The Blanton iTour - An Interactive Handheld Museum Guide Experiment

Publication Type  Conference Paper
Year of Publication  2004
Authors  Manning, Anne M.; Sims, Glenda L.
Conference Name  Museums and the Web 2004: Proceedings
Conference Start Date  March 31 - April
Publisher  Archives & Museum Informatics
Conference Location  Washington DC / Arlington VA, USA
Editor  David Bearman and Jennifer Trant
Keywords  handheld computers; electronic guides; mobile computing devices; personalized experience
Abstract  

Can handheld multi-media technology enhance visitor learning? Is it possible that technology can upstage the object rather than encourage careful observation and critical thinking? The Blanton Museum, in collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin's Information Technology Services, developed, implemented, and evaluated an interactive handheld museum guide as part of a larger study on interpretation. The iTour handheld computers, made available to visitors during a three month study on interpretive technology, contained rich content including video of artists, audio of curators, textual information, and creative play components. Research data was collected and analyzed on two main foci: visitor engagement with the exhibit (with and without the iTour), as well as comparison of three different types of handheld computers.

URL  http://www.archimuse.com/mw2004/papers/manning/manning.html

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