a multiplicity of overlapping social spaces [18]. Nonetheless, the old buildings of the Comunidade do Pilar remain unrecognized as historical and cultural heritage. In this regard, acknowledging the importance of memory is fundamental when discussing the formation of urban space in contemporary cities, as many events are omitted by official historical narratives [42]. The surroundings of the Comunidade do Pilar are currently the focus of intense real estate speculation. Functional changes in the area reflect urban development trends aimed at repurposing declining industrial infrastructures. This process has significantly transformed the place, gradually erasing historic building ruins that once served as key symbols for preserving urban identity, thereby impacting tangible heritage and weakening collective memory [16]. 4.4 Participants Participants were selected among students officially enrolled at the local school within the community. We chose a class from the sixth grade of elementary education, composed of students aged between 11 and 14 years. All data were processed in accordance with strict confidentiality and ethical standards. The aim was to understand students’ initial knowledge before the topic was explored, in order to personalize instruction, address knowledge gaps, and design pedagogical planning through playful and collaborative practices. The use of diagnostic assessment aimed to go beyond knowledge measurement—it was conceived as an emancipatory process [43], as well as a means to identify potential gaps and difficulties to guide pedagogical interventions [44] and to adapt teaching strategies [45]. Through interviews, direct personal accounts, questionnaires, and polls [30], we identified the digital tools used by students in their daily lives, as well as the practices that express shared knowledge among participants. Within this perspective, we understood that they had basic geolocation knowledge, as they regularly used transport applications such as Uber—which connects users to partner drivers—and iFood, which connects food delivery services and establishments to users. Both platforms utilize map representations and location features across the city. The identities of all interviewees, as well as institutional data from the school where the research was conducted, were kept confidential. There were no potential harms associated with participation in the study, nor were participants expected to cover any costs or receive compensation. We did not stratify participants by gender or income. All students participated with prior authorization from their guardians, through a signed informed consent form, as documented and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (CET-UFPE) under CAAE: 78438024.0.0000.5208. During the course of activities, a total of 19 participants were involved. However, not all were residents of the community—some only attended the school due to their parents’ work in the surrounding area. 4.5 First Stage: Participatory Curation with Students In order to identify students’ levels of knowledge, skills, and challenges in using georeferenced technology, as well as their understanding of the territory in which they live—and to generate local content for tourism-related purposes used in the experiment—we conducted a creative workshop. The purpose of the creative workshop was to identify places that students associated with local heritage and, in doing so, to develop a dynamic aimed at rendering visible the people, places, and local heritage that are often overlooked. To determine the relevance of these locations and understand the best pedagogical strategies to be adopted, we relied on a perspective that values the area's historical and cultural diversity. The History teacher facilitated the activities. Students were asked to create a list of places they considered important on Ilha do Recife Antigo . They were instructed to represent the listed places through writing, drawings, digital images, or other types of media. The goal of this activity was to generate a list of locations, or provide a creative inscription that would inspire participants to revisit the affective and relational dimensions of their personal knowledge and everyday experiences [46]. The school provided Internet access as well as computers for carrying out the activity. A total of four students chose to complete the task using the computers provided by the institution, while the remaining students conducted their research on their own smartphones, as illustrated in Figure 1. This activity was conducted over two sessions. We compiled a list of 26 locations on Ilha do Recife Antigo identified by students as being of significant relevance. Based on this input, we curated a selection of sites associated with the local culture of the Pilar Community and its surroundings. The aim of this exercise was to generate content to be integrated into the Gnomon tourism platform, which would be used as a supporting tool by the teacher during a field trip led by them. Among the most frequently mentioned locations, two are situated near the school: Forte do Brum and Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pilar . With this data in hand, we printed a map of Ilha do Recife on 18 A4 sheets, enabling students to assemble the map collectively. The 26 identified locations were also printed individually so that students could place them on the assembled map. Participants were invited to engage in the process of piecing together the map. This activity aimed to capture how participants expressed themselves visually through the arrangement of images. Our collaborative map of Ilha do Recife was constructed primarily by listening to the students and co-creating a cartography that blended graphic representations of space with their lived experiences. From the list of selected points, we designed a walking route around the school. This activity culminated in the mapping of ten locations, which were then added to the Gnomon platform. Selection criteria included proximity to the school, geographical continuity, and the potential for affective memory connections with the participants. Through this activity, students were able to locate each site and recognize that their own community also held significant landmarks—some of which they had not previously identified. This exercise informed the development of a route to be followed during a guided field trip led by the teacher with the assistance of the Gnomon app. Figure 2 below features images documenting this activity. 4 .6 Geolocation of Points Using a Locative Digital Medium: The Gnomon Platform The Gnomon app is a ubiquitous learning platform [47] designed to provide and recommend content about places and optimized routes for both urban and non-urban environments. It accommodates both tangible and intangible heritage and is tailored to users’ preferences. Furthermore, the platform incorporates multiple informational layers—such as augmented reality and audio—allowing users to orient themselves along a route. The Gnomon app provides users with access to multiple informational layers that foster interactivity, accessibility, co-direction, among other collaborative elements. These layers enable users to engage with the urban space, enhancing the place with characteristics of a more dynamic situated environment. As participants walk, they receive contextualized information about the local culture. This form of cultural mediation can significantly contribute to engagement, reveal previously invisible content, and motivate participation in the activity [48-49, 50-51]. 4.7 Participant Observation During the Walk In this third stage of the activity with the participants, we conducted a field class with the teacher and students. We understand that walking is a way of using the territory, through which it is possible to identify forms of place appropriation. [5]. We had to postpone this activity several times since walking through the community was essential. However, the area was experiencing a period of high insecurity and violence, which made carrying out the activity particularly concerning. We waited for a more favorable and safe moment to avoid exposing either students or teachers to any form of risk. The walking method involves people moving through an environment and responding to the research, encouraging individuals to engage their sensory ways of knowing and feeling [46]. We instructed the teacher to use the Gnomon, a georeferenced location-based technology, whenever deemed necessary. Thirteen students participated in this activity, divided into three groups (4, 4, and 5 participants). We also created three WhatsApp groups in which students were instructed to post interactions they considered important. Most posts consisted of photographs of locations visited during the walk. By using the Gnomon app on-site, participants accessed various types of information while walking through the community streets. Through it, they were exposed to images of the locations—whether historical or current—and learned about the history of places that still exist and those that no longer do. They could listen to audio content without interrupting the activity. The children were able to comment on what they saw, compare it with the app’s content, and use those comparisons to project new interactions. This situated perception enriched the experience. We concluded the activity with a discussion circle around the following themes: How would you describe your relationship with the neighborhood? What is the main reason you feel connected to a place? Do you use digital technology to discover or explore new nearby places? To identify and define key locations, we conducted a creative workshop aimed at understanding the students’ perception of the area prior to the walk. As this study was an exploration of the participants' lived experiences and perceptions, I adopted an empirical approach with a digital ethnographic lens. This is a flexible qualitative methodology that explores behaviors, interactions, and meanings within both physical and digital environments [33]. Afterward, we carried out a guided walk. The purpose of this activity was to introduce a mediator who could connect detailed information about local history, architecture, and culture with the content available in the app. According to Hemer et al. [52], emotions are only understandable in the context of specific places—such places must be felt to be meaningful. Significant senses of space emerge through the movement between people and places. However, experiencing a place with the aid of an app—portable via any smartphone—is a facilitating agent. Mobile phone camera practices offer new ways of mapping places that go beyond the geographic, incorporating social, emotional, and aesthetic aspects into a sense of place [53]. 4.8 Impacts on the Sense of Belonging Once space is understood as a product of social action, the knowledge produced about it will reflect this construction [4]. The artifacts located in space (including objects and discourses) signal the productive process and can be understood as marks to be read, materially manifested, and, in a few words, seen through a historical perspective. The past, which generates productive forces, inscribes itself onto space—something materialized [4]. In this sense, the strategy of the creative workshop aimed to emphasize elements of meaning and belonging, identifying locations that in some way represent the historical-architectural legacy still present in the Pilar Community. These are part of the formation of spatial identities perceptible in lived experience. The structure of social space manifests itself in diverse contexts through spatial oppositions, with inhabited (or appropriated) space functioning as a form of spontaneous symbolization of the social space. In a hierarchical society, no space exists that is not hierarchized or that does not express social hierarchies and distances [53]. To measure the influence of the Gnomon platform on the participants’ sense of belonging and territorial identity in the context of heritage education, we used the Sense of Community Index II (SCI-2) as a reference. SCI-2 is a psychological scale used to measure sense of community in various contexts such as neighborhoods, social groups, and institutional settings [54]. This concept evaluates the emotional and psychological connection among individuals within a shared group or space. SCI-2 guided our adaptation and development of the Sense of Belonging Index (SBI) , which was used to measure the impact of the Gnomon platform on individuals' sense of belonging. We used the parameters established by SCI-2, including 24 questions divided into 4 subcategories and a scoring scale. The subcategories most aligned with the perception of belonging were: Identification, Relationship with Place, Interaction with Place, and Valuation of Place. The scoring scale adopted was: Not at all = 0; Somewhat = 1; Mostly = 2; Completely = 3 . To assess the reliability of SBI, we used Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient, a measure of the internal consistency of tests and scales. Cronbach’s alpha (α) is a statistical metric used to evaluate the reliability of research instruments such as questionnaires and psychological scales. When measuring the same construct, it indicates which items are consistent and reliable in a given test [55]. The interpretation standard we used was: 0–21 = low; 21–40 = fair; 41–60 = moderate; above 80 = reliable. 