Tools For Open Interpretation: Using Novel, Non-Desktop Computing To Support Multiple Perspectives In Children'S Historical Understanding

The research which we report in this paper was undertaken within a project of the European Union's Disappearing Computer (DC) initiative. The DC comprised sixteen cognate projects, each concerned with different aspects of people's lives and their enhancement through new non-desktop computational artefacts. Our project, SHAPE, (Situating Hybrid Assemblies in Public Environments), focused on exploring how novel ubiquitous computing technologies might be designed and appropriated, in situ to augment visitors' experience of public spaces, specifically galleries and museums. The project extended over three years, during which time we engaged in a number of innovative technology explorations, testing and trying-out the interaction capabilities of a number of novel and emerging computer technologies: e.g., Augmented Reality; 3D tracking; and wireless RFID technology. Our work was also strongly informed by a human-centred-interaction design sensibility. We also conducted an extensive series of observational studies of visitors and children in museums and interviews with kids and teachers and general visitors. During our design process, we furthermore consulted a number of other key design informants, including museum curatorial and educational personnel.