Digital Education Evaluation: The Future of Time Lens at the Melbourne Museum

The Melbourne Museum, the most visited museum in Australia, asked the project team to determine the effectiveness of their scavenger hunt mobile application Time Lens Episode I: Treasures and Gems, as well as design a course of action for a new mobile application. The evaluation of Time Lens was used to determine if future family-based mobile applications were viable and desirable for use in the Melbourne Museum. The team observed the use of the application and discussed its effectiveness with families, staff, and peers. Based on these discussions the project team constructed plans for a future application for use at the Melbourne Museum. Our final recommendations also include plans to promote mobile technology within the museum

Enhancing Art Gallery Visitors’ Learning Experience using Wearable Augmented Reality: Generic Learning Outcomes Perspective

The potential of ICT-enhanced visitor learning experience is increasing with the advancement of new and emerging technologies in art gallery settings. However, studies on the visitor learning experience using wearable devices, and in particular those investigating the effects of wearable augmented reality on the learning experience within cultural heritage tourism attractions are limited. Using the Generic Learning Outcomes framework, this study aims to assess how the wearable augmented reality application enhances visitor’s learning experiences. Forty-four volunteers who were visiting an art gallery were divided into two groups, an experimental group and a control group. Following their visit to the gallery, the volunteers, who had and had not used wearable computing equipment, were interviewed, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that the wearable augmented reality application helps visitors to see connections between paintings and personalise their learning experience. However, there are some drawbacks such as lack of visitor-visitor engagement and the social acceptability

Visitor Expectations at Te Papa: Investigating the Space Where Museum and Visitor Expectations Meet

The National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa sponsored this project in order to better understand how visitors respond to its Interactive Audience Engagement Devices (IAEDs). To achieve this, we selected three exhibits to study, and through interviews, surveys, observations, and video recordings, evaluated the devices’ impact on visitor experience. Upon examination we recommend the museum add on screen instructions to their devices, look into making devices more accessible to their users, and make future devices incorporate aspects such as challenging their users, giving them a personal connection with the content, and providing multiple simultaneous interactions

Older and Younger Adults' Interactions with 3D Digital Cultural Heritage Artefacts

The availability of advanced software allows museums to preserve and share artefacts digitally, and as a result, museums are frequently making their collections accessible online as interactive, 3D models. Since this could lead to the unique situation of viewing the digital artefact before the physical artefact, more research is needed concerning how viewing and interacting with artefacts outside of a museum affects emotional connections to artefacts and how meaning is given to them. Furthermore, users may have varying degrees of technology skills, which could also influence the way they make emotional connections and meaning from interactions with digital artefacts. This study contributes to existing research by exploring the way older adults (65 years and older) and young adults (18-21 years), two groups of users with diverse technology skills and museum experience, emotionally connect and give meaning to digital artefacts. Interaction with digital artefacts will be through two digital modalities: an Augmented Reality app (AR) on a tablet and 3D models on a website using a laptop. Their subsequent viewing of the physical artefacts will also be examined. Video recordings and questionnaire data, including enjoyment and emotional responses, were analysed quantitatively. Utilising the think-aloud method, participants verbalised their thoughts and feelings while interacting with the artefacts. These comments were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively to understand how participants construct meaning from their interactions with artefacts. Results revealed that regardless of age and digital modality, participants made emotional connections with the digital artefacts, and meaning emerged from their interactions. Seeing the physical artefacts after the digital ones still prompted participants to experience emotions; they were not passive when giving meaning to physical artefacts. The results aim to provide insight into how older and younger adults experience two important aspects of a museum artefact experience, emotion and meaning, when first interacting with 3D artefacts on devices outside of a museum

Σχεδιασμός, ανάπτυξη και αξιολόγηση παιχνιδιού Επαυξημένης Πραγματικότητας για την υποστήριξη της διδασκαλίας κατά τη διάρκεια εκπαιδευτικών επισκέψεων σε αρχαιολογικούς χώρους