4.9 Data Collection Observations were recorded through photographs, videos, and notes taken during the field visit [56]. Data were collected from 19 students using semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and structured activities conducted both inside and outside the classroom. Initially, we conducted a creative classroom workshop to capture participants’ perceptions of the territory and to generate and select ideas. This activity was carried out at a public school located on the island of Recife Antigo. Digital ethnography is a way to study cultures and communities that emerge from online social interaction, using ethnographic methods [57]. From the digital environment, it is possible to analyze how individuals construct identities, establish connections, and resignify spaces through the impact generated by the use of digital media [58]. We also used in-person interviews, focus group discussions, and direct personal observation. 5. Results The Pilar Community, in its formation and continuity, presents a strong spatial segregation in relation to its surrounding area. Many of the students who participated in the experience found their identity in environmental characteristics such as the tide. However, [15] argues that “socio-spatial morphology produces an identity marked both by appropriation and by lack.” The use of interviews during the walk-related activities served to capture participants’ impressionsperceptions of the experience. We chose the act of walking through the neighborhood as a way to understand processes of deconstructing the invisibility of local heritage sites [30]. Participant 1 reported that what he liked most about the neighborhood were the dirt fields where he played informal football matches. According to him: “It’s a place where I go to play with my dad, my brothers, my uncles, my cousins, and my friends. It’s boring to be in a place without a field to play ball, run, and have fun… not even the school has a court for us to play. I’m going to be an athlete. I already train at Náutico’s soccer school, but there I can only play with my teammates from the school. One day, I’ll be a professional football player.” Participant 1, 2024. However, according to his testimony, construction work has already taken over most of these places, and only one remains unoccupied. From Participant 1’s account, we understand that he perceives his leisure spaces (open lots used for football) as increasingly rare. Places that gained new meanings through use—particularly those left vacant by deindustrialization—are being re-signified, appropriated, and, in terms of lived experience, acquiring a new territorial identity. While using the app, he noted that places in the community, such as the former Pilar Factory, could be repurposed for leisure. As he said: “It’s such a large place. Full of unused spaces. They could build housing there with fields for us to play.” The surroundings of the Pilar Community have been undergoing major urban interventions. On São Jorge Street, for example, high-end residential developments coexist with severely precarious conditions. “In space, we find both the objective (socioeconomic) and subjective (poetic) gaps. It is in space that differences—from minor to extreme—are inscribed, and more than that, realized” [15]. Participant 2 stated that the tide is his favorite place in the neighborhood. He is currently 12 years old, but has been swimming there with other boys from the community since the age of seven. According to his account, he feels that people do not look favorably upon this activity, often observing them as if they were committing a crime. He reported: “I like swimming in the tide! We go through Marco Zero and jump into the water. I’ve even seen a caiman there. I learned it’s better to swim there because the noise from the ship engines scares the sharks away.” Participant 2, 2024. I engaged in many reflections after hearing his account of swimming in the tide. I realized that many times, when I visited Marco Zero—a highly frequented tourist attraction in the city—I had seen boys doing the same, and inevitably, such judgments crossed my mind. At the end of the activities, we held a discussion circle where I had the opportunity to show him a specific location registered in the Gnomon app: “Praia do Brum,” a nearby site where he said he swam. He was happy to learn that, at another time in history, that place was well-known and appreciated as a swimming area. He felt seen. Participant 3 shared that her late grandmother owned a bar in the community, which is now managed by her uncle. She feels that the community is not valued on the island as other areas are, since she does not see outsiders frequenting the place. According to her, the visitors are usually residents or workers employed by construction companies in the surrounding area. She explained: “They even put Nega Bar on Google. Anyone can look up the location and go there. Even so, I don’t see outsiders around. It would be nice if people came to see the place… I don’t understand why people don’t go. The food’s really good and cheaper than other places.” Participant 3, 2024. While browsing the app and checking the registered points in the neighborhood, she found that her grandmother’s bar was among those listed in the community. She tested the feature and was amazed by the possibility that other people from the community could also get to know the space. Participant 4 is 11 years old. She said she enjoys the small square near the housing developments under construction because it has playground equipment for children. She had heard that the Church of Pilar was important and old, but rarely sees outsiders visiting it. She enjoys going to Marco Zero with her parents because it has many people and space to run and play. According to her account: “I like the little square and Marco Zero! The closest place to home that they told me is heritage is the church, but I rarely see people there. In other parts of the island, I see lots of people, but not there.” Participant 4, 2024. What we observe from Participant 4’s experience is her engagement with the local square rather than the historic church located nearby. Currently, the area around the church contains several makeshift homes built from plastic, cardboard, and wood. People in extreme social vulnerability live there, becoming part of the landscape and illustrating the exclusion noted by the participant—spaces frequented by tourists versus others rendered invisible. When heritage is respected and interventions engage with the community, such projects can be viable. The community is surrounded by this religious historical heritage as well as a rich industrial legacy. The walls and structures of the old Pilar Factory serve as barriers for these precarious dwellings, as shown in Figure 4. These premises are considered in heritage education as processes that enhance identities constructed by individuals or groups [23]. For Participant 5, living in the community is important because his father is a cake vendor, and he sees Recife Antigo as a good place for street vending. Occasionally, he is able to accompany his father during certain times of the day. Walking through the central streets of the island is part of his routine, so he is familiar with several tourist spots in the area. His account highlights how essential it is to move through the place in order to cultivate attachment to the neighborhood. The participant does not view the community as a place worth preserving or one that holds any significant heritage. He emphasizes this by stating that there are no beautiful places like those found in Marco Zero. He mentions that, every day on his way to school, he sees some old ruined houses that look deteriorated, and he does not understand why they are still occupied as housing. Still, he believes it is important to preserve them, perhaps because they have some historical value. According to his statement: “My dad is a cake vendor! We like to go to Rua do Bom Jesus. A lot of people go there, and it’s easier to sell. If we tried to sell in the community, it’d be really difficult. On my way to school, I see some really old houses where people still live; maybe that place has some historical value.” Participant 5, 2024. The homes referred to by Participant 5, built under precarious conditions, are embedded in structures that are testimonies to historical, social, urban, cultural, heritage, and economic legacies from a particular era. However, they are in an advanced state of physical deterioration. These spaces visually materialize the social hierarchy visible along Rua São Jorge—on one side of the street lies the Pilar Community, and on the other, high-end buildings. These are constructions in extremely precarious conditions, as shown in Figure 5. These are temporal markers of the students’ histories, as they walk through the narrow streets of the community and come across remnants of once noble buildings in such a precarious space. Through multiple reinterpretations, space becomes place. “Place represents and fixes social relations and practices, producing a complex identity that simultaneously refers to the local and the global.” [15]. These remnants reveal the various nuances of territorial segregation and socio-spatial exclusion. They are strategies of territorial re-signification, where processes of accumulation by dispossession coexist so closely with those who have not had access to support networks, whether provided by the State or by private initiatives. As [59] highlights: “When a person is faced with a space they did not help to create, whose history they do not know whose memory is foreign to them, that place becomes the seat of a profound alienation. But the human being, endowed with sensitivity, seeks to relearn what was never taught, and gradually replaces ignorance of the surroundings with knowledge, however fragmented. The lived environment becomes a site of exchange, the matrix of an intellectual process.”[59]. Numerous urban renewal projects in the area where the Pilar Community is located have gradually been changing the landscape and impacting the sociocultural dynamics of its residents. The community now has housing developments, a daycare center, a school, and a health clinic—critical infrastructure to improve local quality of life. However, there is still much to be done. Participant 5 mentioned that he saw no relevance in the path he takes daily from his house to school. We showed him a point registered in the Gnomon app—“Rua São Jorge”—one of the community’s streets rich in history and home to prominent figures in Pernambuco's past, such as Frei Caneca [5] . He was surprised by the information available in the app about the history of the area, which until then had been unknown to him. By walking around the school’s surroundings, the participants were able to learn about places and the stories of former residents who were significant to the construction of the state's historical narrative. Time and space contextualize place, appreciation, and preservation. Figure 6 illustrates the stark contrast between the architectural profiles of buildings that stand side by side on the same street. Reflecting on how to engage with the various spaces of Recife Antigo Island—places that are simultaneously rich and impoverished, yet imbued with meaning and serving as identity markers—raises critical questions. Understanding how such tangible, everyday situations, laden with subjective information and values, can address: Where does the identity of this place reside? [resultados quantitativos] Based on the interpretation of responses obtained from the application of the Sense of Belonging Index (ISP) along with Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient [55], which increased from a pre-activity coefficient of 47 to a post-activity coefficient of 89, we conclude that the territorial identity of young people living in the Pilar Community is strongly influenced by the socioeconomic and cultural conditions to which participants are exposed and in which they are conditioned to live. [5] Frei Caneca is one of the most revered historical figures in the state of Pernambuco [38.], due to his involvement in revolutionary movements, and he remains a recurring subject in studies of Pernambuco’s history. 