Mobile Phones in U.S. Science Museums: A Report of an Exploratory Study
- Author
- Youn, Hyunsook & Titus, Marian Stewart
- Source
- Re-Thinking Technology in Museums: Emerging Experience Conference
- Year
- 2011
- Subject (ENG)
- Museum Mobile Applications
- Subject (ITA)
- Applicazioni mobile per musei
- URL
- http://www.idc.ul.ie/techmuseums11/paper/paper16.pdf
- Last visit
- June 2013
Abstract
English
A survey with 94 science museums in the United States was conducted to examine how science museums in the United States have utilized advanced technologies (e.g., mobile phone interactive programs). Most museums were not using mobile phones, and for the minority that were, their decision to adopt the technology was primarily visitor driven: the most popular exhibits, extra exhibit content, and visitor recommendations. These museums were not significantly influenced by peer institutions with similar programs, indicating that they were responding less to industry best practices, and more to visitors’ needs. Museums made a clear distinction between hands-on exhibits and mobile phone interactivity. Museums not using mobile technology were emphatic about maintaining the hands-on nature of their exhibits, and saw mobile phones as a distraction from these exhibits, and as a passive medium that reduced the visitor’s ability to interact with exhibits. This study revealed that mobile phone technology in U.S. science museums is still an emerging trend, but there was great interest in using this technology in the near future.
Italiano
Negli Stati Uniti è stato condotto un sondaggio su 94 musei scientifici per esaminare come vengono utilizzate le tecnologie avanzate (ad esempio programmi interattivi, telefonia mobile) nei musei scientifici. Dall'indagine è emerso che la maggior parte dei musei non utilizzava dispositivi mobile e solamente alcuni hanno pensato di adottare questa tecnologia per il servizio di guida al visitatore. I musei che non hanno optato sulla tecnologia mobile erano a favore del mantenimento delle tradizionali visite, cosiderando i mobile come una distrazione per i visitatori e come un mezzo passivo che riduce la loro capacità di interagire con le esposizioni. Questo studio ha rivelato come nei musei scientifici degli Stati Uniti la tecnologia mobile è ancora una tendenza emergente e che non vi è grande interesse ad utilizzarla nel prossimo futuro.
