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,
Rather than investing in handheld devices that we check out to visitors, we have our staff using PMTs as a part of a federally funded project as well as encouraging visitors to use their own handheld devices in the Museum.
The 21-Tech project is an IMLS-funded project with the Children's Museum of Houston working in partnership with New York Hall of Science, Sciencenter, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), and the Lawrence Hall of Science to develop several training techniques for floor staff, docents, and/or volunteers to utilize PMTs (in our case, iPad and iPad2) as facilitation tools. Rather than creating new apps, we adapt existing apps (free or very low cost), videos, graphic images, etc. to the content in various exhibits and train our frontline staff on how to incorporate it into the visitor experience such that we do not remove the hands-on experience, but rather enhance the experience and deepen the learning. The iPads are not for visitors to check out, but rather several of our frontline staff walk thought the Museum and use them with visitors. If you go to www.21-tech.org<http://www.21-tech.org>, you can see some of our latest data regarding the use of personal mobile technology (PMT) as facilitation tools for frontline staff as well as some other data we have picked up.
We've had some very exciting results so far in our first two rounds of evaluation. We're currently working on our final round of evaluation, focusing on the effectiveness of the training from the standpoint of the staff, at which time we'll begin summative. We've recently launched the website as a repository of our findings and what we've learned and we're still filling it with information as the project continues.
In addition, rather than just rely on our PMTs, we wanted our visitors to use their own handheld devices - their smartphones - to interact more deeply with the exhibits. We offer free WiFi in the Museum which has allowed us to use QR codes (which we update on a fairly regular basis) for over a year to point visitors to additional information they can access through their PMTs include text-based sites (ex. Wikipedia articles), images, videos, and text statements with challenges, questions to consider, and hints. We also have a mobile website (Spanish and English) to help guide people through the calendar of the day and the exhibits. Overall, we've found our visitors to be very appreciative of the offerings we provide and it helps them use their phones in the exhibits with their kids, rather than just sitting off to the side texting friends, posting to Facebook, and surfing Pinterest (although several of them still do that, too :)).
I hope that helps!
Keith
Keith Ostfeld
Director of Educational Technology and Exhibit Development
Children's Museum of Houston
713-535-7228
fax: 713-524-6471
See Mr. O and what's on his mind - www.cmhoustonblog.org<http://www.cmhoustonblog.org/>
Check out Mr. O on Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mr-O/154082187005?ref=ts>
Follow Mr. O on Twitter @TheMrO<http://twitter.com/#!/TheMrO>
"America's No. 1 Children's Museum."
-Parents Magazine
Can your mind come out to play?(tm)
6 Think before you ink.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Paul Siboroski <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Date: Thu, Aug 16, 2012 at 1:26 PM
Subject: handheld devices in hands-on environments
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
Can someone point me to the latest surveys, data reports on the topic of usefulness (or interference) of using handheld devices in Science Centers? I know of the Exploratorium report dated 2003 by Sherry Hsi on the topic.
What is the latest on reasonable expectations of using this technology? Does it ultimately interfere with the hands-on experience? Do visitors expect us to have that option when they come?
Thanks!
Paul M. Siboroski
Exhibits Director
Reuben H Fleet Science Center
PO Box 33303
San Diego, CA 92163
619.685.5742<tel:619.685.5742>
***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org<http://www.astc.org>.
Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org<http://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]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.
--
Darrell Porcello, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer
Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley
510-643-7764
Check out--> http://www.howtosmile.org - "All the Best Science and Math Activities"
***********************************************************************
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]
|
