The use of the term virtual is commonly associated with the idea of an extension of reality. Similarly, the expression virtual museum is usually adopted to mean a process of duplication of a physical museum and its objects, enabled by information technologies. Therefore, virtual museum has become a useful synonym for multimedia products or Web sites capable of providing new and fresh experiences of a specific museum and its heritage. However, in order to understand and explore further opportunities, profound reflection is necessary. We need to question and investigate the contemporary role of
During times of continuing growth of digital resources for teaching, learning and research, the key objective of this study is to evaluate the genuine suitability of online publishing tools – podcasting in particular – as a means to make art more accessible. The first part of the thesis addresses the nature of the changes which affect museums today: the rapid digitisation of culture, changes in the way artists produce, museums present and audiences consume art, and finally the challenges and opportunities which arise for museums within a Web 2.0 environment. The analysis of these key contexts
The on-line information environment has changed dramatically since the earliest on-line systems emerged in the early 1960s. Growth has occurred both in the number of users of on-line information as well as in the number of on-line information resources and providers. The rate of growth in each of these areas increased exponentially with the availability of the public Internet and the World Wide Web. These foundational technological developments created an environment in which almost anyone can “publish” or function as an information provider and have virtually instantaneous access to massive
This research study reports on the evaluation of the outcome and impact of learning as a result of the implementation of Education Programme Delivery Plans in 69 museums in the nine regional museum hubs in England during September, October and November 2005. This is the second study of the impact of learning achieved through museum school services which have been funded through the Renaissance in the Regions programme, which provides central government funding to museums in the English regions. The first study 'What did you learn at the museum today?' was carried out in 2003. The findings of
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Eilean Hooper-GreenhillJocelyn DoddLisanne GibsonMartin PhillipsCeri JonesEmma Sullivan
This paper describes an approach to familiarizing individuals with modern scientific processes through the facilitation of informal learning experiences in and around the museum. Several methods for development of such exhibits and exhibit content are presented. These experiences are discussed and later implemented in the context of the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago, IL. The exploration functions as an educational guideline by which museum exhibits may be developed in order to familiarize a more general audience with processes behind scientific research and to make science
As mobile devices are increasingly merging into our daily lives, exhibition services are also facing innovation based on the newly available technologies. Our project addresses these new circumstances. We developed a mobile exhibition guide for the exhibition called "Mrs Brown's Big Day Out: Hamilton Women in the 1950s". That is organized by the Waikato Museum. The proposed system re-uses the TIP (Tourist Information Provider) system's framework and provides information via mobile devices to visitors on Victoria Street, which is an outdoor part of the exhibition. The information about a sight
Museums are blogging. At this writing, over 50 museum-administered blogs exist worldwide, while still more write about museums. Some blogs even focus their content specifically on the topic of museum blogging. However, museum blogging is still largely untouched in accessible professional or museological literature, save for articles on how museums can begin blogging and strategies they can employ to boost the visibility of their blog online. While useful, these articles fall under museum practice and rarely acknowledge museum theory. From a museological perspective, it is important to
Virtual Missions and Exoplanets (vMAX) will develop and test a three-dimensional, virtual world environment that will engage middle school students and educators from high-poverty schools in NASA-related exoplanet mission simulations. The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science will serve as the lead institution, in partnership with the following institutions: U.S. Space and Rocket Center, New York Hall of Science, Chabot Space & Science Center, and Sci-Port: Louisiana¹s Science Center; Aimee Weber Studios will be responsible for virtual exhibit fabrication, and WestEd will serve as the project¹s formative and summative evaluator. The overall goal of the project is to create a NASA resource on exoplanet astronomy that will engage students, educators, and the general public in NASA¹s search for worlds beyond our own. The project aims to increase underserved students¹ engagement in STEM, knowledge of exoplanet missions, and awareness of NASA-related careers; and advance the growing body of knowledge on the use of virtual world technologies to provide opportunities for students to participate in NASA Mission-related science teaching and learning. The project will result in the development of vMAX world, a virtual world with simulations related to exoplanet astronomy designed for use as the core content of a 30-hour out-of-school learning experience for middle school students. An Educator Implementation Guide will be developed and made available online for download by secondary school teachers and science museum educators. In addition, an interactive, multiuser exhibit kiosk, utilizing the simulations created for vMAX world, will be developed and made available to interested Visitor Centers, museums and planetariums.