6. Discussion This section discusses the main findings of the study in light of the three specific objectives that guided the investigation. First, it examines how digital technologies can contribute to making visible the people, places, heritage, and local histories of the Comunidade do Pilar. Next, it explores how the Gnomon geolocated digital platform (section 4.6 ), whether used in isolation or in association with specific dynamics, can strengthen the relationship between people and place. Finally, it discusses whether and how the educational experience enabled by the platform fostered the recognition and appreciation of historically marginalized knowledge, memories, and identities. This co-direction activity positioned students as active participants in the learning process. This dynamic encouraged reflection on the importance of each individual's role in identifying and safeguarding cultural heritage elements from a local perspective. The interviews highlighted the context in which participants are situated, revealing how, in some cases, their perception of their living space is painful due to the spatial segregation present. High-end condominiums constructed by Moinhos Recife border makeshift dwellings often built under precarious conditions. This reality is experienced by the local population, where mere meters separate those who have from those who do not. Low-income residents are entrenched between areas of high real estate value. The community serves as a microcosm of the city, reflecting that "urban areas become points of connection between global issues" [ 57 ], such as gentrification in historic sites. This reconfiguration of the community space increasingly transforms the "favela" into areas occupied by housing projects. These are strategies aimed at rooting themselves in the space where collective life weaves its identity under adverse conditions. Understanding the selection process among individuals and places—between those who enjoy luxurious environments at the expense of others' exclusion—requires skill. The struggle to maintain the community's presence in its current location is an act of resistance.The results reveal the potential of these locative digital media, with their multiple informational layers. We were able to assess whether the experience of exposing students to city walks using this technology applies to their context. The spatial dimension directly impacts participants' identities. It is within the urban fabric that the spatiality of their lived social relations materializes [ 4 ]. This impact is evident in testimonies about the use of undeveloped land as recreational areas. This allowed students to engage in various forms and sensory modalities, recognizing how historical memory can serve as a link in creating identities. The activities conducted during the experiment contributed to constructing new meanings for places, enhancing the quality of experiences. By integrating technologies with classroom dynamics and city explorations, participants accessed informational layers presented through audio and images. This exposure demonstrates that understanding, becoming aware of importance, and identifying with something enables the appreciation, conservation, and transmission of local history. Reflecting and understanding that a place is the result of each historical moment prompts a genuine reading of the location. Positioning the Pilar Community within a territorial reading perspective—considering how environments deemed non-places, anti-cities, or problematic territories possess their own dynamics of spatial appropriation and re-signification—draws attention to social subjects in their identity construction practices [ 15 ]. Reflecting on how technology can enhance the sense of belonging in environments resulting from unequal city appropriation—fragile territories considered vulnerable—is a way to make these social agents visible. That said, my observation remains that it is essential to understand how digital technology is altering our relationships with space. At the heart of the matter lies the interconnection of knowledge and its meaning, as much as the importance of the digital revolution or connectivity for the future of education [ 45 ]. Regarding contributions to Heritage Education, there was a positive perception of technology use by both teachers and students, as it expanded teacher-student interaction by allowing access to a broader range of information during activities. The use of the application, combined with other dynamics, enhanced student engagement and motivation, as evidenced in the questionnaires. This result indicates that it is not merely the tool's use that ensures the experience's success, but rather how the technology is utilized. By exposing students to interactions within a ubiquitous learning ecosystem—situated in this physical-digital environment—we aimed to develop critical thinking skills, positioning the user as an active agent and protagonist in the process. The intention is to inspire reflections on the impact of using georeferenced technologies in the teaching and learning of heritage education. Knowledge of geography, history, and local architecture was enhanced through classroom activities such as collage, map representation, and the use of the digital tool with its array of informational layers, leading students to moments of self-reflection. The Gnomon locative media platform, when used as a cognitive mediation tool, demonstrates a generally positive impact, potentially enhancing and giving visibility to forgotten or marginalized stories and memories, as well as contributing to the development of critical thinking. Knowing to perceive existence, to create identity, to belong, and to empower oneself. We also identified that this same identity is constructed from a series of symbolic elements and cultural practices that express their authenticity and uniqueness, characterizing their belonging to a specific locality. The evaluation process showed that both teachers and students used Gnomon as an auxiliary tool for contributing information during the actual journey, allowing them to adapt to situations according to their needs. The experiment conducted in the Pilar community, based on the observation of activities carried out during the creative workshop, demonstrated that in communities facing socioeconomic fragility, individuals often struggle to recognize themselves as part of a shared territory or tradition. However, the use of Gnomon as a mediating pedagogical tool provided a digital interaction space, enabling the construction of collaborative narratives that connected the participants to their cultural and territorial roots, thereby strengthening their sense of belonging.The experience of the guided tour around the school, combined with the experience of digitally exploring the heritage, provided students with a critical and appreciative perspective. This was perceptible in the statements and accounts expressed in the testimonials. 7. Conclusions This article aimed to analyze the impacts of using digital technologies for the teaching and learning of Heritage Education. Concurrently, we observed, in this specific study within the Pilar Community, how these tools can contribute to promoting identity and inclusion, as well as the impacts of participants' connections with the neighborhood. This article contributes to studies seeking to identify factors influencing place identity in degraded historic neighborhoods, such as the Pilar Community. The research demonstrates how identity formation can increase attachment to local places and histories. Through qualitative analysis, this study addressed key issues to understand the context of the area in question, such as how the perception of gentrification impacts the sociocultural dynamics of residents and research participants in particular. This dynamic clearly highlights the socio-spatial inequalities present in the area. We also found, through the guided tour of the community, that some of the few historic buildings remaining no longer maintain their original structures, and the ruins of neglected buildings—once responsible for preserving urban identity and collective memory—are no longer common. The narratives that participants created using digital technologies as auxiliary tools in exploring and learning about the city demonstrate that this resource has potential impacts in fostering a sense of identity and belonging among users. This aids in the incorporation of local history and culture. This study thus provides valuable insights into the theory and practice of using digital technologies as auxiliary tools for teaching and learning in heritage education. Declarations 8.1 Funding The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work. No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript. No funding was received for conducting this study. No grants, subsidies, or other support were received. 8.2 Conflict of Interest/Competing Interests The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest relevant to the content of this article. All authors certify that they have no affiliations or involvement with any organization or entity with any financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. The authors have no financial or proprietary interests in any material discussed in this article. 8.3 Data Availability Statement The author confirms that all data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. The data cannot be openly shared but are available from the author upon reasonable request. References Harvey, David. Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution . Translated by Jeferson Camargo. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2014. Arendt, Hannah. 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Psychometrika , 16, 297–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555 Lynch, E. (2023). Locative Tourism Applications: A Sensory Ethnography of the Augmented City . First published. Pink, S. (2020). Doing Visual Ethnography . Sage Publications. Saker, M., & Evans, L. (2016). Locative Media and Identity: Accumulative Technologies of the Self. SAGE Open , July–September, 1–10. DOI: 10.1177/2158244016662692 Santos, M. (2011). The Citizen's Space and Other Reflections . Porto Alegre: Fundação Ulysses Guimarães. (Political Thought Collection, Vol. 3). Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6785327","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":481658281,"identity":"faf0e151-a017-4a14-b8d3-605ffd0c6507","order_by":0,"name":"Fernando Araujo","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAu0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC9gYGxgcfGCSATMYHQOIAYS08BxiYDWeAtTAbEK2FTZoHzCRaC/vhB9I2NRZ5DBLJbEAX3sknrIUnzcA455hEMVALO9CFzywbCGmxZ0gwSM5tkEhskMg/BnThYQPCtvA//3DYEqwlmU36D1FaJHIMmxlhWhiI0/KmmLHnmERiG89jdsMeg2fEOCx9+48fNXWJ/ezAEPtRcYewFjhgAyMSNMB0jYJRMApGwSjAAgBRtjWhXjOyhgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fernando","middleName":"","lastName":"Araujo","suffix":""},{"id":481658282,"identity":"4f250338-af43-4bc0-9746-1c5096cffa79","order_by":1,"name":"Alex Gomes","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alex","middleName":"","lastName":"Gomes","suffix":""},{"id":481658283,"identity":"11cf1b93-eb52-4bca-978e-308be6fbf874","order_by":2,"name":"Guilherme Araújo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Guilherme","middleName":"","lastName":"Araújo","suffix":""},{"id":481658284,"identity":"540c0bc6-7451-4099-9329-0ba322eda0ad","order_by":3,"name":"Aluísio Pereira","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Aluísio","middleName":"","lastName":"Pereira","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-05-30 13:53:20","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6785327/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6785327/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":86497221,"identity":"a68ff4bd-ce29-4105-a65c-a5544cb91cc1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-11 10:22:56","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":398053,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eClassroom Activity – Research with Digital Tools on 08.08.2024\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6785327/v1/a02a1ef3d84362b8d585ae7e.png"},{"id":86498862,"identity":"fb5a3e01-a790-4b30-8fed-e26a7db02c81","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-11 10:38:57","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":378243,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eActivity of Placing Points on the Map. 08.16.2024\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6785327/v1/3a997506e5ad494d623e54ab.png"},{"id":86497222,"identity":"3c8dcb7a-389d-4d78-ac98-4c0884de0aca","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-11 10:22:57","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":336036,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eGnomon App Screens, 08/25/2024\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6785327/v1/3c9700402cf8128ee9f376cd.png"},{"id":86497224,"identity":"8f7896a5-83a9-4525-a002-6154a961588a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-11 10:22:57","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":302618,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eChurch of Our Lady of Pilar and Pilar Factory – Recife–PE, 09/13/2024\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6785327/v1/c6110248992b92169f1d807b.png"},{"id":86497232,"identity":"53b6b826-15d6-4130-b4e5-c7eda2abc9ca","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-11 10:22:57","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":338701,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eRuins on Rua Bernardo Vieira de Melo (Pilar Community – Recife–PE), 09/13/2024\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6785327/v1/5be6713a68a5b68c3b1e9f2c.png"},{"id":86499365,"identity":"6569fe8b-7b58-4876-bd67-139f7bc4fc44","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-11 10:46:57","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":387317,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSão Jorge Street (Pilar Community - Recife–PE), 09.13.2024\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6785327/v1/b0b85d9b82ea792e720c2be3.png"},{"id":100418952,"identity":"3d2dba65-776e-4d83-b021-a5fe499e145a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 13:26:27","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3578809,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6785327/v1/b992e369-446c-4db4-9f0a-70e0b11877a0.