museumsandtheweb.com - research

Digital Media In Everyday Life: A Snapshot of Devices, Behaviors, and Attitudes Part 1: Mobile Device Ownership

sbeasley — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 03:03:57 +0000

MW2012

Steven Beasley and Annie Conway, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, USA

http://msichicago.org/digitallife

Abstract

Program Item Reference:

A Study of Digital Media, Tools, and Technology Use

Evaluating the Practical Applications of Eye Tracking in Museums

ebachta — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:49:50 +0000

MW2012

Edward Bachta, Robert J. Stein, Silvia Filippini-Fantoni, Tiffany Leason, Indianapolis Museum of Art, USA

Abstract

Funded by an Institute for Museum and Library Services Sparks! Ignition grant, the Indianapolis Museum of Art is exploring whether or not eye-tracking technology can be useful to museums seeking to better understand how in-gallery visitors actually “see” the objects in our collection. Through a set of three experiments, the project seeks to understand whether eye tracking can be used to measure visitor attention to artworks, understand the correlation between guided interpretation and visitor comprehension, and to trigger interpretive content delivery. In this paper, authors will review the relevant literature in the field that connects gaze detection and cognition; explain in detail the experimental methodology used in the first experiment to determine the practicality of adopting these techniques in museums; and report on initial conditions and factors discovered during the project’s initial research.

Program Item Reference:

Evaluating the Practical Applications of Eye Tracking in Museums

Levelling Up: Towards Best Practice in Evaluating Museum Games

dannybirchall — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:41:49 +0000

MW2012

Danny Birchall and Martha Henson Wellcome Trust; Alexandra Burch and Daniel Evans, Science Museum, UK; Kate Haley Goldman, National Center for Interactive Learning at the Space Science Center, USA

Abstract

Museums make games because games can provide compelling educational engagement with museum themes and content, and the market for games is enormous. Truly understanding whether games are achieving your goals requires evaluation. In this paper, we identify the kind of games that museums make and use case studies of our own casual games to look at the benefits and means of evaluation. Beginning by identifying different kinds of evaluation within the broad framework of formative and summative practices, we suggest ways to plan an evaluation strategy and set objectives for your game. We then look in detail at evaluation methods: paper and wireframe testing, play-testing, soft launching, Google Analytics, surveys, and analysing responses “in the wild.” While we draw on our own experience for examples of best practice, we recognize that this is an area in which everyone has a lot to learn, and we conclude by suggesting some tactics for sharing knowledge across the museums’ sector.

Program Item Reference:

Levelling up: Towards best practice in evaluating museum games

Beyond Cool: Making Mobile Augmented Reality Work for Museum Education

smannion — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 06:24:31 +0000

MW2012

Published Paper:

Beyond Cool: Making Mobile Augmented Reality Work for Museum Education

Keywords:

digital learning

Keywords:

mobile devices

Keywords:

research

Keywords:

study

Keywords:

education

Keywords:

education

Keywords:

teenagers

Abstract:

***PLEASE NOTE THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL PAPER PROPOSAL, NOT A DEMONSTRATION.

In June 2011, more than a year of intensive experimentation with Augmented Reality at The British Museum culminated in a large-scale education project with 700 teenagers. This paper presents results of quantitative and observational research on the project focusing especially on how AR impacts learning and the use of tablets in museum galleries. It explores the challenges of implementing the two main styles of mobile AR (marker-based and location-based) in gallery environments with low lighting, visitor overcrowding and without wireless networks. The aim is to share our experience of implementing AR applications for children and families within the constraints faced by nearly all museum education departments: small budgets, lack of staff resources, technical expertise and technical infrastructure.

The British Museum’s digital learning team launched its first mobile AR application in November 2010. Despite a tiny budget and only three weeks development time, the Passport to the Afterlife (http://bit.ly/dLSwtH) activity successfully introduced marker-based AR into museum galleries. It revealed crucial insights about the appropriate use of AR for children, the potential of mobile AR for kinesthetic learning and the importance of blending AR interaction with analog techniques to ensure a rewarding learning experience. Three more AR projects built on this initial experience.

