ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Hi, Paul.  The Exploratorium did a research project on that topic several years ago using PDA's.  We at Gyroscope included a summary in a report we wrote about technology in museums.  Here's an excerpt:

Evaluation of the project showed mixed results. Visitors enjoyed using the devices and many were willing to 
commit the time to try out the suggested activities at the exhibits. At the same time, however, the devices were 
shown to cause social isolation and to interfere with visitors’ use of the exhibits. Rakhi Rajani, a researcher 
with HP Labs in Palo Alto, a partner in the proof-of-concept studies, indicated that the video screen was 
distracting, the devices were cumbersome and the small screens not compelling, and there were problems with 
training visitors in how to use the devices. According to Rajani, “Fundamentally, the problem was that you 
don’t want visitors to a hands-on science museum to have one hand limited by holding a device.”


The excerpt is from a report titled Museums in Transition, available at 
http://www.gyroscopeinc.com/articles/MuseumsInTransition.pdf

Chuck

> 
> 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".  
> 

Chuck Howarth, Vice President
____________________________________

G Y R O S C O P E I N C
283 Fourth Street, Suite 201
Oakland, CA 94607   

tele:   510.986.0111
web:  www.gyroscopeinc.com
blog:  http://museums-now.blogspot.com
____________________________________







***********************************************************************
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]