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Unveiling to Educate: Reconstructing Historical Memories with Locative Digital Media in the Pilar Community","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eProcesses of intervention and remodeling in the city, financed by private or public capital and safeguarded by the State, appear to produce a fragmented, selective space. It composes a landscape reflecting the diverse cultural and economic groups present in the city. Cities are the result of a series of events that occurred in the past; they did not arise abruptly. Rather, they emerged in places where surplus production existed, and their identities were gradually shaped while their symbolisms were strengthened over time [1].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTransformations in the urban fabric reflect, in the daily organization of life, each individual\u0026rsquo;s role in society. The city, shaped for the living, also changes in meaning over time, with space becoming a political place [2]. This place is a tangible, constructed environment. Cities present themselves as centers of social and political life where not only wealth but also knowledge, techniques, and cultural works\u0026mdash;fruits of social production\u0026mdash;accumulate [3-4].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike other cities, Recife inherits fixed legacies and accumulations that reflect the context of its mode of production. Space is the practice of place. In other words, it is constantly transformed by the occupations, experiences, and appropriations of its inhabitants [5].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGeoreferenced digital media, among other approaches, address the potential of urban space as a learning environment. In this regard, such digital technologies go beyond the limits of physical space, constituting new spaces of interpretation, inclusion, and pedagogical approaches to understanding the city [6]. Technologies can be compatible with local knowledge and skills, contributing to community cohesion [7].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, it is essential to understand how the use of these technologies can displace community knowledge through practices that deviate from traditions to the extent of disconnecting them from local realities [8-9]. More pressing questions inquire how new technologies can effectively help to make visible important historical moments of communities that have been dehumanized, in the sense emphasized by [10], as human beings perceived as disposable resources. They are marginalized under conditions originally imposed by a globalized system.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research seeks to investigate the impact of using digital technologies\u0026mdash;specifically locative media\u0026mdash;on the territorial identity of young students attending a municipal public school located in the Nossa Senhora do Pilar Community, in Recife, Pernambuco. To assess the impact of these practices on the identity of students and teachers at this educational institution, a field class experiment was conducted with them in the neighborhood of Recife Antigo, Recife\u0026ndash;PE.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis article is structured as follows: Section 2 explores the theme of education applied to the city as an educational space. Section 3 discusses the role of digital media in identity construction. In Section 4, we present similar studies focused on the city as a supporting tool for heritage education.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. The City of Recife: A Locus of Privilege Production","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe history of Brazil has been strongly shaped by monoculture-based economic cycles, including sugarcane, coffee, cotton, and rubber. This legacy can still be observed in the country's heavy dependence on agribusiness. However, many of the areas originally designated for these activities have lost their economic relevance due to urban expansion, leading to functional changes in the territory [11]. The rapid development of cities brings with it new cycles of socioeconomic activity [12].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs an example, consider the area formerly known as \u003cem\u003eFavela do Rato\u003c/em\u003e, now referred to as \u003cem\u003eComunidade do Pilar\u003c/em\u003e, in the context of this study. This location once existed on the margins of the neighborhood's economy, tied to the port. However, the port neighborhood has been losing its economic importance in recent years, making way for tourism and real estate speculation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA space that once served as a dormitory for low-income port workers has been absorbed by the recent functional dynamics of the economy. Various factors contributing to land value appreciation—while signaling a “new era” for the area—also systematically exclude former residents [13], as will be discussed further on.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpace can be felt, thought, and appropriated. It is through the body and its senses, through everyday modes of use, that human beings build a network of meanings to appropriate a territory. It is the mundane, daily relations lived within a space that generate a sense of belonging and identity [14]. Likewise, it is in routine activities—playing, walking, interactions with neighbors—that one’s place in the world emerges, a place understood as a historical identity that links the individual to the lived experience of a location [15].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelationships with places are contextualized both temporally and spatially. Therefore, the marks left by each generation that appropriated a given location must be understood in relation to their time, and the corresponding worldviews. In this sense, forming an identity with a place may increase attachment to it, even when it is deteriorated [16]. Neighborhoods can present barriers that hinder place attachment, especially among socially vulnerable populations. These are areas marked by insecurity, neglect, socio-spatial segregation, and socioeconomic disparity, all of which can undermine a sense of place, the development of social-physical ties, and the maintenance of bonds with the location [16].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe process of displacing long-term residents from a neighborhood is characterized as \u003cem\u003egentrification\u003c/em\u003e. Gentrification involves shifts toward a more elite-oriented demographic and reshapes the bodies, environments, and minds of those living in a neighborhood [17]. These are demographic and environmental changes that must be analyzed beyond the geographical structures of the place—beyond what remains or is modified—to understand how affected individuals will experience this dynamic.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecife Antigo Island is one of the oldest areas occupied by Europeans in Brazil. Colonial occupation extended beyond military or political control of the territory to include transformations in space and sociocultural relations within the colonized areas [18]. This control and reorganization of societal structures rewrote spatial relations, sustaining territorial organization through inequality and mechanisms of control.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis process was based, among other parameters, on defining specific zones for different categories of people, which impacted the property system. The hierarchical division of space includes resource exploitation and the creation of imaginaries that justify the core privilege status of certain groups, along with a rigid social control where physical space becomes an instrument of power and segregation [10].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePilar is a community located in the \u003cem\u003eBairro do Recife\u003c/em\u003e that, like many others, has precarious infrastructure and a population in an advanced state of social vulnerability. Moreover, it is surrounded by a rich yet decaying historical site, an abandoned industrial network, a port undergoing intense revitalization, and new developments of high-end housing. It is an ephemeral space undergoing uncertain changes as a result of an ongoing gentrification process. It is within this context that we conduct the present study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3. Learning from the City: Impacts on Subject Formation through Interaction with Locative Media","content":"\u003cp\u003eUbiquitous learning applications and learning platforms allow urban spaces to be explored as a means of connecting citizens to historical places, enabling users to learn outside the classroom environment. These tools offer new ways of experiencing heritage education mediated by digital technologies such as augmented reality [19], avatars [20], and immersive virtual video [21], among many others.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGutiérrez et al. [22] conducted a study analyzing the leading role of youth from marginalized communities as historical actors. Their article examines the sociocultural development and learning of young people as they use digital media and technologies to create new meanings and reinterpret the social order in their everyday lives. The authors’ goal was to foster processes through which youth become conscious historical agents, developing critical awareness of their identities in relation to the social and historical forces that surround them. Thus, attributing meaning to their everyday experiences and to the society in which they live. To this end, the authors contextualized the concept of historical agency through the transformative Migrant Student Leadership Institute (MSLI) at UCLA.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCastro-Calviño and López Facal [23] conducted an assessment of heritage education programs through the \u003cem\u003ePatrimonializar\u003c/em\u003e initiative. The study involved 40 teachers from preschool, primary, and secondary levels across two schools in the province of Corumbá, providing key guidelines for establishing goals and objectives that enable effective heritage education programs. The framework followed a planning and action model based on program design and evaluation, including the study of local heritage and the use of ICTs. The objective was to highlight the effectiveness of educational projects, emphasizing that needs assessment must be grounded from a critical perspective of current conditions and future aspirations. Understanding teachers’ perceptions and conceptions of heritage education programs represents a valuable means of recognizing local history in its most dynamic aspects. The research revealed that heritage education is not limited to visiting ruins but requires comprehensive projects. Emotions play a crucial role in internalizing and identifying with heritage, helping participants develop a sense of attachment. Today, cultural spaces strive to attract visitors by exploring emerging technologies and offering innovative methods that encourage the dissemination of cultural content and activities [24].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeixas et al. [25] developed a study on a ubiquitous learning app called \u003cem\u003eYouHE\u003c/em\u003e, aimed at supporting heritage education experiences by allowing users to share memories related to their local territory. The author's objective was to enhance learning practices through technology, fostering motivation and engagement while supporting teachers in content creation. The study was conducted over 20 weeks with elderly participants from a community group. The app was used to stimulate the understanding of the city as a learning environment. The results from the proposed phases enabled user profiling, content creation and sharing, and the implementation of strategies in this type of environment. These experiments serve as references for constructing knowledge about collaborative platforms centered on interaction.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFontal et al. [26] conducted a study on instruments to measure heritage learning in digital environments. The research was based on Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) and the Graded Response Model (GRM) from Item Response Theory. This study assessed technology-mediated learning and the effectiveness of digital resources in achieving heritage learning goals. Data were collected on digital platforms and filtered through a standardization process. The study indicated that heritage learning outcomes vary depending on the specific digital medium or mediator.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the author, the Q-Herilearn tool allows for comparing heritage learning outcomes around the same content in different contexts or using different mediation strategies. Such experiments—like Q-Herilearn—demonstrate significant potential for applying these technologies in various areas of heritage education. The core idea is that digital media serve as extensions or complements to real-world physical environments, yet they are understood as independent informal learning spaces. This understanding is closely tied to recognizing the connection between digital ecosystems and spatial context, as well as identifying factors capable of truly assessing the learning enabled by such technologies and their application to heritage education.