Design and evaluation of experiences

Design and evaluation of experiences as a means of learning in a museum context

Project partners

AAU: PhD Fellow, cand.it. Kristina Madsen; Professor, PhD Jens F. Jensen, Aalborg University; and
Limfjordsmuseet

Project period

15 June 2016 - 14 June 2019

The museum Limfjordsmuseet is currently developing a new permanent exhibition, Course and Compas, focusing on the history of the Limfjorden as a seafaring environment. The exhibition will apply interactive multimedia as a means to foster learning options through fascination and wonder rather than factual information. The case represents a unique opportunity to co-design the exhibition and subsequently evaluate its user experiences and their impact. The key research question is this: how is it possible to design digital interactive media that operate as levers of engaging experiences optimizing communication and learning about localized, maritime cultural heritage, and to what extent does such leaning occur? In methodological terms, the project applies research through design, action research and experience design, while the evaluation part will apply ethnography-based approaches such as participatory observation and qualitative user studies. This project is a particular assest in documenting Our Museum’s analytical dimensions of representation and usage, while its results is of key relevance to the many museums that use digital technologies and media as means to experienced-based learning.