The Museum of Aviation: STEM-ulating Georgia's Future Workforce Through Outreach project will build partnerships between the Museum of Aviation, STARBASE, six Georgia school districts, NASA, and volunteer mentors that promote STEM literacy, awareness of NASA's mission, and encourage the pursuit of STEM careers. This goal will be achieved through meeting the following objectives: -Promote lifelong learning by students, educators, and families, using NASA-themed STEM and missions via six outreach programs serving 10,750 participants (including 9,000 students, 1,600 parents, and 150 teachers). -Improve the understanding of NASA's missions, contributions to STEM disciplines and careers by students and faculty in grades pre K-8 by at least 35%. To accomplish the objectives, 6 STEM-based outreach programs will be provided to 12 school districts and will serve students, parents, and teachers. -ACE on the Go - STEM Modules use hands-on interactive activities for 2nd-5th graders -Family STEM Night - provides 2nd-5th graders and their families an opportunity to partake in 15 or more hands-on, interactive experiments that demonstrate STEM principles. -Aviation Outreach - introduces 6th-8th graders to aviation, and to STEM related careers. -STEM Afterschool - 6th-8th graders will learn about forces and motion and how forces make flight possible. -STARBASE 2.0 Afterschool STEM Mentoring Club consists of two components - a STEM Academy and a STEM Mentoring Afterschool Program both for underserved and at-risk youth in grades 6-8. -Teacher Training – STEM Workshops for teachers through the Georgia NASA RERC. This project will help to strengthen Georgia's future workforce by targeting students traditionally underserved and underrepresented in communities and in STEM fields. It will help attract and retain students in STEM disciplines by engaging students in STEM education and exposing them to STEM careers, and connect students, teachers, and families to NASA's mission by building strategic partnerships with formal education providers. The project will also help to strengthen the nation's and NASA's future workforce, attract and retain students in STEM disciplines, and engage Americans in NASA's mission.
The Dynamic Earth: You Have To See it To Believe It is a public exhibition and suite of programming designed to educate and excite K-8 students, teachers, and families about weather and climate science, plate tectonics, erosion, and stream formation. The Dynamic Earth program draws attention to the importance of large-scale earth processes and the human impacts on these processes, utilizing real artifacts, hands-on models, and NASA earth imagery and data. The program includes the exhibition, student workshops, family workshops, annual professional development opportunities for classroom teachers, innovative theater shows, lectures for adults by visiting scientists, and interpretive activities. The Montshire Museum of Science has partnered with Chabot Space and Science Center (CA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (NH) on various components. The project has broadened our internal capacity for providing quality earth science programming by greatly expanding our program titles and allowing us to create hands-on materials for use by our educators and to loan to schools in our Partnership Initiative. Programming developed during the grant period continues to reach thousands of students and teachers each year, both on-site and as part of our rural outreach efforts.
Stennis Space Center (SSC) Office of Education and Visitors Center provided relevant education activities and experiences for teachers, students, and the general public. Activities included partnerships with INFINITY Science Center, 4-H of Mississippi, the Boys & Girls Club of America, development and delivery of educator professional development workshops that meet national curriculum standards; inquiry-based activities that emphasized the International Space Station, robotics, aeronautics, and propulsion testing; and development and installation of an interactive exhibit at the Infinity Science Center. The opening of the Infinity Science Center at Stennis Space Center in April 2012 allowed a new opportunity for SSC to partner and expand NASA’s outreach. A commercial-grade playground was professionally installed at the Infinity Science Center, along with OSHA-approved safety matting. The goal of the project was to utilize a commercially available playground and add graphics and quiz-based activities modifications enabling young visitors to INFINITY at NASA Stennis Space Center, the official visitor center for Stennis Space Center, to have an interactive, yet educational, experience.
STEMtastic: NASA in Our Community is a two-year project designed to educate and inspire teachers, students and life-long learners to embrace NASA STEM content. The project will increase awareness of NASA activities, while educating and inspiring students to train for careers that are critical to future economic growth of the country in general, and NASA’s future missions in particular. The Virginia Air & Space Center (VASC) will partner with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. to accomplish this project. VASC will deliver NASA STEM content through (1) STEMtastic Teacher Institutes and Education Modules: (a) a series of two five-day professional development institutes for educators which will result in the (b) development and dissemination of new education modules for grades 4-9; and (2) STEMtastic Exhibits and Demonstrations: new interactive exhibits to used for live demonstrations at VASC; those demonstrations will also be delivered to traditionally underserved schools in the region. All classroom and teaching materials—educator institutes, education modules, exhibit software and demonstration modules—will be developed using NASA content and shared with other institutions to promote the expansion of knowledge about best practices in providing STEM education in both formal and informal education settings. STEMevals, a robust evaluation plan, will be implemented to assess success in each project area. Adjustments will be made along the pipeline to increase effectiveness in reaching the target audience. The project has the potential to reach countless educators, students and museum visitors throughout the U.S."