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKiniorska [27] aimed to identify ways of digitizing specific cultural heritage sites across six Polish cities. This was done by analyzing materials from official websites, the Tripadvisor review portal, promotional platforms, and social media. According to [27], space is the product of multiple processes of meaning-making, and one way to define the meaning of a place is to insert oneself into it by taking selfies. The scenarios portrayed in selfies can express the relationships formed in a given space and generate new interpretations of it. In this way, places become part of one’s personal narrative, adding meaning to individual identities. Their results suggest that technologies and behaviors such as taking selfies contribute to the construction of new meanings for lived spaces.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe studies discussed above demonstrate how different approaches and georeferenced digital technologies contribute to understanding territorial identity in its various dimensions, whether mixed with digital environments or situated experiences [28]. These are guiding concepts in the research, and when associated with participants’ social interactions, they lead to a deeper apprehension of the context in which the experiment is embedded.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Method","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn the pursuit of an objective and systematic analysis, we opted for a mixed-method approach with a qualitative bias, as it provides a holistic and in-depth strategy to uncover patterns observed within this specific scope [29]. This choice responds to the multidisciplinary nature of the project. The method seeks to understand tangible empirical evidence by considering the context in which the object is situated, aiming to construct a framework for data collection, analysis, and interpretation grounded in the essence of situated human experiences [30]. We also aim to explore and understand the meaning individuals or groups assign to a social or human problem [31].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe use of digital ethnography was necessary in order to understand the development of territorial identity among elementary school students who (section 4.4), in some way, are impacted by the situated manipulation of ubiquitous and geolocated computing technologies [32]. This is an experimental research design used as a methodological and didactic strategy within ubiquitous learning environments. Accordingly, we constructed our analysis through a lens that considers both practice and place. These considerations focus on the imagined and real everyday practices of students in relation to the surroundings of the school in which they study [33].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the first stage, we conducted a participatory curation with the students to identify locations on \u003cem\u003eIlha do Recife\u003c/em\u003e that they recognized as heritage sites. On that occasion, we created a representation in the form of a map of the island, on which students were asked to locate the identified points of relevance. In the second stage, we geolocated these points using locative media through the Gnomon platform. In the third stage, participant observation was conducted during a guided walk led by the teacher, supported by the digital technology of the Gnomon application. All activities were carried out in conjunction with interviews, filming, and photography.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.1 Objective\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo determine the impact of locative digital media on the formation of territorial identity in elementary school students, as result of a field lesson that utilized georeferenced technology to explore the built material heritage, memory, and historical content of the \u003cem\u003eComunidade do Pilar\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.2 Specific Objectives\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e● Investigate how digital technologies can contribute to the process of giving visibility to people in socioeconomic vulnerability, marginalized places, heritage, and local histories of the Pilar community.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e● To analyze how the Gnomon geolocated digital platform (section 4.6)—whether in isolation or in association with specific dynamics—can enhance the relationship between people and place.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e● To investigate whether the Gnomon locative digital platform promoted an effective educational experience that values historically marginalized knowledge, memories, and identities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.3 Between Ruins and Resistance: The Territory of the Pilar Community\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe research was conducted in the area of \u003cem\u003eIlha do Recife Antigo\u003c/em\u003e (PE). The island's historical and territorial formation dates back to the 16th century, when it was still a narrow strip of sand protected by a reef, serving as an anchorage used as a port. A small settlement of about 200 inhabitants formed there, composed mainly of sailors, fishermen, and dockworkers who made their living at the port [34].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe history of the city is woven into its streets, buildings, and connections with the sea and rivers nearby. It is in this context, between the buildings and the port, that the \u003cem\u003eComunidade do Pilar\u003c/em\u003e emerged [35].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Pilar Community is located in a territory of high historical and touristic value for the city of Recife, despite its precarious infrastructure. The ongoing process of gentrification in the Pilar Community is evident in the local urban fabric and in how the space is being occupied. This process is a key factor in the invisibilization of residents and their history—of those who inhabit the space—since the current gaze is directed at capital, favoring the new and disregarding the spaces inhabited by “undesirable” citizens [36]. The Pilar Community reflects social divides, where poverty is inherently racialized, affecting those who are excluded from the new spaces produced for consumption, effectively marginalizing them from the neoliberal logic of capital [10].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe origin of the \u003cem\u003eNossa Senhora do Pilar\u003c/em\u003e Community is more recent and tied to the areas where port workers once lived. Over time, these areas, due to their proximity to the port, became sites of leisure and tourism [37]. The community is centered around the church \u003cem\u003eIgreja de Nossa Senhora do Pilar\u003c/em\u003e, although its surroundings have been disfigured by demolitions and invasions. The first residences, which gave rise to the street known as “\u003cem\u003efora de portas\u003c/em\u003e” in Recife—on the old isthmus of Olinda—emerged along \u003cem\u003eRua São Jorge\u003c/em\u003e [38].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarge companies such as \u003cem\u003eSociedade Anônima Grandes Moinhos do Brasil\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eFábrica Pilar\u003c/em\u003e were drawn to the area due to urban reforms. Alongside the port expansion, they occupied lands that previously had a residential profile, demolishing old homes to build new structures or maneuvering spaces for large machinery linked to port and industrial activities [39].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 1970s, a project developed by the state-owned company \u003cem\u003ePORTOBRAS\u003c/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003eEmpresa de Portos do Brasil\u003c/em\u003e) led to the expropriation and demolition of six blocks located between the old \u003cem\u003eFábrica Pilar\u003c/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eMoinho\u003c/em\u003e to allow for port expansion [37]. Although the project was never completed, most of the buildings were demolished. In that same area, the \u003cem\u003eFavela do Rato\u003c/em\u003e emerged, later renamed \u003cem\u003eComunidade do Pilar\u003c/em\u003e, in the Recife neighborhood.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurrently, the area still faces infrastructure issues and precarious housing conditions. Historically known as “\u003cem\u003eFora de Portas\u003c/em\u003e,” the region reflects socio-spatial divisions and symbolic segregation that persist to this day. Some parts of the environment are characterized as \u003cem\u003efavelas\u003c/em\u003e—spaces of abandonment and neglect [40]. The area surrounding the community, once known for its port, industrial, and commercial functions, is gradually being transformed. New forms of use and valorization are emerging, now focused on the cultural, tourism, and leisure industries [41], representing new ways of rationalizing the world through corporate logics.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven though the community is located along a route that includes the city’s most iconic landmarks, various forms of appropriation and use coexist on \u003cem\u003eIlha do Recife\u003c/em\u003e, creating a multiplicity of overlapping social spaces [18]. Nonetheless, the old buildings of the \u003cem\u003eComunidade do Pilar\u003c/em\u003e remain unrecognized as historical and cultural heritage. In this regard, acknowledging the importance of memory is fundamental when discussing the formation of urban space in contemporary cities, as many events are omitted by official historical narratives [42].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surroundings of the \u003cem\u003eComunidade do Pilar\u003c/em\u003e are currently the focus of intense real estate speculation. Functional changes in the area reflect urban development trends aimed at repurposing declining industrial infrastructures. This process has significantly transformed the place, gradually erasing historic building ruins that once served as key symbols for preserving urban identity, thereby impacting tangible heritage and weakening collective memory [16].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.4 Participants\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants were selected among students officially enrolled at the local school within the community. We chose a class from the sixth grade of elementary education, composed of students aged between 11 and 14 years. All data were processed in accordance with strict confidentiality and ethical standards.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe aim was to understand students’ initial knowledge before the topic was explored, in order to personalize instruction, address knowledge gaps, and design pedagogical planning through playful and collaborative practices. The use of diagnostic assessment aimed to go beyond knowledge measurement—it was conceived as an emancipatory process [43], as well as a means to identify potential gaps and difficulties to guide pedagogical interventions [44] and to adapt teaching strategies [45].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough interviews, direct personal accounts, questionnaires, and polls [30], we identified the digital tools used by students in their daily lives, as well as the practices that express shared knowledge among participants. Within this perspective, we understood that they had basic geolocation knowledge, as they regularly used transport applications such as Uber—which connects users to partner drivers—and iFood, which connects food delivery services and establishments to users. Both platforms utilize map representations and location features across the city.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe identities of all interviewees, as well as institutional data from the school where the research was conducted, were kept confidential. There were no potential harms associated with participation in the study, nor were participants expected to cover any costs or receive compensation. We did not stratify participants by gender or income. All students participated with prior authorization from their guardians, through a signed informed consent form, as documented and approved by the Ethics Committee of the \u003cem\u003eUniversidade Federal de Pernambuco (CET-UFPE)\u003c/em\u003e under CAAE: 78438024.0.0000.5208.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the course of activities, a total of 19 participants were involved. However, not all were residents of the community—some only attended the school due to their parents’ work in the surrounding area.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.5 First Stage: Participatory Curation with Students\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn order to identify students’ levels of knowledge, skills, and challenges in using georeferenced technology, as well as their understanding of the territory in which they live—and to generate local content for tourism-related purposes used in the experiment—we conducted a creative workshop.