The most recent and ambitious is the Gallery Explorer (http://vimeo.com/25782400), a location-based AR game that runs across five different galleries and features 35 carefully selected museum objects. It runs on Samsung Galaxy 7” Tablets which are shared by students age 14-15 working in groups of 5-6. This project provided the opportunity for formal evaluation (http://wiki.museummobile.info/archives/91923) of how groups work together with tablet-sized mobile devices, what specifically AR adds to students’ experience of the gallery and how to design a compelling AR interface.

During the past 12-18 months, most museum use of AR was for one-off events or temporary installations for adult visitors. While incredibly exciting, these applications were not designed to run in the day to day context of museum education, with its continuous and demanding stream of children, teachers and parents. This paper gets down to the nitty gritty of how AR’s game-like interaction can be integrated into proven and sustainable models for gallery learning activities and become a core element of digital education programs in museums.

Type:

Paper - in formal session

NextGen Mobile Applied

Site:

http://vimeo.com/25782400

Authors:

Shelley Mannion

The Trade in Digital: Partnerships and Collaboration in the Content Economy

Timothy Hart — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:35:08 +0000

MW2011

Timothy Hart, Director Information, Multimedia and Technology, Museum Victoria, Australia

Abstract

In our massively connected world content is indeed king and museums if they take a close look, will find themselves, well placed to deliver highly sought after content to an ever expanding audience. Collaboration is emerging as the critical enabler in taking full advantage of the opportunities now available for the delivery of museum online content. Collaboration needs to be both internal and external. The number and quality of national data services now operating is making museum content available for researchers and the public in numbers and types unimaginable only a few years ago. The ground work is laid in most large museums to allow them to participate in providing access to the full range and wonder possible in museum generated content.

Keywords: collaboration, collections, content, data, partnerships, opportunity, economy, research, Australia

Program Item Reference:

The Trade in Digital: partnerships in the content economy

Grounding Digital Information Trends

dbear — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:11:01 +0000

MW2011

Keywords:

mobiles

Keywords:

social media

Keywords:

internet applications - statistics

Keywords:

usage data

Keywords:

technology impact

Keywords:

museum impact

Keywords:

research

Keywords:

augmented reality

Keywords:

Pew Internet and American Life

Abstract:

The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project provides data on the rise of mobile internet, the increasing popularity of handheld devices such as cell phones, tablet computers and e-readers, the emergence of social media, and the move towards augmented realities that can help us identify how those trends are shaping the way content-oriented organizations like museums interact with their audiences now and will need to interact in the future. Because these technologies, and others, are revolutionizing how audiences consume information, and are reshaping the public’s expectations about information access and immersion, concrete knowledge of their penetration and the speed at which they are being adopted is crucial to shaping responsible institutional responses.

Type:

Paper - in formal session

Opening Plenary

Site:

http://pewinternet.org

Authors:

Kristen Purcell

Teylers Universe

gjanse — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 09:39:42 +0000

MW2011

Keywords:

research

Keywords:

Enlightenment

Keywords:

Michelangelo

Keywords:

Teyler

Keywords:

Unesco

Keywords:

18th century

Abstract:

Teylers Universe is dedicated to the first half century (1784-1826) of Teylers Museum in Haarlem: the first and oldest public museum in the Netherlands. The purpose of the website is to establish digital cross-references between the various collections (Art, Paleontology, Mineralogy, Numismatics and Scientific Instruments).

By wandering through the museum's stories, you can trace the relationships between the collections, the monumental building, and all manner of visitors and leading figures. These are stories about the people who made Teylers Museum great: not just scientists, Directors and board members, but also famous visitors such as Napoleon Bonaparte and the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.

At the same time, through background information on the phenomena of eighteenth and nineteenth-century collecting, scientific experiment and charity, the site provides a unique glimpse into museum practice in a bygone age.

The website reflects Teylers Musem’s policy of making the integrity and historical authenticity of its collections and building accessible to a wider public. The museum’s uniqueness was confirmed recently by the museum’s candidacy for the UNESCO World Heritage list – for Teylers Museum is the only place in the world where visitors can still view an authentic eighteenth-century museum gallery (the Oval Room).

