Museum learningbetween physical and

conceptual spacesMike Sharples

Learning Sciences Research InstituteUniversity of Nottingham

Museums as physical spaces

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/explorerflash

Museums as conceptual spaces

http://www.organismedia.com/virtualmuseum/

http://www.ltmcollection.org/museum/floorplan/floorplan-main.html

Creating the physical in the

conceptual

Creating the conceptual in the

physical

Physical in the conceptual Conceptual in the physical

Representation Abstraction

Human-computer interaction Embodied interaction

Navigation through simulated physical space

Navigation through implicit conceptual space

Metonymic learning Associative learning

Context as link between physical and conceptual

“ Context is not an outer container or shell inside of which people behave in certain ways. People consciously and deliberately generate contexts ... in part through their own [objectives]; hence context is not just ‘out there’.”

(Nardi, 1995: p38)

Context can be seen as an ever-playing movie

– each frame of current context is a progression from earlier ones

– entire movie is a resource for learning

– continually being constructed by the cast, from moment to moment, as they share artefacts and create mutual understanding through conversation

Diary

Braided

Tree

Rhizome

Creating context through

interaction: narrative structures

Phelps, K. Story Shapes for Digital Media. Glass Wings,

1998. http://www.glasswings.com.a

u/modern/shapes/. Thanks to Rob Jones for the illustrations

OOKLDiary narratives

Create and share

personal memories

Diary

OOKL: diary narratives

Visitors as curators

Creating multimedia conceptual spaces from museum visits

Interactive museum guides: braided

narratives

Braided

time

L = low chaosM= medium chaosH = high chaos

Chaotic encounter:

tree narratives

• Pocket PC, GPS, headphones

• Audio story based on Nottingham folktales

• Content adapts to listener’s movement patterns

• Progress through story depends on speed and direction of user

• Seamless audio narrative

• Traditional art gallery• Ultrasound tracking

system• Learning content

determined by movement– Current location– How long– Been there before

CAGE: rhizome narratives

Rhizome

• Traditional art gallery• Ultrasound tracking

system• Learning content

determined by movement– Current location– How long– Been there before

• Generated resources for conversation

CAGE: rhizome narratives

Tentative guidelines• Provide appropriate narratives to guide learners through

physical and conceptual spaces• Design the physical in the conceptual and the conceptual in

the physical• Enable learners to be curators• Support interaction through physical movement• Where appropriate, let the learner choose a narrative

structure• Avoid over-immersion• Match the interactivity and delivery to the audience

– Live delivery requires an audience in the same place at the same time

Challenges

• To connect and enrich physical and conceptual spaces for learning

• To construct rich meaning through physical interactions

• To explore co-creation of meaning through shared interactions