The Interactive Video Science Consortium is a non-profit group of fifteen science centers and museums that developed interactive video exhibits about Earth and Planetary sciences with two purposes in mind. One, the videodisc-based kiosk exhibits served as educational vehicles for four million visitors, representing the combined audiences of the fifteen participating museums. Two, through extensive testing and visitor research during the development process, the consortium members enlarged understanding of the appropriate and effective uses of the interactive video medium in science museums
The Franklin Institute Science Museum will develop, install and evaluate a museum-wide Interactive Computer Information System (ICIS) designed to enhance visitors' exhibit learning through museum-wide visitor information access and connectivity. ICIS will provide educational experiences for 1.2 million people per year, tailoring its information presentations to individual visitor needs and levels of knowledge. Exhibit based units will add advanced presentation functions beyond the usual graphics and text labels. ICIS will include 67 touchscreen-operated computer stations and six min- computers linking 27 exhibit areas in The Franklin Institute. This project is a collaboration between The Franklin Institute and the Unisys Corporation, which will provide over a five year period systems engineering, hardware, installation, maintenance and training of museum personnel valued at $2.4 million. An extensive evaluation plan will include studies of visitor-computer interaction, the economics and management of system maintenance, collaboration between museum and corporation and effectiveness of computer-based exhibit interpretation techniques. Project results will be disseminated through conference presentations, seminars and published articles.
The Interactive Video Science Consortium is a non-profit group of fifteen science centers and museums that proposes to develop interactive video exhibits about Earth and Planetary sciences with two purposes in mind. One, the video exhibits on the two subject areas will serve as educational vehicles for four million visitors, representing the combined audiences of the fifteen participating museums. Two, through extensive testing and visitor research during the development process the consortium members will enlarge understanding of the appropriate and effective uses of the interactive video medium in science museums. Consortium members will fund the costs of conducting research on the subject matter and producing the first two discs. The request to the National Science Foundation is for the systematic analysis of the effectiveness of this type of program and of the educational impact of the medium in science museums.