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe purpose of the creative workshop was to identify places that students associated with local heritage and, in doing so, to develop a dynamic aimed at rendering visible the people, places, and local heritage that are often overlooked. To determine the relevance of these locations and understand the best pedagogical strategies to be adopted, we relied on a perspective that values the area's historical and cultural diversity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe History teacher facilitated the activities. Students were asked to create a list of places they considered important on \u003cem\u003eIlha do Recife Antigo\u003c/em\u003e. They were instructed to represent the listed places through writing, drawings, digital images, or other types of media. The goal of this activity was to generate a list of locations, or provide a creative inscription that would inspire participants to revisit the affective and relational dimensions of their personal knowledge and everyday experiences [46].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe school provided Internet access as well as computers for carrying out the activity. A total of four students chose to complete the task using the computers provided by the institution, while the remaining students conducted their research on their own smartphones, as illustrated in Figure 1.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis activity was conducted over two sessions. We compiled a list of 26 locations on \u003cem\u003eIlha do Recife Antigo\u003c/em\u003e identified by students as being of significant relevance. Based on this input, we curated a selection of sites associated with the local culture of the Pilar Community and its surroundings. The aim of this exercise was to generate content to be integrated into the \u003cem\u003eGnomon\u003c/em\u003e tourism platform, which would be used as a supporting tool by the teacher during a field trip led by them. Among the most frequently mentioned locations, two are situated near the school: \u003cem\u003eForte do Brum\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eIgreja de Nossa Senhora do Pilar\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith this data in hand, we printed a map of \u003cem\u003eIlha do Recife\u003c/em\u003e on 18 A4 sheets, enabling students to assemble the map collectively. The 26 identified locations were also printed individually so that students could place them on the assembled map. Participants were invited to engage in the process of piecing together the map. This activity aimed to capture how participants expressed themselves visually through the arrangement of images. Our collaborative map of \u003cem\u003eIlha do Recife\u003c/em\u003e was constructed primarily by listening to the students and co-creating a cartography that blended graphic representations of space with their lived experiences.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the list of selected points, we designed a walking route around the school. This activity culminated in the mapping of ten locations, which were then added to the \u003cem\u003eGnomon\u003c/em\u003e platform. Selection criteria included proximity to the school, geographical continuity, and the potential for affective memory connections with the participants.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough this activity, students were able to locate each site and recognize that their own community also held significant landmarks—some of which they had not previously identified. This exercise informed the development of a route to be followed during a guided field trip led by the teacher with the assistance of the \u003cem\u003eGnomon\u003c/em\u003e app. Figure 2 below features images documenting this activity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e.6 Geolocation of Points Using a Locative Digital Medium: The Gnomon Platform\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eGnomon\u003c/em\u003e app is a ubiquitous learning platform [47] designed to provide and recommend content about places and optimized routes for both urban and non-urban environments. It accommodates both tangible and intangible heritage and is tailored to users’ preferences. Furthermore, the platform incorporates multiple informational layers—such as augmented reality and audio—allowing users to orient themselves along a route.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Gnomon app provides users with access to multiple informational layers that foster interactivity, accessibility, co-direction, among other collaborative elements. These layers enable users to engage with the urban space, enhancing the place with characteristics of a more dynamic situated environment. As participants walk, they receive contextualized information about the local culture. This form of cultural mediation can significantly contribute to engagement, reveal previously invisible content, and motivate participation in the activity [48-49, 50-51].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.7 Participant Observation During the Walk\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this third stage of the activity with the participants, we conducted a field class with the teacher and students. We understand that walking is a way of using the territory, through which it is possible to identify forms of place appropriation. [5].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe had to postpone this activity several times since walking through the community was essential. However, the area was experiencing a period of high insecurity and violence, which made carrying out the activity particularly concerning. We waited for a more favorable and safe moment to avoid exposing either students or teachers to any form of risk.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe walking method involves people moving through an environment and responding to the research, encouraging individuals to engage their sensory ways of knowing and feeling [46]. We instructed the teacher to use the Gnomon, a georeferenced location-based technology, whenever deemed necessary. Thirteen students participated in this activity, divided into three groups (4, 4, and 5 participants). We also created three WhatsApp groups in which students were instructed to post interactions they considered important. Most posts consisted of photographs of locations visited during the walk.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy using the Gnomon app on-site, participants accessed various types of information while walking through the community streets. Through it, they were exposed to images of the locations—whether historical or current—and learned about the history of places that still exist and those that no longer do. They could listen to audio content without interrupting the activity. The children were able to comment on what they saw, compare it with the app’s content, and use those comparisons to project new interactions. This situated perception enriched the experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe concluded the activity with a discussion circle around the following themes: \u003cem\u003eHow would you describe your relationship with the neighborhood? What is the main reason you feel connected to a place? Do you use digital technology to discover or explore new nearby places?\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo identify and define key locations, we conducted a creative workshop aimed at understanding the students’ perception of the area prior to the walk. As this study was an exploration of the participants' lived experiences and perceptions, I adopted an empirical approach with a digital ethnographic lens. This is a flexible qualitative methodology that explores behaviors, interactions, and meanings within both physical and digital environments [33].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfterward, we carried out a guided walk. The purpose of this activity was to introduce a mediator who could connect detailed information about local history, architecture, and culture with the content available in the app.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to Hemer et al.\u0026nbsp;[52], emotions are only understandable in the context of specific places—such places must be felt to be meaningful. Significant senses of space emerge through the movement between people and places. However, experiencing a place with the aid of an app—portable via any smartphone—is a facilitating agent. Mobile phone camera practices offer new ways of mapping places that go beyond the geographic, incorporating social, emotional, and aesthetic aspects into a sense of place [53].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.8 Impacts on the Sense of Belonging\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce space is understood as a product of social action, the knowledge produced about it will reflect this construction [4]. The artifacts located in space (including objects and discourses) signal the productive process and can be understood as marks to be read, materially manifested, and, in a few words, seen through a historical perspective. The past, which generates productive forces, inscribes itself onto space—something materialized [4].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this sense, the strategy of the creative workshop aimed to emphasize elements of meaning and belonging, identifying locations that in some way represent the historical-architectural legacy still present in the Pilar Community. These are part of the formation of spatial identities perceptible in lived experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe structure of social space manifests itself in diverse contexts through spatial oppositions, with inhabited (or appropriated) space functioning as a form of spontaneous symbolization of the social space. In a hierarchical society, no space exists that is not hierarchized or that does not express social hierarchies and distances [53].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo measure the influence of the Gnomon platform on the participants’ sense of belonging and territorial identity in the context of heritage education, we used the \u003cem\u003eSense of Community Index II (SCI-2)\u003c/em\u003e as a reference. SCI-2 is a psychological scale used to measure sense of community in various contexts such as neighborhoods, social groups, and institutional settings [54].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis concept evaluates the emotional and psychological connection among individuals within a shared group or space. SCI-2 guided our adaptation and development of the \u003cem\u003eSense of Belonging Index (SBI)\u003c/em\u003e, which was used to measure the impact of the Gnomon platform on individuals' sense of belonging.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe used the parameters established by SCI-2, including 24 questions divided into 4 subcategories and a scoring scale. The subcategories most aligned with the perception of belonging were: Identification, Relationship with Place, Interaction with Place, and Valuation of Place. The scoring scale adopted was: \u003cem\u003eNot at all = 0; Somewhat = 1; Mostly = 2; Completely = 3\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo assess the reliability of SBI, we used Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient, a measure of the internal consistency of tests and scales. Cronbach’s alpha (α) is a statistical metric used to evaluate the reliability of research instruments such as questionnaires and psychological scales. When measuring the same construct, it indicates which items are consistent and reliable in a given test [55]. The interpretation standard we used was: 0–21 = low; 21–40 = fair; 41–60 = moderate; above 80 = reliable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.9 Data Collection\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eObservations were recorded through photographs, videos, and notes taken during the field visit [56]. Data were collected from 19 students using semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and structured activities conducted both inside and outside the classroom. Initially, we conducted a creative classroom workshop to capture participants’ perceptions of the territory and to generate and select ideas.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis activity was carried out at a public school located on the island of Recife Antigo. Digital ethnography is a way to study cultures and communities that emerge from online social interaction, using ethnographic methods [57]. From the digital environment, it is possible to analyze how individuals construct identities, establish connections, and resignify spaces through the impact generated by the use of digital media [58]. We also used in-person interviews, focus group discussions, and direct personal observation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe Pilar Community, in its formation and continuity, presents a strong spatial segregation in relation to its surrounding area. Many of the students who participated in the experience found their identity in environmental characteristics such as the tide. However, [15] argues that “socio-spatial morphology produces an identity marked both by appropriation and by lack.