museumsandtheweb.com - children

Beyond Cool: Making Mobile Augmented Reality Work for Museum Education

smannion — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 02:43:30 +0000

MW2012

Shelley Mannion, Samsung Digital Discovery Centre at The British Museum, United Kingdom

http://www.britishmuseum.org/samsungcentre

Abstract

In fall 2010, the British Museum’s education team embarked on a multi-year plan to explore the potential of Augmented Reality (AR) in our galleries. We have since run four AR projects for young people, each of which focused on a different aspect of the technology. Our first project focused on revealing content on markers; the second on creating alternative views on the collection; the third on location-based AR for navigation; and the fourth on exhibiting virtual art in the galleries. These projects have both challenged and surprised us. Technical problems like the instability of compasses for positioning and poor 3G reception have challenged us to find workable solutions. Working with different age groups in formal and informal education settings led to discoveries about AR’s ability to delight and engage young learners and to teach fine motor skills. Shoestring budgets forced us to be creative and resourceful in our approach to mobile app development. Here, we share our experiences and lessons learned in integrating AR into museum and gallery learning programs.

Program Item Reference:

Beyond Cool: Making Mobile Augmented Reality Work for Museum Education

AirBrush

sharnajackson — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:10:33 +0000

MW2012

Keywords:

play

Keywords:

game-based learning

Keywords:

children

Keywords:

Digital participation

Keywords:

co-production

Keywords:

technological innovation

Abstract:

AirBrush is a creative application with a difference – it literally allows you to ‘paint with air’. Using innovative, browser-based motion-tracking technology, your movement lets you paint onto a webcam canvas. Moving your hand produces the most refined marks, but there’s nothing to stop you from moving your head, feet or doing a dance. This opens up access to a number of people for whom operating a mouse or keyboard can be a challenge.

The application allows you to explore a range of different effects: choose your paint colour, shade, brush size and finally select a painting technique inspired by artists in the Tate collection, from Pissaro to Turner, Van Gogh to Pollock.

Our demonstration, delivered by Tate Kids and Plug-in Media, will expose the technology behind this innovative app and explain the difference between augmented reality and motion-tracking. It will also explore what happened when we tested it with kids, preview some of the work Tate Kids has received to date, cover issues around moderation and discuss how you can use webcam applications in order to bring your collections to life.

Further links

http://kids1.tate.org.uk/blog/?tag=airbrush

http://www.pluginmedia.net/project/airbrush/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MIieWln1WyQ

Type:

Demonstration - show your project

MW2012 Demonstrations I

Site:

http://kids.tate.org.uk/games/airbrush/

Authors:

Sharna Jackson

Kidding Around: Hands-on Digital Learning for Children and Families

smannion — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 06:59:05 +0000

MW2012

Keywords:

digital learning

Keywords:

museum

Keywords:

on-site

Keywords:

on-site

Keywords:

children

Keywords:

young people

Keywords:

teens

Keywords:

families

Abstract:

Building on the success of the workshop at MW2010, three London museums are uniting to offer a half-day workshop on designing digital learning activities for children and families. The British Museum, Museum of London and Victoria & Albert Museum all have on-site digital education centers that offer ambitious programs for young people.

The nature of our collections and the unique interests and expertise of the teams running these programs means that they are incredibly diverse. The British Museum (Shelley Mannion) focuses on 7-9 year olds through augmented reality, animation, media production and web-based presentation tools. The Museum of London (Paul Clifford) covers a range of ages with photography, video production and mobile applications. The V&A (Alex Flowers) focuses on Adobe design tools, gallery photography and collaborations with media artists.

We propose a workshop that offers a jump start to museum educators or managers thinking about how to serve these audiences. Topics would include:

What are kid-friendly objects? How to use them in digital learning?
What are the profiles of young visitor types (e.g., very young children, elementary school age, pre-teens and teens? What does each group need?
How to integrate technology effectively into successful models of gallery education?
How to create a digital learning program on a budget?
How to approach technology sponsors and write a proposal for funding
What is the difference between gaming and game-like learning?
How to use web-based and social media to connect with young audiences?

The workshop will include discussion, quick hands-on activities selected from our vast repertoires of fun ways to engage children in the galleries, and a design activity where participants are asked to break up into small groups to brainstorm and describe a digital learning activity for an audience and institution of their choice.

Particularly in the context of the recently announced MacArthur Foundation grants for museums and libraries in Digital Media and Learning, there is increased interested in on-site digital learning activities and best practice in serving young audiences through digital media.

Type:

Workshop - full or half day

Kidding Around: Hands-on Digital Learning for Children and Families

Site:

http://www.britishmuseum.org/learning/samsung_centre/

Authors:

Shelley Mannion

Alex Flowers

Caboodle by Culture24: How to engage children with your collection online in a new way (and how they can engage you in theirs!)

biblio — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:34:40 +0000

Finnis, J., & Kennedy A. (2010). Caboodle by Culture24: How to engage children with your collection online in a new way (and how they can engage you in theirs!). (Trant, Jennifer, David Bearman, Ed.).Museums and the Web 2010. Proceedings.

19th Century Whaling Through a Child's Eyes: an Interactive Exhibit

ncole — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:44:20 +0000

MW2011

Keywords:

whaling

Keywords:

history

Keywords:

journal

Keywords:

children

Keywords:

families

Abstract:

In 1868, a young girl from Edgartown Massachusetts embarked on a 3 year whaling voyage with her father, the Captain, mother, and brother. While on board, she kept a journal as part of her schooling. The journal remains and provides a unique perspective on the 19th century American whaling industry. This website showcases the journal to draw children and families into a wider context of historical information. Featured in an interactive and engaging way with audio, transcriptions, links and other features, the journal leads the visitor deep into the history of whaling. Using both primary sources and interpretation, broader historical and scientific context provides a backdrop to the personal narrative of young Laura Jernegan. Additional interactive features, including a ship, maps, and whales, as well as biographies, illustrations, artifacts and more provide many ways to explore the subject.

Type:

Demonstration - show your project

Demonstrations II

Site:

http://www.girlonawhaleship.org/

Authors:

Nancy Cole

Juliet Jacobson

A New Learning Environment The NeoMuseum/Children's Media Museum Prototype

jtrant — Wed, 02 May 2007 01:07:08 +0000

Gross, M., & Ueda N. (1991). A New Learning Environment The NeoMuseum/Children's Media Museum Prototype. Hypermedia & Interactivity in Museums, Proceedings of an International Conference.