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Beyond Cool: Making Mobile Augmented Reality Work for Museum Education
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.
Digital Media In Everyday Life: A Snapshot of Devices, Behaviors, and Attitudes Part 1: Mobile Device Ownership
Steven Beasley and Annie Conway, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, USA
http://msichicago.org/digitallife
Abstract
Digital Public Library of America: Code, Metadata, Content, Tools and Services, and Community
The DPLA initiative (http://dp.la) is a broad-based, public-private effort to realize the untappedpotential of wide digital access to the information that we have traditionally collected and held inphysical formats in libraries.
Creating low-cost digital exhibits - making the most of what you've got
IGOR (Interactive Galleries On Request) is a content development and deployment tool that enables museums to quickly and easily create four types of digital exhibit: touchscreen interactive, multi-video player, captioned slideshow and RSS viewer.
A Study of Digital Media, Tools, and Technology Use
If we build a mobile app, how many visitors will be able to access it on a smartphone? What platforms should we build it on? How does our audience behave in online and social networks, and how can we use that to engage specific user groups? What other digital media do youth and adults spend time with, and how should that inform the design of our digital initiatives?
Delivering mobile from the ground-up: exploring the approach
The challenges of delivering a meaningful ‘mobile’ experience for an institution are not always technology-related. Securing cross-departmental stakeholder investment and ensuring alignment with the institution’s core mission have been key for National Museums Scotland and National Museum Wales in developing a framework for their mobile programme.
The Transition to Online Scholarly Catalogues
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.