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe use of interviews during the walk-related activities served to capture participants’ impressionsperceptions of the experience. We chose the act of walking through the neighborhood as a way to understand processes of deconstructing the invisibility of local heritage sites [30]. Participant 1 reported that what he liked most about the neighborhood were the dirt fields where he played informal football matches. According to him:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“It’s a place where I go to play with my dad, my brothers, my uncles, my cousins, and my friends. It’s boring to be in a place without a field to play ball, run, and have fun… not even the school has a court for us to play. I’m going to be an athlete. I already train at Náutico’s soccer school, but there I can only play with my teammates from the school. One day, I’ll be a professional football player.” Participant 1, 2024.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, according to his testimony, construction work has already taken over most of these places, and only one remains unoccupied. From Participant 1’s account, we understand that he perceives his leisure spaces (open lots used for football) as increasingly rare. Places that gained new meanings through use—particularly those left vacant by deindustrialization—are being re-signified, appropriated, and, in terms of lived experience, acquiring a new territorial identity. While using the app, he noted that places in the community, such as the former Pilar Factory, could be repurposed for leisure. As he said:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“It’s such a large place. Full of unused spaces. They could build housing there with fields for us to play.”\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surroundings of the Pilar Community have been undergoing major urban interventions. On São Jorge Street, for example, high-end residential developments coexist with severely precarious conditions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“In space, we find both the objective (socioeconomic) and subjective (poetic) gaps. It is in space that differences—from minor to extreme—are inscribed, and more than that, realized” [15].\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipant 2 stated that the tide is his favorite place in the neighborhood. He is currently 12 years old, but has been swimming there with other boys from the community since the age of seven. According to his account, he feels that people do not look favorably upon this activity, often observing them as if they were committing a crime. He reported:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“I like swimming in the tide! We go through Marco Zero and jump into the water. I’ve even seen a caiman there. I learned it’s better to swim there because the noise from the ship engines scares the sharks away.” Participant 2, 2024.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI engaged in many reflections after hearing his account of swimming in the tide. I realized that many times, when I visited Marco Zero—a highly frequented tourist attraction in the city—I had seen boys doing the same, and inevitably, such judgments crossed my mind.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of the activities, we held a discussion circle where I had the opportunity to show him a specific location registered in the Gnomon app: “Praia do Brum,” a nearby site where he said he swam. He was happy to learn that, at another time in history, that place was well-known and appreciated as a swimming area. He felt seen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipant 3 shared that her late grandmother owned a bar in the community, which is now managed by her uncle. She feels that the community is not valued on the island as other areas are, since she does not see outsiders frequenting the place. According to her, the visitors are usually residents or workers employed by construction companies in the surrounding area. She explained:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“They even put Nega Bar on Google. Anyone can look up the location and go there. Even so, I don’t see outsiders around. It would be nice if people came to see the place… I don’t understand why people don’t go. The food’s really good and cheaper than other places.”\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;Participant 3, 2024.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile browsing the app and checking the registered points in the neighborhood, she found that her grandmother’s bar was among those listed in the community. She tested the feature and was amazed by the possibility that other people from the community could also get to know the space.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipant 4 is 11 years old. She said she enjoys the small square near the housing developments under construction because it has playground equipment for children. She had heard that the Church of Pilar was important and old, but rarely sees outsiders visiting it. She enjoys going to Marco Zero with her parents because it has many people and space to run and play. According to her account:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“I like the little square and Marco Zero! The closest place to home that they told me is heritage is the church, but I rarely see people there. In other parts of the island, I see lots of people, but not there.” Participant 4, 2024.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat we observe from Participant 4’s experience is her engagement with the local square rather than the historic church located nearby. Currently, the area around the church contains several makeshift homes built from plastic, cardboard, and wood. People in extreme social vulnerability live there, becoming part of the landscape and illustrating the exclusion noted by the participant—spaces frequented by tourists versus others rendered invisible.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen heritage is respected and interventions engage with the community, such projects can be viable. The community is surrounded by this religious historical heritage as well as a rich industrial legacy. The walls and structures of the old Pilar Factory serve as barriers for these precarious dwellings, as shown in Figure 4. These premises are considered in heritage education as processes that enhance identities constructed by individuals or groups [23]. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Participant 5, living in the community is important because his father is a cake vendor, and he sees Recife Antigo as a good place for street vending. Occasionally, he is able to accompany his father during certain times of the day. Walking through the central streets of the island is part of his routine, so he is familiar with several tourist spots in the area. His account highlights how essential it is to move through the place in order to cultivate attachment to the neighborhood.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe participant does not view the community as a place worth preserving or one that holds any significant heritage. He emphasizes this by stating that there are no beautiful places like those found in Marco Zero. He mentions that, every day on his way to school, he sees some old ruined houses that look deteriorated, and he does not understand why they are still occupied as housing. Still, he believes it is important to preserve them, perhaps because they have some historical value. According to his statement:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“My dad is a cake vendor! We like to go to Rua do Bom Jesus. A lot of people go there, and it’s easier to sell. If we tried to sell in the community, it’d be really difficult. On my way to school, I see some really old houses where people still live; maybe that place has some historical value.” Participant 5, 2024.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe homes referred to by Participant 5, built under precarious conditions, are embedded in structures that are testimonies to historical, social, urban, cultural, heritage, and economic legacies from a particular era. However, they are in an advanced state of physical deterioration. These spaces visually materialize the social hierarchy visible along Rua São Jorge—on one side of the street lies the Pilar Community, and on the other, high-end buildings. These are constructions in extremely precarious conditions, as shown in Figure 5.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are temporal markers of the students’ histories, as they walk through the narrow streets of the community and come across remnants of once noble buildings in such a precarious space. Through multiple reinterpretations, space becomes place.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Place represents and fixes social relations and practices, producing a complex identity that simultaneously refers to the local and the global.” [15].\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese remnants reveal the various nuances of territorial segregation and socio-spatial exclusion. They are strategies of territorial re-signification, where processes of accumulation by dispossession coexist so closely with those who have not had access to support networks, whether provided by the State or by private initiatives. As [59] highlights:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“When a person is faced with a space they did not help to create, whose history they do not know whose memory is foreign to them, that place becomes the seat of a profound alienation. But the human being, endowed with sensitivity, seeks to relearn what was never taught, and gradually replaces ignorance of the surroundings with knowledge, however fragmented. The lived environment becomes a site of exchange, the matrix of an intellectual process.”[59].\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumerous urban renewal projects in the area where the Pilar Community is located have gradually been changing the landscape and impacting the sociocultural dynamics of its residents. The community now has housing developments, a daycare center, a school, and a health clinic—critical infrastructure to improve local quality of life. However, there is still much to be done.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipant 5 mentioned that he saw no relevance in the path he takes daily from his house to school. We showed him a point registered in the Gnomon app—“Rua São Jorge”—one of the community’s streets rich in history and home to prominent figures in Pernambuco's past, such as Frei Caneca\u003csup\u003e\u003csup\u003e[5]\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. He was surprised by the information available in the app about the history of the area, which until then had been unknown to him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy walking around the school’s surroundings, the participants were able to learn about places and the stories of former residents who were significant to the construction of the state's historical narrative. Time and space contextualize place, appreciation, and preservation. \u003cstrong\u003eFigure 6\u003c/strong\u003e illustrates the stark contrast between the architectural profiles of buildings that stand side by side on the same street.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReflecting on how to engage with the various spaces of Recife Antigo Island—places that are simultaneously rich and impoverished, yet imbued with meaning and serving as identity markers—raises critical questions. Understanding how such tangible, everyday situations, laden with subjective information and values, can address: Where does the identity of this place reside?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[resultados quantitativos]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the interpretation of responses obtained from the application of the Sense of Belonging Index (ISP) along with Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient [55], which increased from a pre-activity coefficient of 47 to a post-activity coefficient of 89, we conclude that the territorial identity of young people living in the Pilar Community is strongly influenced by the socioeconomic and cultural conditions to which participants are exposed and in which they are conditioned to live.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u003csup\u003e[5]\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e Frei Caneca is one of the most revered historical figures in the state of Pernambuco [38.], due to his involvement in revolutionary movements, and he remains a recurring subject in studies of Pernambuco’s history.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"6. Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis section discusses the main findings of the study in light of the three specific objectives that guided the investigation. First, it examines how digital technologies can contribute to making visible the people, places, heritage, and local histories of the Comunidade do Pilar. Next, it explores how the Gnomon geolocated digital platform (section \u003cspan refid=\"Sec10\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4.6\u003c/span\u003e), whether used in isolation or in association with specific dynamics, can strengthen the relationship between people and place. Finally, it discusses whether and how the educational experience enabled by the platform fostered the recognition and appreciation of historically marginalized knowledge, memories, and identities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis co-direction activity positioned students as active participants in the learning process. This dynamic encouraged reflection on the importance of each individual's role in identifying and safeguarding cultural heritage elements from a local perspective.