ACTIVATING PLAY: MUSEUM LEARNING IN GAME SPACE
ACTIVATING PLAY: MUSEUM LEARNING IN GAME SPACE
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Issue Date
2004
Authors
Choy, Heather Ann
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Abstract
The purpose of my master's project is to bridge the gap that exists between museums and video game culture by exploring the potential to incorporate game design practices in museums in order to encourage active participation, interaction and collaboration on the part of visitors. No longer relegated to the role of observers, museum visitors can be owners, indeed—co-producers of their experiences. As museums move away from the authoritative, curatorial voice that once dominated the field, they now offer visitors more choices of how they can interact with museum content. By leveraging existing game technologies, the museum community stands to benefit from player engagement and immersion strategies which have already proven successful in places ranging from school classrooms to army training facilities. This study aims to dispel myths associated with video game play (e.g., games are a waste of time because players do not learn anything, or that they lead to negative or detrimental behavior), and convey the positive influences of games which make them a viable tool for museum learning.