For the Osceola County Design Proposal, we were assigned to create a proposal in order to create solutions that will make the museum bilingual friendly. Another end result we were striving for was technologically improving the experience through the use of instructional design tools, hardware, etc. These solutions had various limits of budget, or strategies for execution. We were also tasked with selecting an image of the museum and explaining how we could bring that to the future.

Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum Design Proposal

Joshua D. McGee

Full Sail University

IDT574-O: Digital Media and Learning Applications

Dr. Reo McBride

August 30, 2020

Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum Design Proposal

Problem Statement

The Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum features unique exhibits that display the history and evolution of the local environment. As it currently exists, the museum features four different biomes that visitors or residents of Osceola County will encounter. Spanish-speaking visitors may be unable to properly interpret the exhibits as they are static, and the accompanying information is only presented in English. Due to the limited amount of available tour guides, the museum is often at a disadvantage to bring the exhibits to life to the large portion of Spanish-speaking visitors.

The existing displays can be modified to feature a more engaging and interactive approach using augmented reality or “AR”. The museum features four separate biomes, swamplands, pine flatwoods, oak hammock, and lakefront, that could be brought to life using a device many people carry on their person, a cell phone. To promote visitors to take part in a self-guided tour, they can be advised early on during the admission process that if they would prefer a more immersive experience, they should download an application. This promotion can be furthered by stating that the application is multi-platform compatible with both iOS and android devices by making use of their phone’s camera functionality to bring static looking images and exhibits to life.  Marques (2018) states that supporting audience participation is one of the more common reasons why museums embrace AR. The Orton Gillingham Online Academy (n.d) believes multi-sensory learning leads to better retention and faster recall in children.  Ordinary plaques of information will now appear as a simulation of the information the plaque is discussing. Using their phones will allow them an opportunity to provide a realistic experience not only be visually seeing a simulation but accompanying it with audio of what wildlife in each respective biome sounds like. Also, the application can feature localization options that would change a plaque with only English text to a language of their choosing.

The use of augmented reality would allow for displays to bilingually present information to visitors that only speak either English or Spanish. For example, the Secretive Swamps display features a significant amount of text, images of animals, and images of cypress trees. The written text can be scanned using the application and will display the same text to a visitor in the palm of their hand in the language of their choosing. Many text-to-speech platforms exist in the current day of technology, should the museum not wish to have actual audio recorded from a voice over artist, they can easily make use of text-to-speech technology to have audio as an option, should visitors wish to have a tour guide experience. According to Marques (2018) a common concern regarding the use of technology in museums, especially mobile technology, is that the visitors of the exhibit may be absorbed by the devices and disconnect from the exhibit itself. However, if one were to leverage that mobile device to coincide with the exhibit and further improve the experience by allowing visitors more accessibility to properly experience the exhibit. The benefit will more than likely negate that common concern. Visitors will more than likely already have their cell phones to take images and record videos. By building on top of the camera capabilities of their devices, they will be able to take part in a more tailored and personal experience that is not limited to a language they do not speak.

Additional technology that can further the experience by increasing the multimodal modes of the exhibit would be holographic displays. The Looking Glass Factory uses proprietary light field technology that generates a three-dimensional scene. The Looking Glass Factory (2020) states that their holographic displays create immersive 3D experiences without the use of VR (virtual reality) or AR (augmented reality) headgear. By replacing many of the plaques within the museum with multiple panes of Looking Glass, visitors will be able to interact with the exhibits and even view the same information in different languages. The original exhibits themselves should not be replaced as it takes away from the legacy experience that the museum brought to their visitors. By implementing Looking Glass, the owners of the museum will be able to further engage with their audience, without removing the core of their art or exhibits. Another possibility would be to create an interactive platform that stems from the Looking Glass. For example, at each individual exhibit, an RFID chip, or Quick Response or “QR” Code can be strategically placed that will be available for visitors to interact with. By tapping a cellular device against the RFID chip or scanning a QR code, it will open an interactive element on the visitor’s smartphone. These elements can take the form of either small games, fun facts, or even additional information regarding the exhibit the visitor is currently viewing. Peters (2014) believes both interactivity and individualization are central to learning, the addition of Looking Glass may serve as the medium to correctly yield the learning advantages that instructors are seeking.

            In the case that there is a more limited budget, the museum can create a more self-guided tour through the use raspberry pi technology. Raspberry pi’s are micro computers capable of taking part in various projects. Museums may be able to repurpose existing computer monitors and peripherals like keyboards, mice, and speakers to serve as new interactive stations for each of the four biomes. Should the museum not have existing hardware available to be repurposed, many if not all of them can be purchased under Amazon’s budget Amazon Basics brand with name brand monitors being able to be purchased at roughly $80 each. Raspberry Pi’s cost $35, Mehta (2019) states Adafruit, the developer of Raspberry Pi’s aim to keep the technology at this price point to make it as accessible as possible to the public. An ordinary MicroSD card can be used to run an operating system like Windows 10. Once the technology is implemented, an instructional designer would be able to utilize software such as Adobe XD or Articulate Storyline to create an interactive experience in the form of a module with an English path and a Spanish path. Both paths will feature the same information and will offer a form of accessibility allowing the museum to become a bilingual friendly establishment.

Looking Glass Factory (2020). Experimental marketing. Looking Glass Factory. https://lookingglassfactory.com/solutions/experiential-marketing

Marques, D., & Costello, R. (2018). Concerns and challenges developing mobile augmented reality experiences for museum exhibitions. Curator, 61(4), 541–558. https://doi-org.oclc.fullsail.edu/10.1111/cura.12279

McBride, R. (2020). Design Proposal Pics [Photograph]. Full Sail University LMS. https://online.fullsail.edu/class_sections/93941/modules/268720/activities/1628024

Mehta, I. (2019). The new raspberry pi 4 is here for just $35. Plugged. https://thenextweb.com/plugged/2019/06/24/the-new-raspberry-pi-4-is-here-for-just-35/

Orton Gillingham Online Academy (n.d.). Three reasons why multisensory learning is food for the brain. OGOA. https://ortongillinghamonlinetutor.com/three-reasons-why-multisensory-learning-is-food-for-the-brain/

Peters, D. (2014). Interface design for learning: Design strategies for learning experiences.   New Riders.

Sánchez, I. A. & Isaías, P. (2014). Proceedings of the international conference on mobile learning 2014. (10th, Madrid, Spain, February 28-March 2, 2014). International association for development of the information society.

Instructor feedback

Hi Josh,
VERY well done! You provided unique ideas as to how the displays could be upgraded and be made more engaging. You also backed up your ideas with the literature. You will want to make sure you proofread your writing just a bit more to make sure it comes off perfectly.
Cheers,
Dr. Reo