EAGER: Collaborative Research: Designing Digital Rails to Foster Scientific Curiosity around Museum Collections

让人们在年轻时参与科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的最佳方法之一是通过非正式的博物馆体验。然而，了解学习和参与如何通过这些经验发展的研究基础仍然是新兴的。技术开辟了研究这些体验的新方法，以更好地理解这些过程。在这项提案中，来自西北大学和芝加哥菲尔德博物馆的研究人员将合作开发数字交互式显示器，通过提供从简单的菜单导航到3D模型操作到完全交互式游戏的复杂性来增强各种展览的体验。这些将取代典型的静态斑块去沿着与展览。除了增强展品体验外，这些显示器还允许研究人员收集更多关于人们与展品互动的数据，特别是关于参观者如何与3D模型，游戏和触摸屏互动的触摸屏信息。拟议的研究将有助于解决有关游戏在学习中的作用的问题，例如，这些游戏是否提供了增强的动机和学习，或者它们是否限制了社交互动并在团体体验中创建了小孤岛？它还将通过观察互动并将其与收集的数字数据相结合，以更全面地了解参与和学习的发展，回答有关创造力如何在这些环境中培养的问题。来自西北大学和芝加哥菲尔德博物馆的研究人员将开发数字轨道，安装在展示柜栏杆上的交互式计算机显示器用作动态标签，并提供增强的体验功能，例如3D建模和游戏的结合。他们建议用近场通信（NFC）跟踪设备（RFID阅读器）来增强数字轨道，以监控交互量并与用户手机连接。他们将收集NFC跟踪数据、触摸交互的计算机日志以及与移动的应用程序的交互，并观察交互式展示柜周围的访客行为。这项早期研究将采用基于设计的研究来调查这种新形式的互动技术。通过反复观察并将观察数据与数字收集的数据联系起来，该团队将了解数字轨道的设计原则，这些原则最能促进互动性，社交互动，创造力和对展品重点材料的学习。

One of the best ways to engage people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at a young age is through informal museum experiences. Yet, the research base on understanding how learning and engagement develops through these experiences is still emerging. Technology opens new ways to research these experiences to understand these processes better. In this proposal, researchers from Northwestern University and the Chicago Field Museum will collaborate to develop digital interactive displays to enhance the experience at various exhibits by providing additions varying in complexity from simple menu navigation, to 3D model manipulation, to fully interactive games. These will replace the typical static plaques that go along with an exhibit. In addition to enhancing the experience with the exhibits, these displays allow researchers to collect more data on people's interaction with exhibits, particularly touch screen information regarding how visitors interacted with the 3D models, games and touchscreens. The proposed research will help address questions regarding the role of games in learning, for instance, do these games provide enhanced motivation and learning, or do they limit social interaction and create small silos in the midst of a group experience? It will also answer questions about how creativity is fostered in these environments by observing interactions and combining that with the digital data collected for a fuller picture of the development of engagement and learning.Researchers from Northwestern University and the Chicago Field Museum will develop digital rails, interactive computer displays mounted on exhibit case railings that function as dynamic labels and provide enhanced experience features such as the integration of 3D modeling and games. They propose to augment the digital rails with near-field communication (NFC) tracking devices (RFID readers) to monitor amount of interaction and to link with user cell phones. They will collect NFC tracking data, computer logs of touch interaction, and interaction with mobile apps and observe visitor behavior around the interactive display cases. This early stage research study will employ design-based research to investigate this new form of interactive technology. Through iterating on observations and linking the observational data with the digitally collected data, the team will develop an understanding of the design principles for digital rails that best foster interactivity, social interaction, creativity, and learning of the material the exhibits focus on.