Η αξιοποίηση της τεχνολογίας της Επαυξημένης Πραγματικότητας (Ε.Π.) για φορητές συσκευές σε συνδυασμό με προσεγγίσεις μάθησης βασισμένης στο παιχνίδι, αποτελεί μια από τις τάσεις που καταγράφονται τα τελευταία χρόνια, αναφορικά με τη διδασκαλία της Ιστορίας σε αρχαιολογικούς χώρους. Η συνάφεια τέτοιων εφαρμογών με τον εποικοδομισμό και την πλαισιοθετημένη μάθηση ευθυγραμμίζεται με την ανάγκη για στροφή προς πιο μαθητοκεντρικές προσεγγίσεις. Ταυτόχρονα, αναδεικνύεται ο κρίσιμος ρόλος της ιστορικής ενσυναίσθησης στην αποτελεσματική διδασκαλία της Ιστορίας και ως εκ τούτου συνιστά πρόκληση η εμπλοκή των μαθητών σε αυτού του είδους τις διαδικασίες με τη βοήθεια των φορητών συσκευών. Στην παρούσα έρευνα παρατίθεται η μεθοδολογία σχεδιασμού, ανάπτυξης και διαμορφωτικής αξιολόγησης του παιχνιδιού Ε.Π. «PlatoAR» για φορητές συσκευές. Ο αρχαιολογικός χώρος της Ακαδημίας Πλάτωνος αποτελεί τον χώρο διεξαγωγής του παιχνιδιού και σκοπός του είναι η υποστήριξη της διδασκαλίας της Ιστορίας των κλασικών χρόνων σε μαθητές Δ΄ Δημοτικού μέσω της εμπλοκής τους σε διαδικασίες ιστορικής ενσυναίσθησης. Για την ανάπτυξη του παιχνιδιού αξιοποιήθηκαν τα τρία πρώτα στάδια της μεθοδολογίας της «έρευνας που βασίζεται στο σχεδιασμό». Στο πρώτο πραγματοποιήθηκε «Αναγνώριση και ανάλυση του προβλήματος» της διδασκαλίας της Ιστορίας, στο δεύτερο ο «Σχεδιασμός και η ανάπτυξη του πρωτοτύπου» της εφαρμογής και στο τρίτο η χρήση της εφαρμογής στον αρχαιολογικό χώρο και η αξιολόγησή της ως προς την ευχρηστία, την κατάσταση «Ροής», το περιεχόμενο και τους παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν τη χρήση της. Τα εργαλεία συλλογής δεδομένων ήταν τόσο ποσοτικά, όσο και ποιοτικά και περιλάμβαναν συμμετοχική παρατήρηση, συνεντεύξεις, καθώς και ερωτηματολόγια. Η ανάλυση των δεδομένων φανέρωσε θετικά αποτελέσματα ως προς την ευχρηστία της εφαρμογής, την κατάσταση «Ροής» που βίωσαν οι παίκτες και την παιδαγωγική αξία του περιεχομένου. Σε ότι έχει να κάνει με τους παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν τη χρήση της εφαρμογής, αυτοί σχετίζονται με το περιβάλλον, τα τεχνικά ζητήματα και την προετοιμασία του εκπαιδευτικού αναφορικά με την επίσκεψη στον χώρο. Τέλος, τα αποτελέσματα της αξιολόγησης έδειξαν ότι οι εκπαιδευτικοί είναι δυνατό να εμπλακούν ενεργά στον σχεδιασμό και την ανάπτυξη εφαρμογών Ε.Π., ικανών να επιφέρουν προστιθέμενη αξία στη διδασκαλία της Ιστορίας σε αρχαιολογικούς χώρους που έχουν απωλέσει την αρχική τους μορφή.One of the recent trends in history teaching in archaeological sites is the use of Augmented Reality (A.R.) technologies for mobile devices in combination with game-based learning approaches. The relevance of such approaches with the theories of constructivism and situated learning is well aligned with the need for student-centered approaches. At the same time, historical empathy stands out as a crucial factor and thus student’s engagement with these kind of procedures when they interact with mobile apps, constitutes a challenge. This research addresses the design, development and formative evaluation of the A.R. mobile game “PlatoAR”, concerning history teaching and learning, taking place at the archaeological site of Plato’s Academy. The aim of the game is to support history teaching in primary education by engaging students in the process of historical empathy. “PlatoAR” was developed using a design-based research (DBR) methodology which consists of three phases of design and research. The first phase addressed the “Analysis of practical problems by researcher and practitioners in collaboration” concerning history teaching, the second the “Prototype design and development” of the application and the third one, the use and evaluation of the app concerning its usability, the concept of Flow, its content and the factors that influence its effective use (Sample: 31 teachers and 16 students). Questionnaires, observations and interviews were used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Data analysis indicated good usability, Flow and content value results. When it comes to the factors that influence the use of the app, it’s worth mentioning that they are related to the environment, the technical issues and teacher’s preparation concerning field trip planning. Finally, the results showed that it’s possible for teachers to be actively engaged in the design and development of A.R. mobile apps, capable of bringing added value to history teaching and learning, taking place at archaeological sites that through the ages have “lost” their original appearance

“Do Not Touch the Paintings: ” The Benefits of Interactivity on Learning and Future Visits in a Museum

Abstract. Educators and museum curators have recognized the value of interactivity, but it remains unclear what is the right level of interactivity in informal learning settings, such as museums. In this study, we explore the effect of increasing levels of interactivity on learning performance and students ’ intention for future museum visits. We developed an educational mobile application based on QR codes and quiz software, in order to augment visual arts comprehension during a visit to an art gallery. In addition to the mobile-based version of the game, a paper-based version was also employed followed by a controlled experiment. A total of 60 lyceum students (between 15 and 16 years old) participated in a between-groups evaluation that compared the performance of three levels of interactivity (passive guided tour, paper-based, mobile-based), as well as the perceptions among the groups. The results indicate that the mobile-based student group had higher performance in the post-assessment when compared with the paper-based one. Notably, perceived interest for the game affects students’ perceptions for a future museum visit. Further research should consider the effects of higher-fidelity types of mobile applications, such as 3D graphics, as well as augmented-reality games