Technology-enhanced learning in museums

http://www.noe-kaleidoscope.org/group/mustel/

About 'MUSTEL'
There is increasing interest in supporting the learning activities of people in settings outside the classroom environment – especially through the use of new technologies. Museums and Art Galleries have been the subject of increasing interest in this regard. However, many uses of ICT in museums seem to privilege the technology and pay scant attention to supporting the learning activities of the visitors. The MUSTEL project is aimed at providing a more solid conceptual foundation for thinking about how to support visitor activities and learning processes through the use of new technologies in these environments.

Our group seeks to apply Kaleidoscope research knowledge and experience to the design and evaluation of TEL in museums, through analysing several existing installations and examples of best practice, and suggesting a number of design sensitivities that need to be addressed in order to ensure beneficial outcomes.

Issues this activity addresses
We are investigating a host of pertinent research questions concerning a set of core concerns of the Kaleidoscope network on technology-enhanced learning, including:

•    Theoretical approaches to understanding learning activities, and informal learning settings, with special emphasis on socio-cultural approaches;
•    The role of participative design practices and scenarios in the early stages of the design process;
•    Lessons learned from the deployment of new technologies in such settings;
•    Design guidelines for the development of ICT- enhanced museum environments.

Contributions to the field
We will issue a final report that outlines recommendations for design principles for the effective implementation of TEL in museums and other informal settings. These principles will be well-grounded in the theoretical perspective on learning, making it extremely useful for both researchers and practitioners involved in the design and analysis of TEL in Museums..