Type:

Demonstration - show your project

Demonstrations IV

Site:

http://www.teylersuniversum.nl

Authors:

Geert-Jan Janse

Opening Plenary

dbear — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:17:33 +0000

Type:

Session

Theme:

plenary

Chair:

jennifer trant

Programs:

Grounding Digital Information Trends

Date & Time:

April 7, 2011 - 9:00am - 10:30am

Location:

Commonwealth A/B/C/D

mobile

plenary

research

augmented reality

games

internet

technology

pew

uptake

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Archives & Museum Informatics EIN: 77-0708617; GST / BN 887978914

Description

We'll kick off MW2011 together with a plenary speaker highlighting current questions.

We're delighted to welcome Kristin Purcell of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

Art & Artists

jmkd — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:25:35 +0000

MW2011

Published Paper:

Art & Artists

Keywords:

art

Keywords:

collection

Keywords:

database

Keywords:

Interface

Keywords:

research

Keywords:

collections online

Abstract:

This paper describes how multiple strands of exploratory thinking across a large organisation were brought together in the complete overhaul of Tate’s collection online.

Scholarly research, technical innovation, curatorial enquiry, educational strategy, enterprise analytics, user-centred design and crowd-sourcing were just some of the methods employed by numerous teams across Tate on various projects. Over the course of two years these sometimes unconnected activities were identified, shaped and successfully channelled into a unified online representation of art and artists.

The quirky trajectory of multiple projects will be charted as resources are diverted, goals mature and priorities change. As well as the most successful endeavours, we will encounter failed initiatives, inconsistent progress, abandoned contexts and reconfigured methodologies, all set against an increasingly pressurised budgetary landscape and an unpredictable change of government.

The finished site will act as a guide for these narratives, demonstrating the outcomes of completed efforts and acting as a live metric for the projects’ goals and priorities. Future components will be discussed in the relevant contexts, and longer term plans revealed.

Case studies to be referred to include:

ArtMap
Taxonomic structures
Online Scholarly Cataloguing Initiative
User commenting
Personal collections
Archive integration
Tate Channel
Article syndication
Displays information
Curatorial style guide
Image sizes
User testing
Audience research
Social media integration

Through discussion of these projects we will discover the scale and complexity of the finished product, the challenges of integrating many years worth of content created for other contexts, and the ongoing implications for a public institution that integrated digital workflows over a decade ago.

A open assessment will be given of the budgetary and personnel requirements, along with the institutional impact of Tate’s Online Strategy 2010-12.

The site will launch in February 2011.

Type:

Paper - in formal session

Collections Online

Site:

http://www.tate.org.uk/collection/

Authors:

James Davis

John Stack

Playing with museums - game designs to improve museum collections

mia — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:39:59 +0000

MW2011

Published Paper:

Playing with Difficult Objects – Game Designs to Improve Museum Collections

Keywords:

crowdsourcing

Keywords:

games

Keywords:

evaluation

Keywords:

research

Keywords:

collections

Abstract:

Crowdsourcing data through games is an attractive proposition for museums looking to maximise use of their collections online without the requirement to commit intensive curatorial resources to enhancing catalogue records. This paper investigates the optimum game designs to encourage participation and the generation of useful data.

Further detail

Projects such as Armchair Revolutionary [1], Carnegie Mellon University's 'Games with a purpose' [2] and InterroBang?! [3] are indicative of the trend for 'games for social good'. Crowdsourced projects such as the Guardian newspapers examination of MPs expense claims [4], the V&A Museum's image cropping [5], Brooklyn Museum's tagging game [6], the National Library of Australia's collaborative OCR corrections [7]; Chen's study of the application of Csikszentmihalyi's theory of 'flow' to game design; and McGonigal's ideas about multiplayer games as 'happiness engines' [8] all suggest that 'playful interactions' and crowd participation could be applied to help create specific content improvements on museum sites. Game mechanisms may help make tasks that would not traditionally be considered fun or relaxing into a compelling experience.

