ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
The most interesting apps I have been reading about and trying are the augmented reality apps on smartphones, particularly android and iphone. Basically, you hold the phone up, screen toward you, camera away from you pointing to a scene. Tags float over selected parts of the scene in front of you. These tags can be user generated (see a piece called Scapes by Halsey Burgund http://wiki.museummobile.info/archives/16082) or museum-generated. They can be location based (using GPS) or camera based (with some sort of visible tag or just computer vision recognizing the scene).
On the iphone, check out wikitude and on android/iphone check out google goggles and google layar.
The whole approach is super intrusive, in that you literally hold the phone between yourself and the object, but it is also pretty magical.
Eric Siegel
Director and Chief Content Officer
NY Hall of Science
On Oct 4, 2011, at 4:31 PM, Kevin Walker wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Some lessons from Exploratorium might help - Sherry Hsi from there wrote a great chapter in the following book about their experiments with mobile technologies. To sum up her insights:
>
> - Content should be socially-relevant, educational, and actively personal.
>
> - Select technology that matches the physical context of use so it becomes seamless with the user experience (See also the work of Falk & Dierking - support the personal, social, physical contexts)
>
> - Online messaging succeeds when the design makes explicit when messages are private or public. (Visitors are confused & concerned about privacy in this area - interesting solution Explo. came up with was to create a kind of mobile-based social network for explainers, to help them answer visitors' questions)
>
> - Design multimedia content to be compelling enough to provoke users try new things with exhibits, even in a setting that competes for social and physical attention.
>
> - Designing personalization in technology can be a powerful lure, prompting people to try a physical exhibit and to check out media after heading home. So for example letting them take pictures of themselves using an exhibit, etc
>
> - Using cutting-edge technology creates overhead for the experience. The age-old issue - visitors spend more time figuring out a new device than engaging with museum content. Thus, better to let them use their own devices if possible...
>
> - While handhelds are good at content delivery, user-generated information on handhelds is more socially-relevant and interesting. (Hopefully this is obvious by now!)
>
> - Create designs that encourage and promote broad participation from different audiences.
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> Oh, the book:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Technologies-Museum-Experience-Handheld/dp/0759111219/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243922378&sr=8-1
>
> (Sorry, not to promote my own work, just Sherry's!)
>
>
> On 4 Oct 2011, at 21:02, Paul Siboroski wrote:
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
>> Thanks to everyone who has responded to my query. Obviously it's an area of keen interest.
>>
>> To clarify, my interest is in how to utilize apps in a hands-on museum setting (specifically a science museum) in which we are also asking visitors to actively/physically engage in exhibits. Currently developed apps for the most part in museums are being used as a high tech variation of the "audio tour".
>>
>> Are there ways in which the app can be used in conjunction or layered on top of hands-on exhibits but not in competition with or divorced from them?
>>
>> That is my conundrum. : )
>>
>> Paul M Siboroski
>> Exhibits Director
>> Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
>> San Diego California
>> Phone: 619.685.5742
>> FAX: 619.685.5771
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Informal Science Education Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul Siboroski
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 11:52 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: phone apps
>>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
>> Are any institutions developing phone apps to deliver educational or exhibit related content?
>>
>> If not, are there any specific areas you see potentially benefiting from the use of apps?
>>
>> Thanks!!
>>
>>
>> Paul M Siboroski
>> Exhibits Director
>> Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
>> San Diego California
>> Phone: 619.685.5742
>> FAX: 619.685.5771
>>
>> ***********************************************************************
>> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>>
>> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
>>
>> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
>> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
>>
>> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>> message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>> ***********************************************************************
>> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>>
>> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
>>
>> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
>> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
>>
>> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>> message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>> [log in to unmask]
>
> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>
> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
>
> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
>
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
> message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
> [log in to unmask]
***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]
|
