Touch and value of object handling

在博物馆和画廊中触摸和处理物体可能是参观中最有价值的方面之一。与博物馆物品、人工制品、标本、艺术品、手稿或其他档案的物理互动在各种情况下通过使用处理箱、博物馆讲习班或其他教育访问、外联和具体处理收藏品发生。轶事证据压倒性地支持物体处理的价值，从而产生一系列积极的情绪和感受，从简单的享受到具体的学习成果。令人惊讶的是，在包括博物馆和美术馆在内的遗产部门，几乎没有证据支持这一信念。在学校、学院和大学，博物馆的物品在学习中发挥着关键作用，物品被用来传递特定学科的信息、观察、实践和绘画技能。在更广泛的背景下，物体起到启发、告知和教育的作用。因此，我们了解如何获得这一信息是至关重要的规划和改善访问收藏品和解释，该项目的目的是汇集来自学术界和博物馆环境的各种专家，以期建立一个网络，可以分享和发展有关对象处理的价值的信息。该项目的参与者来自各种背景，并带来了各种各样的专业知识，研究兴趣和博物馆访问要求。科学家们将分享他们对触摸和感觉背后的潜在心理和神经机制的知识。博物馆工作人员将讨论触摸在博物馆中的实际应用类型，例如互动展示，处理盒和解释物体的新技术。这两个团体的联合将提供一个机会来了解对象处理的真正价值，并为博物馆界提供一个有价值的工具包，以改善访问和解释。该项目的主要目标是定义衡量对象处理的价值的机制，包括：非专业人员、医院病人等弱势群体、视力受损者、聋人和老年人以及正规和非正规教育机构的学生。特别讨论会将寻求探讨评估物体处理价值的不同方法，无论是口头访谈、问卷调查还是生物传感器和其他技术。在适当的情况下，这些方法将被试用;例如，伦敦大学学院医院的一个相关项目将使用这些讨论的结果来确定评估医院病人使用的基于回忆的处理盒的方法，该项目的结果将采取编辑成册的形式，其中包含基于讲习班、研讨会和讨论的章节，这些章节构成了该项目的基础。该卷将在博物馆世界广泛传播，并希望将导致未来的研究试验不同的方法来评估对象处理的价值。来自博物馆的许多参与者正在开发新的资源，这项研究将直接投入这些发展。此外，该卷将为正在制定访问和解释策略的博物馆提供有用的指南，以期增强博物馆和画廊目前可用的物品处理机会。

Touching and object handling in museums and galleries can be one of the most rewarding aspects of a visit. Physical interaction with museum objects, artefacts, specimens, artworks, manuscripts or other archives occurs in a variety of circumstances through access to handling boxes, museum-based workshops or other educational visits, outreach and specific handling collections. Anecdotal evidence overwhelmingly supports the value of object handling giving rise to a range of positive emotions and feelings, from simple enjoyment to specific learning outcomes. It is perhaps surprising to know that there is very little evidence to support this belief within the heritage sector, including museums and galleries.Across schools, colleges and universities museums objects play a key role in learning and objects are used to transfer subject specific information, observation, practical and drawing skills. In the broader context objects serve to inspire, inform and educate. Thus, our understanding of how this information is acquired is critical to planning and improving access to collections and their interpretation.The aim of the project is to bring together a diverse range of experts from academic and museum environments, with a view to establishing a network where information relating to the value of object handling can be shared and developed. Participants in the project come from a variety of backgrounds and bring with them a diverse range of expertise, research interests and museum access requirements. Scientists will share their knowledge of the underlying psychological and neurological mechanisms behind touch and sensation. Museum staff will discuss the types of practical applications of touch employed in museum such as interactive displays, handling boxes and new technologies for interpreting objects. The union of these two groups will afford the opportunity to understand the true value of object handling and provide the museum world will a valuable toolkit for improving access and interpretation.The key objective of the project is to define mechanisms for measuring the value of object handling for a range of audiences including: non-specialists, disadvantaged people such as hospital patients, visually impaired, deaf and elderly people, and students enrolled in formal and informal education. Special discussion sessions will seek to explore different methods for assessing the value of object handling, be they oral interviews, questionnaires or biosensors and other technologies. Where appropriate these methods will be trialled; for example, a related project at University College London Hospitals will use the results of these discussions to determine ways of evaluating a handling box based around reminiscence for use by hospital patients.The results of this project will take form of an edited book volume, containing chapters based on the workshops, seminars and discussions, which form the basis of the project. The volume will be widely disseminated across the museum world and it is hoped will lead to future research experimenting with different methods for assessing the value of object handling. Many of the participants from museums are in the process of developing new resources and this research will feed directly into these developments. Furthermore, the volume will provide a useful guide for museum's who are developing their access and interpretation strategies, with a view to enhancing the object handling opportunities currently available in museums and galleries.