 |
 |
Hi there Firstly, thanks to Nick for circulating this, it certainly makes interesting reading but as Gail says, I don't think we necessarily need to be too worried by it. I don't think any of us have ever suggested that a visit to a Museum should prioritise technology over dressing up and handling real objects. Studies have shown that using technology alongside more traditional learning methods like role play and object handling has proved very effective, particularly at motivating young learners. I also had the same reaction as Mia in thinking that the report was talking about in-gallery interactives rather than online material. Even in the unlikely event that people ceased to want any kind of technology in gallery, there could still be lots of scope for the pre- and post-visit material that we provide to enhance visitors' experience of their visit. Lastly, and I know that the survey will have consulted adults and children as a family unit, but I would be interested to see whether it was the adults or the children who 'don't want 'hands on' to mean passively pushing buttons. They want hands on to mean just that - handling real things, dressing-up, getting messy' When testing online games I've seen how some children are drawn in and excited pretty much as soon as they see a computer screen. Now, as I say above, I'm not therefore arguing that we should therefore always pander to this, but that we should be using technology alongside, not instead of, these traditional methods, but if we can harness children's interest in technology to continue their enthusiasm for learning then so much the better surely? Thanks Rhiannon -----Original Message----- From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gail Durbin Sent: 11 January 2010 16:03 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Kids in Museums press release - families want less in-gallery IT and more hands-on experiences Dear Colleagues, I don't find this the slightest bit sobering. If you survey 'real' visitors of course they are going to focus on real experiences. If you ask a group that was set up to improve the experience of coming to a museum with kids then they are going to focus on exactly that, and indeed they should do as there are many things that could be improved. But to extrapolate from that very biased sample that there is an emerging theme and generalise about the excitement of digital receding seems a bit daft. In our museum for every one person who walks through the front door 7 or 8 experience the museum via the website and because over 60% of our web visitors come from abroad I have to assume a lot of them will never visit our museum. Surely we need improvements in both the museum experience and the online experience. As someone who has spent a large part of their career in face to face education I see no conflict between digitisation of collections and useful educational facilities for visitors. We need both. For us a strong digitised collection is a foundation that can be used to feed into all sorts of functionality that has real meaning to our visitors including kids. Gail Durbin Head of V&A Online >>> Nick Poole <[log in to unmask]> 11 January 2010 >>> Dear Museum Computer Group, I thought that some of you would be interested in the press release issued today by Kids in Museums. The information has been provided by real visitors submitting hundreds of feedback forms and letters, and I think it makes sobering reading for those of involved in online collections! I have a feeling that this is going to become an emerging theme in the next 2 years as the excitement of Digital recedes and leaves in its wake something better-integrated which makes best use of technology to inform people about and lead them to real, physical and meaningful interactions with collections - we're likely to see more 'back to basics' rhetoric as the Public Sector Recession bites deeper and there are fewer opportunities for speculative digital projects. Kids in Museums are keen to encourage a debate around these themes, and I'd be interested to hear any reactions on-list. All best, Nick LAUNCH OF 2010 KIDS IN MUSEUMS MANIFESTO THURSDAY 14th JANUARY Sitting at a computer screen or fingering a fossil? Families want less technology and more simple hands-on experiences in museums. The new 2010 Kids in Museums Manifesto is being launched, compiled entirely from visitors' comments. And this year families have made it clear - they don't want 'hands on' to mean passively pushing buttons. They want hands on to mean just that - handling real things, dressing-up, getting messy. They want a bit of bone to handle or a replica of a Tudor costume to pull on. Families can sit in front of a computer screen or play on a Wii at home. Museums should be different. They have the thrill of the real. 'I remember my first visit to the British Museum with my father at the age of eight. I was fascinated by the Rosetta Stone. I was thrilled to be able to touch it - it was uncovered at the time - and physically connect with history,' says Neil MacGregor, Director, British Museum. 'Of the thousands of visitors' suggestions we received for the 2010 Manifesto, hardly any mentioned technology and gadgets. Families talked about making paper planes in a gallery like Leonardo da Vinci, or shining a torch into a dark corner of a glass cabinet as if they were discovering something for the first time. There's nothing hi tech about that,' says Dea Birkett, Director, Kids in Museums. 'Museums need to listen to families, and provide sensual experiences, not clean and clinical ones.' The demand for better hands-on, interactive exhibits is just one point in the 2010 Kids in Museums Manifesto - 20 ways to make a museum family friendly - being launched at the British Museum on 14th January. The British Museum is a signatory to the Kids in Museums Manifesto and a place families have always enjoyed. Other new points in the 2010 Manifesto include: Provide a place to leave prams Families are fed up of being told there's nowhere to store their prams and pushchairs in museums. Museums and galleries should provide a place for families to leave all their baggage, so they're free enjoy Picasso, ancient pottery or prehistoric artefacts without being encumbered by buggies stuffed with changing bags and piles of winter coats. And if the galleries weren't crowded with unwanted prams, visitors without kids would have a better time, too. 'Don't touch!' is never enough Families tell museum staff - be positive when you speak to us! Stop telling us off. Say things like, 'Isn't that a great painting. Let's look at it together from further back.' Have flexible family tickets Don't dictate the size of a family. Families come in all shapes and sizes. We want a family ticket even if we have three kids, or are a lone parent family with a grandparent too. Kids in Museums - a Brief History In 2003, writer Dea Birkett was thrown out of the Royal Academy's Aztec exhibition when her youngest son, aged two, shouted 'Monster!' at a statue of Eagle Man who looked rather like - well - a monster. Four days later, Dea wrote a piece about her family's expulsion in the Guardian. By the end of that day, hundreds of families emailed to say they were fed up being treated badly in Britain's museums, and wanted to see change. Kids in Museums was born, a voice for every family visitor. Today Kids in Museums is an independent charity, working with museums to make them more welcoming to families, in particular those who have never had the opportunity to visit before. Kids in Museums believes in changing museums, we can change lives, giving opportunities and experiences to new families. Further details, interviews and copies of the 2010 Kids in Museums Manifesto contact: Telephone 020 7022 1888 Email [log in to unmask] Website www.kidsinmuseums.org.uk Images and Quentin Blake illustrations available for press use. **************************************************************** For mcg information visit the mcg website at http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/ To manage your subscription to this email list visit http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/ **************************************************************** ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email ______________________________________________________________________ **************************************************************** For mcg information visit the mcg website at http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/ To manage your subscription to this email list visit http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/ **************************************************************** **************************************************************** For mcg information visit the mcg website at http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/ To manage your subscription to this email list visit http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/ ****************************************************************