Part three: Using Mobile Technologies for Multimedia Tours in a Traditional Museum Setting by Naismith and Smith edited by Mohammed Ally (2009)

PART THREE
Applications of Mobile Learning
Using Mobile Technologies for Multimedia Tours in a Traditional Museum Setting

LAURA NAISMITH

M. PAUL SMITH
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
UNITED KINGDOM

Abstract

Mobile technology can be used to deliver learner-centered experiences at a museum without compromising its aesthetic appeal. This chapter presents a study in which two Flash-based multimedia tours were developed for the Hypertag Magus Guide system and trialled with twenty-five visitors to the University of Birmingham’s Lapworth Museum of Geology. Trial participants found the system fun and easy to use, though they requested headphones in order to hear the audio more clearly. They provided several suggestions to improve the tours including creating stronger links between the tour and the museum’s objects and incorporating more interactive and competitive elements. We found that a structured multimedia tour approach was appropriate for visitors who can connect with the museum’s narratives, though more flexibility was required to meet the needs of other visitor types.

Målet med studien var att utforska om användandet av mobil teknologi för besökare ändå medförde att det traditionella utseendet och känslan av museet kunde bevaras. Dom utvecklade två ”turer” med olika innehåll.

TOUR DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

Two tours were developed, a fourteen stop “Climate Change” tour directed at a general, non-specialist audience and an eight stop “Predators and Prey” tour directed at a younger, non-specialist audience. The Climate Change tourcontained text, images and audio, while the Predators and Prey tour contained text, images, audio and video.

Det fanns tekniska begränsningar så de fick utveckla flash filer för ändamålet. Man använde sig av handhållna iPAQs det vill säga en pocket PC. Skulle de ha gjort studien idag så tror jag de skulle ha använt sig av Smartphones eller Tablets, två tekniker som formligen exploderat i både utveckling och användare. De löste saknaden av trådlöst nätverk med sparade filer på iPAQs.

As the Lapworth Museum did not have wireless network coverage, it was necessary to store the files on the iPAQs. This is supported by the Local Redirect feature of the Hypertag Magus Guide. It was originally intended that each tour would be developed as a single Flash file and embedded into an HTML file. Code could then be included in the HTML file to play the Flash file at a specific frame. Unfortunately this feature did not seem to be supported on the Pocket PC and it was necessary to create a separate Flash file for each stop on the tour. Though the content was not linked to a website for the purposes of the trial, it would be possible to include these on the Lapworth Museum website without further modification.

Det var mest positiv respons men de som upplevdes som mest negativt var ljudet. De hade önskat sig hörlurar till sina Pocket Pc:s men de hade medvetet valt bort detta för att undvika att de blev isolerade utan istället främja interaktion. Detta är dubbelt tycker jag, ljud berikar en upplevelse men kan också som de antyder isolera. Detta skulle man kunnat moteverka genom att påtala att interaktion var nödvändig även om man använde hörlurar.

 

Positive Aspects of the System

Most visitors found the experience of using the Hypertag Magus Guide system to be fun and engaging. Participants were able to stay on task during the trial and did not seem to attempt to use the hand-held device for other purposes. The mix of media present in the designed content was highly desirable, particularly the audio segments

Negative Aspects of the System

The audio was very difficult to hear clearly in the changeable environment of the museum, and many trial participants commented on the necessity of headphones. Headphones were also felt to promote a more personal experience and address the potential “embarrassment factor” of using the system alongside other museum visitors

The original decision not to offer headphones was made in an attempt to promote social interaction and prevent isolation and a heads-down experience (Hsi 2003).

I deras slutsatser så kom de fram till att det var både önskvärt och roligt att använda tekniken när man besökte museet. De märkte också att den tekniken de använt krävt lite teknisk support men att ljudet och avsaknaden av hörlurar var det som stört mest. Jag tror också att ett besök på ett museum med hjälp av handhållna mobila enheter med mer information i multimedia form skulle höja graden av intresse på studenter. Tekniken är dessutom idag så pass utvecklad och enkel att använda så att det vore möjligt att genomföra i stor utsträckning utan kostsamma investeringar och teknisk support.

In this chapter, we have seen that it is feasible and desirable to use mobile technology to deliver learner-centered experiences in the Lapworth Museum of Geology without compromising the aesthetic appeal of the museum. The structured multimedia approach taken in this study is appropriate for visitors who can adopt a Follower role, though more flexibility is required to meet the needs of Browsers, Searchers, and Researchers. The Hypertag Magus Guide provides an easy to use mechanism for visitors of all ages to access web-based content, which can be stored locallyon hand-held devices in the form of HTML or Flash movie files. It is, however, necessary to provide headphones in order to hear the audio clearly. Overall, trial participants required minimal technical support and found the use of the system to be fun and engaging.

De inser att deras studie är begränsad och enkönad och att mer forskning behöver göras. De tyckte dock att studien hade gått över förväntan. De ser stor utvecklingspotential i detta sätt att besöka ett museum och utforma innehållet. De tycker att de har fått en insikt i kommande generationers innehåll och utformande. De tycker dock att det fortfarande finns stora utmaningar att i att utforma meningsfullt lärande möjligheter i en större skala. Där det tekniska inte minst är en sak att utveckla. De ser även att det är viktigt att utbilda personalen som ska tillhandahålla tekniken. Jag håller med dem i stora drag men jag tror dock inte att det hade blivit så annorlunda resultat om de även hade haft med bägge könen i studien. När det gäller detta område så tror jag att kvinnliga studenter är lika kapabla och intresserade av att använda tekniken, särskilt om det gjort studien idag när det är än mer utbrett i sitt användande.

 

Limitations

The results of this study are based on a small trial consisting mainly of young male participants. The response of young females to this system is unknown. Additionally, all participants were geology enthusiasts to some degree. Further research is required to determine whether this system could be used to engage people with no previous relationship with either the museum or geology in general.

Vision for the Future

The results of this study have exceeded expectations in terms of the potential benefits of mobile technology for museum staff and its popularity with visitors. One of the benefits that will be developed in the future is the ability to respond quickly to global geological events, such as volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.

Implications for Practice

This study has provided valuable insight into ways in which organizations such as the Lapworth Museum may develop the next generation of content and interpretation. It is important to note, however, that there are a number of remaining challenges in using mobile technology to provide meaningful learning opportunities on a large scale (Naismith and Corlett 2006).

Firstly, the technical reliability of mobile devices remains a concern. Whilst using the Hypertag system was easy and intuitive for most users in this study, the work involved to keep the Pocket PC devices charged and properly configured was significant. By keeping the device interactions simple and moving towards the use of user-owned technologies, both this workload and the cost-of-use could remain manageable.

What is necessary, however, is to provide appropriate training and support to ensure that staff members are confident in promoting the available learning opportunities and in dealing with unexpected challenges. Designing and developing new mobile learning content requires a flexible and learner-centered approach that promotes interaction with the environment, whilst keeping the device interactions quick and simple.

/Helge Lundgren