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe interviews highlighted the context in which participants are situated, revealing how, in some cases, their perception of their living space is painful due to the spatial segregation present. High-end condominiums constructed by Moinhos Recife border makeshift dwellings often built under precarious conditions. This reality is experienced by the local population, where mere meters separate those who have from those who do not. Low-income residents are entrenched between areas of high real estate value.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe community serves as a microcosm of the city, reflecting that \"urban areas become points of connection between global issues\" [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e57\u003c/span\u003e], such as gentrification in historic sites. This reconfiguration of the community space increasingly transforms the \"favela\" into areas occupied by housing projects. These are strategies aimed at rooting themselves in the space where collective life weaves its identity under adverse conditions. Understanding the selection process among individuals and places\u0026mdash;between those who enjoy luxurious environments at the expense of others' exclusion\u0026mdash;requires skill. The struggle to maintain the community's presence in its current location is an act of resistance.The results reveal the potential of these locative digital media, with their multiple informational layers. We were able to assess whether the experience of exposing students to city walks using this technology applies to their context. The spatial dimension directly impacts participants' identities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is within the urban fabric that the spatiality of their lived social relations materializes [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. This impact is evident in testimonies about the use of undeveloped land as recreational areas. This allowed students to engage in various forms and sensory modalities, recognizing how historical memory can serve as a link in creating identities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe activities conducted during the experiment contributed to constructing new meanings for places, enhancing the quality of experiences. By integrating technologies with classroom dynamics and city explorations, participants accessed informational layers presented through audio and images. This exposure demonstrates that understanding, becoming aware of importance, and identifying with something enables the appreciation, conservation, and transmission of local history. Reflecting and understanding that a place is the result of each historical moment prompts a genuine reading of the location.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePositioning the Pilar Community within a territorial reading perspective\u0026mdash;considering how environments deemed non-places, anti-cities, or problematic territories possess their own dynamics of spatial appropriation and re-signification\u0026mdash;draws attention to social subjects in their identity construction practices [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReflecting on how technology can enhance the sense of belonging in environments resulting from unequal city appropriation\u0026mdash;fragile territories considered vulnerable\u0026mdash;is a way to make these social agents visible. That said, my observation remains that it is essential to understand how digital technology is altering our relationships with space. At the heart of the matter lies the interconnection of knowledge and its meaning, as much as the importance of the digital revolution or connectivity for the future of education [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding contributions to Heritage Education, there was a positive perception of technology use by both teachers and students, as it expanded teacher-student interaction by allowing access to a broader range of information during activities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe use of the application, combined with other dynamics, enhanced student engagement and motivation, as evidenced in the questionnaires. This result indicates that it is not merely the tool's use that ensures the experience's success, but rather how the technology is utilized. By exposing students to interactions within a ubiquitous learning ecosystem\u0026mdash;situated in this physical-digital environment\u0026mdash;we aimed to develop critical thinking skills, positioning the user as an active agent and protagonist in the process. The intention is to inspire reflections on the impact of using georeferenced technologies in the teaching and learning of heritage education.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnowledge of geography, history, and local architecture was enhanced through classroom activities such as collage, map representation, and the use of the digital tool with its array of informational layers, leading students to moments of self-reflection. The Gnomon locative media platform, when used as a cognitive mediation tool, demonstrates a generally positive impact, potentially enhancing and giving visibility to forgotten or marginalized stories and memories, as well as contributing to the development of critical thinking. Knowing to perceive existence, to create identity, to belong, and to empower oneself.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe also identified that this same identity is constructed from a series of symbolic elements and cultural practices that express their authenticity and uniqueness, characterizing their belonging to a specific locality. The evaluation process showed that both teachers and students used Gnomon as an auxiliary tool for contributing information during the actual journey, allowing them to adapt to situations according to their needs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe experiment conducted in the Pilar community, based on the observation of activities carried out during the creative workshop, demonstrated that in communities facing socioeconomic fragility, individuals often struggle to recognize themselves as part of a shared territory or tradition. However, the use of Gnomon as a mediating pedagogical tool provided a digital interaction space, enabling the construction of collaborative narratives that connected the participants to their cultural and territorial roots, thereby strengthening their sense of belonging.The experience of the guided tour around the school, combined with the experience of digitally exploring the heritage, provided students with a critical and appreciative perspective. This was perceptible in the statements and accounts expressed in the testimonials.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"7. Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis article aimed to analyze the impacts of using digital technologies for the teaching and learning of Heritage Education. Concurrently, we observed, in this specific study within the Pilar Community, how these tools can contribute to promoting identity and inclusion, as well as the impacts of participants' connections with the neighborhood. This article contributes to studies seeking to identify factors influencing place identity in degraded historic neighborhoods, such as the Pilar Community. The research demonstrates how identity formation can increase attachment to local places and histories.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough qualitative analysis, this study addressed key issues to understand the context of the area in question, such as how the perception of gentrification impacts the sociocultural dynamics of residents and research participants in particular. This dynamic clearly highlights the socio-spatial inequalities present in the area. We also found, through the guided tour of the community, that some of the few historic buildings remaining no longer maintain their original structures, and the ruins of neglected buildings\u0026mdash;once responsible for preserving urban identity and collective memory\u0026mdash;are no longer common.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe narratives that participants created using digital technologies as auxiliary tools in exploring and learning about the city demonstrate that this resource has potential impacts in fostering a sense of identity and belonging among users. This aids in the incorporation of local history and culture. This study thus provides valuable insights into the theory and practice of using digital technologies as auxiliary tools for teaching and learning in heritage education.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch3\u003e8.1 Funding\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work. No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript. No funding was received for conducting this study. No grants, subsidies, or other support were received.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e8.2 Conflict of Interest/Competing Interests\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest relevant to the content of this article. All authors certify that they have no affiliations or involvement with any organization or entity with any financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. The authors have no financial or proprietary interests in any material discussed in this article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e8.3 Data Availability Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author confirms that all data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. The data cannot be openly shared but are available from the author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHarvey, David. \u003cem\u003eRebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution\u003c/em\u003e. Translated by Jeferson Camargo. S\u0026atilde;o Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2014.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArendt, Hannah. \u003cem\u003eThe Human Condition\u003c/em\u003e. 10th edition, Florence University Press, 1999.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLefebvre, Henri. \u003cem\u003eThe Urban Revolution\u003c/em\u003e. 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(Political Thought Collection, Vol. 3).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Historical Memories, Territorial Identity, Heritage Education, Pilar Community","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6785327/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6785327/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis article examines the relationships and impacts between the sense of belonging and the use of locative media by young students from a public school in the municipal education network of the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Within this context, it seeks to foster reflections on the dimension of territorial identity from the perspective of heritage education, guided by the use of georeferencing technology. The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of locative media use on territorial identity. To achieve this aim, the study employed a quantitative methodology, which included the use of digital ethnography techniques to understand the context in which the participants are situated. Participant observation and digital technologies were adopted for data collection. In order to measure the influence of the Gnomon platform on participants' sense of belonging and territorial identity within the context of heritage education, we used a Sense of Belonging Index (SBI) in conjunction with Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient (α). This was used as a reliability measure. The findings reveal the impacts of interactions between urban space and digital media, particularly their potential to make visible cultural heritage elements that had previously been forgotten or unnoticed. The analysis of the data collected regarding the sense of belonging showed that responses to the use of locative digital media, when combined with other pedagogical dynamics, are effective as cognitive mediation tools. They are capable of enhancing and giving visibility to forgotten or marginalized histories and memories.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Unveiling to Educate: Reconstructing Historical Memories with Locative Digital Media in the Pilar Community","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-07-11 10:22:52","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6785327/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"a848ab8e-005f-48d2-b0fb-0583be9ce04d","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 11th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-16T13:13:15+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-07-11 10:22:52","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6785327","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6785327","identity":"rs-6785327","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}