interactive mobile technologies in museums engaging narrative

Interactive Mobile Technologies in

Museums

Engaging Narrative

What is it?

• Multimedia that is accessible through either a personal mobile device or a provided mobile device– Used to engage visitors by having them

explore information via mobile technology– Engagement can happen before, during, or

after the museum visit via mobile technology. – The point is that engagement is mobile and in

the control of the visitor.

What Form does it come in?

• Access on Personal Devices:– QR (Quick Response) Codes– Call in Number– Smart Phone Application

• Access on Provided Devices:– Ipad and Touch Screen Stations– Number Control Headsets

History of Mobile Technology

• 1910 Lars Ericsson installed a phone in his car

• 1956 Ericsson Company had it’s first phones

• 1973 first true mobile call• 1990s first networks for phones in

Finland• http://www.mobilenetx.com/mobile-internet/the-history-of-mobile-technology-it-all-started-with-the-telephone.html

Why is this important?

“This is a new mode of public engagement, personal meaning making, and construction of narrative opportunities.”

http://dh2011abstracts.stanford.edu/xtf/view?docId=tei/ab-158.xml;query=;brand=default

Why is this important?“Visitors narratives subsequently become part of the

museum objects history and ultimately the display itself via the interactive label system to allow the display of comments and information directly next to the artifacts… When visitors experience a museum which actively encourages individual narrative construction, their activity is directed not towards the acquisition or receipt of the information being communicated by the museum, but rather towards the construction of a very personal interpretation of museum objects and collections.”

http://dh2011abstracts.stanford.edu/xtf/view?docId=tei/ab-158.xml;query=;brand=default

Why is this important?

Creates a highly personalized experience and does something called Contextualization: “Contextualization can be defined as the system ability to dynamically change its characteristics to reflect changes in the learning context. Contextualization helps saving the learning time, reducing cost, and increasing effectiveness”

(iJIM NO. 1/07 International Journal: Interactive Mobile Technologies)

How Do We Use It?

–QR Code

How Do We Use It?

–Call in

How Do We Use It?

–Mobile Application

Whose

Using it?

• The Museum Mobile Survey started in 2010… just to show you how young this technology is.

• Of 738 Museum Respondents: – 30% use it – 23% plan to – 36% have no plans

– http://www.slideshare.net/LoicT/museum-mobile-2011-survey-results

Whose

Using it?

• The top ways to describe what mobile technology is interpreted as by museums: – 76% say it’s for audio tours– 62% say it’s free for visitors– 54% so visitors can use their own mobile

technology– 51% says its an in gallery experience– 36% say the institution provides mobile the

technology– http://www.slideshare.net/LoicT/museum-mobile-2011-survey-results

Whose

Using it?

• Why use mobile interpretation (for those who use it): – 60% say to provide supplementary

information to visitors– 53% say to diversify the institutions offerings

to visitors– 49% say it’s part of experimentation in

engaging visitors– 47% say to create more interactive

experiences.

– http://www.slideshare.net/LoicT/museum-mobile-2011-survey-results

Who’s Using It?Example: Corcoran 30 Americans

• 30 Americans Presently at the Corcoran:– Mobile Phone access to curatorial information by

calling the phone number and accessing the pieces information by entering the designated number in the phone recording

– Access for mobile curatorial tour can be used by scanning a QR code

Who’s Using It?Example: Corcoran 30 Americans

Who’s Using It?Example: Smithsonian

Ideas of Use: QR

• Use QR codes in museums or generate a set of QR codes for students to use in museums:

http://www.qrstuff.com/

Idea of Use: QR

Ideas of Use

• Use mobile phone in tours with instructions

• Use Applications to guide students• Have students use mobile devices to

search for information while in museums

Discussion

• How do you think this technology is both engaging and limiting?

• Is there other kinds of mobile technology that is currently being used that wasn’t shown here? What is it and describe why it’s a mobile technology?