Games designed to crowdsource museum metadata are particularly interesting when limited resources within museums make it difficult to enhance and publish large bodies of collections data in ways that are accessible to non-specialist visitors. Further, museum metadata games are a form of collections access in their own right and have the potential to reach large, traditionally hard-to-reach audiences. Data generated may include terms to improve discoverability by adding alternate terms used by the general public (as in the steve.museum project); information about which objects are more interesting for different types of visitors; data that could be provided by curators and researchers if resources were unlimited but could also be solicited from specialists outside the museum; and experiential data for objects and events within living memory.

Based on a Masters Dissertation project ('Game mechanics for social good: a case study on interaction models for crowdsourcing museum collections enhancement', http://openobjects.blogspot.com/2010/06/game-mechanics-for-social-good-case.html, due January 2011) this paper will cover three topics:

research summary of emerging best practice about games designed to crowdsource metadata

analysis of the most effective elements of game mechanics for application to interfaces for crowdsourcing museum collections enhancement, based on the evaluation of games designed as part of the project and the evaluation of data produced as the games are played.

an emerging typology of game designs applicable for different models of collection data, based on categories such as breadth of collection data (from selected hero objects to the entire catalogue), the type of metadata desired, the level of specialist knowledge required to interpret objects, etc.

Games built with collections from museums of social history and history of science and technology will be available at http://museumgam.es/ from mid-October.

References

[1] https://www.armrev.org

[2] http://www.gwap.com/

[3] http://www.playinterrobang.com/

[4] http://mps-expenses.guardian.co.uk/

[5] http://collections.vam.ac.uk/crowdsourcing/

[6] http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/tag_g...

[7] http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home

[8] http://www.futureofmuseums.org/events/lecture/mcgo...

Type:

Paper - in formal session

Games

Authors:

Mia Ridge

Going Mobile? Insights into the museum community’s perspectives on mobile interpretation

Loic Tallon — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:43:36 +0000

MW2011

Published Paper:

Going Mobile? Insights into the Museum Community’s Perspectives on Mobile Interpretation

Keywords:

mobile

Keywords:

research

Keywords:

museum community

Keywords:

international

Keywords:

future

Keywords:

survey

Abstract:

If the future is mobile, how is the museum community experiencing that future, what are their ambitions within it, and in which areas is further knowledge share required? It was specifically to gain an insight into questions such as these that the 2010 International Museums and Mobile survey was developed. This paper will present and analyse the responses of the 600+ museum professionals that participated in this research.

The 2010 International Museums and Mobile Survey reached out to museum professionals internationally to share their perspectives and understanding of mobile interpretation at their institutions. Dividing respondents into four categories – those from institutions that already used mobile interpretation, those from institutions that were planning to use mobile interpretation tools, those from institutions that had no plans to use mobile interpretation tools, and those from vendors working in this field – the survey sought to gain an insight into the everyday realities of developing, delivering and sustaining mobile interpretation provisions in an institution. The survey questions related to the objectives of, and target audience for, an institution’s mobile interpretation experience; the challenges faced by institutions in planning and operating a mobile interpretation experience; and what strategies were used to measure the success of these experiences. Other questions probed the aspects of mobile interpretation in which individuals felt there were insufficient knowledge share, and also about what excited them most in this field.

Over 600 museum professionals responded to the survey, sharing their views on the above questions. Responses were received from individuals working in institutions with a wide variety of backgrounds and profiles: institutions in over twenty countries are represented in the results; two thirds of all responses were from institutions that did not use mobile interpretation tools, and of which half were planning to in the twelve months, and half had no such plans. Whilst a quarter of responses came from within institutions that boast an annual attendance upwards of 250,000 visitors, more than half had annual attendance of under 50,000 visitors (and less than 1 staff member working in digital media).

Drawing on this data source, this Paper will draw out the key trends that arise, and forward analysis on their context and implications for the community. It will explore opinions on issues ranging from whether mobile interpretation should be available at an additional cost to visitors, to how to define the target audience for a mobile interpretation tool (i.e. is it just “those that like audio guides”?). And from whether in five years time museums will still be required to provide a hardware platform to visitors for the mobile experience, to the obstacles those entering the field are facing today. Through this analysis, this paper aims to provide guidance to those museums entering this field for the first time, create awareness of those areas where further knowledge share is required (and hopefully identify those institutions best placed to provide such knowledge), and ultimately provide a valuable tool on which to further inform debates in this field.

