Learning Tool Kit: Technology

Key Contributors: AD Gladu, Amanda Yates, April Neal, Diane Porthouse Lochner, Tom Owen, Josh Rodriguez, Tiffany Rawson

You Are Cordially Welcome

This is a thrilling time to work in destinations. For too long, many barriers to learning and engagement were so entrenched in our thinking that we didn’t even realize they were there.  Today, destinations are discovering how technology can break down those barriers and welcome all guests equally.

Physical Accessibility

There are historical buildings and natural places that no ramp can safely reach without destroying their authenticity or ecosystems. Depending on the challenge, Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality may be an option.  

Virtual Reality places users inside an experience. Guests wear headsets that allow them to experience 360° of a location. They can glory in a mountain peak at sunrise, move through the mysterious attic of a historical building, or walk through a painting at the Museum of Finland. This exciting technology is advancing so rapidly—from last year’s phone-based headsets to current 5G prototypes with eye tracking—it may soon fit within a modest destination’s budget.

Augmented Reality superimposes images, text, or sounds on top of what a person can already see. Guests point tablets or smart phones at a connected location and receive additional, programmed views. Currently in South Korea, The Domuimun Gate—destroyed in 1915—can be viewed using AR on a smartphone. And someday we may be able to look down into the Paris catacombs from the safety of a sunny boulevard.

Mental Fun

Destinations can be too good (too much to see, too much to do) leaving guests overwhelmed. The Smithsonian is tackling this issue with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Artificial Intelligence describes devices that mimic cognitive functions most often associated with the human brain. AI perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chances of achieving its programed goals. In 2018, the Smithsonian placed AI robots, named Pepper, in lesser-visited galleries in an effort to engage visitors through conversation and encourage learning. People are initially attracted to a Pepper because of its uniqueness but soon discover that Pepper not only answers questions about the art, it asks questions and engages in conversation.   

Keeping the Barriers Down

It is easy to imagine a bunch of big-city kids learning and engaging with nature on a field trip to a state park. The challenge is to keep the interest and appreciation going after the great day is over.  Seek by iNaturalist (free app) encourages appreciation of the natural world, no matter where you live. Users point their camera at any plant or animal. The app identifies it, shares fun facts, and encourages you to take a picture for your “collection.” From the ants on the sidewalk, to your neighbor’s cat, to the bees on the flowerbox plants, users learn that there is so much nature to be excited about on a city street!

A Flash In The Periscope

As options spring up, it is tempting to grab for the first shiny piece of tech that is waved in our faces. This way lies danger! Some tech platforms quickly lose industry support (XBOX Kinect, anyone?) and can’t adapt to new software. Some platforms may have tempting features, but if those features distract from the story, guests will lose the message and the learning. The real magic happens when the tech is so seamlessly integrated that guests don’t wonder at it, they just play. The Naval Museum of Alberta installed VR in a periscope. Guests are so busy engaging in an attack on a convoy of ships that they do not stop to think—they jump to do.

As destinations find new ways to integrate technology, we hope that barriers to learning continue to fall with the speed of a convoy in Alberta!

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