There is a growing interest in developing mobile, digital technologies to enhance the experience of visitors in museums. A series of experiments and trials have been undertaken, both in the art and science museums and galleries, with various devices, including Personal Digital Assistants, mobile phones, and paper-digital gallery cards. As yet however, we know relatively little of the opportunities and challenges that the deployment of these technologies may involve.
In this context, we are currently undertaking a programme of research funded by the research councils (ESRC and AHRB) concerned with the design and deployment of techniques and technologies to enhance interpretation. The programme of research involves video-based, ethnographic studies of the ways in which visitors use various resources, both ‘high and low tech’, to explore and experience exhibits in museums and galleries
As part of this programme of research we are organising a series of colloquia and workshops that bring together museum practitioners and academics to discuss the design, deployment and evaluation of novel interpretation resources. In this workshop , we would like to invite a small number of museum educationalists, curators and designers to discuss issues that arise in developing, deploying and evaluating these new, mobile, interpretation resources.
The workshop will consist of a series of short, fifteen to twenty minute, presentations, coupled with plenty of time for discussion and debate. We hope that speakers will address a broad range of issues concerning the opportunities and problems that arise in providing mobile resources in museums and galleries. These might include for example:
how mobiles resources can enhance interpretation,
how they are used by visitors, both alone and in collaboration with others,
the design of mobile resources, including requirements and interface issues,
the affects of mobile resources on the museum visit and visitors’ behaviour,
future technical developments and possibilities,
designing and tailoring content for mobile resources.
The workshop will be held on the 27 April 2005 at King’s College London. We hope to limit numbers to approximately 20 participants.
Christian Heath, Dirk vom Lehn, Anthony Morris & James Bradburne
Contact address:
Work, Interaction & Technology Research Group
The Management Centre
King’s College London
Franklin-Wilkins Building
London SE1 9NH
Tel. +44 (0)20 78484314
{dirk.vom_lehn}@kcl.ac.uk
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