Type:

Paper - in formal session

Mobile Parade

Authors:

Loic Tallon

Isabel Froes

The Transition to Online Scholarly Catalogues

nhoneysett — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:34:37 +0000

MW2011

Published Paper:

The Transition to Online Scholarly Catalogues

Keywords:

online

Keywords:

research

Keywords:

publication

Keywords:

digital

Keywords:

Catalogue

Keywords:

Abstract:

The scholarly catalogue has long been a critical part of a museum's mission, providing authoritative information about collection objects for scholars, students, and the general public. Often based on years of painstaking research and richly illustrated, print catalogues form one of the building blocks of art history. The catalogue's print form, however, is arguably the very component that prevents it from realizing even greater potential. High cost and relatively small print runs limit its accessibility, and printed books cannot easily change to reflect new acquisitions or new scholarly knowledge. While the online environment holds much promise for making collection catalogues more current, interactive, and widely available, museums still face significant financial and organizational challenges in making the transition online.

Funded by the Getty Foundation, this five-year initiative aims to explore the potential for scholarly collection catalogues in an online environment, determine the institutional resources needed, and support the creation of replicable models. Specifically, whether the online delivery of scholarly catalogues can:

Offer a more dynamic relationship between a catalogue's research, publication, and re-publication phases;
Directly link a wide array of primary and secondary resources to the record of a work of art, resources ranging from archival and conservation documentation to audio and video interviews;
Make greater use of comparative images, including the ability to zoom in on details or present three-dimensional views of sculptural objects.

Eight museums have received support: SFMOMA, AIC, Seattle Art Museum, the Tate, the Walker, LACMA, the Smithsonian, and the National Gallery and are now entering the implementation phase. A selection of institutions will present their findings and approaches to these challenging questions.

Type:

Paper - in formal session

e-Books and Museum Publishing

Site:

http://www.getty.edu/foundation/funding/access/current/online_cataloging.html

Authors:

Nik Honeysett

Multimedia Communication Issues: Why, What and When

biblio — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:10:51 +0000

Paolini, P., Rubegni E., & Franciolli M. (2010). Multimedia Communication Issues: Why, What and When. (Trant, Jennifer, David Bearman, Ed.).Museums and the Web.

Building an online research community: The Reciprocal Research Network

biblio — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:10:41 +0000

Rowley, S., Sparrow L., Schaepe D., Sanborn A., Wallace R., Jakobsen N., et al. (2010). Building an online research community: The Reciprocal Research Network. (Trant, Jennifer, David Bearman, Ed.).Museums and the Web.

VR WORKSHOP 2005 "Virtuality in Arts and Design": VIRTUAL EXHIBITION PROJECTS

jtrant — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 23:34:28 +0000

Mura, G. (2005). VR WORKSHOP 2005 "Virtuality in Arts and Design": VIRTUAL EXHIBITION PROJECTS. (Perrot, Xavier (d. 2007), Ed.).Digital Culture and Heritage. Proceedings of ICHIM05.Paris.

Digital Archives and Study of Historical Towns

jtrant — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:27:59 +0000

Pugnaloni, F., Ferrarini A., Formato A., & Pugnaloni A. P. (2003). Digital Archives and Study of Historical Towns. (Perrot, Xavier (d. 2007), Ed.).International Cultural Heritage Informatics Meeting: Proceedings from ichim03.

Le Musée Virtuel à l'Épreuve de l'Enseignement et la Recherche en Histoire de l'Art

jtrant — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:27:59 +0000

Welger-Barboza, C. (2003). Le Musée Virtuel à l'Épreuve de l'Enseignement et la Recherche en Histoire de l'Art. (Perrot, Xavier (d. 2007), Ed.).International Cultural Heritage Informatics Meeting: Proceedings from ichim03.