10. Creating Engaging Online Interpretation Reach Out to the World! Reach people who may never have the opportunity to visit your park or facility Provide more insight and enhance real-world experience for those that can visit
15. National Park Service WebRangers Success A customizable ranger station for registered members serves like an online park where WebRangers can feel like real Park Rangers and track their progress
16. National Park Service WebRangers Success Provides virtual rewards and real encouragement
17. National Park Service WebRangers Success Online community where members can share their park experiences with others
19. National Park Service Successful Interpretative Activities The Puma Challenge Sled Dog Patrol Swimming for Home
20. National Park Service Successful Interpretative Activities http://www.webrangers.us/activities/puma/
21. National Park Service Successful Interpretative Activities Puma Challenge Invites the viewer to participate by asking questions to engage them We provide some hope and encouragement - what parks are doing to help
22. National Park Service Successful Interpretative Activities http://www.webrangers.us/activities/sleddog/
23. National Park Service Successful Interpretative Activities Sled Dog Patrol Result of close collaboration with a park ranger/SMEs Learn about more than dogs,team building - Putting together a team based on strengths and weaknesses Unlikely that our audience will ever see a sled dog team, let alone put one together. This kind of experience would be hard to give to visitors The lessons learned here can apply to real life Reward with video and fun element.
24. National Park Service Successful Interpretative Activities http://www.webrangers.us/activities/swimhome/
25. National Park Service Successful Interpretative Activities Swimming for Home Less of a story, more of a game Inspired by a paper-based maze, tracing the path of the salmon to its spawning grounds Learn by “making mistakes”
38. Creating Interactive Activities Where to Start? Familiar Topic If a narrative and storyline already developed, you may be well on your way toward starting development New topic Getting the initial story drafted before starting development might be a challenge
45. Creating Interactive Activities Assessment: Media Resources If you do not have them, you need to think about taking Photos, shooting Video, Illustrating, or recording Sounds. If you have extensive resources, consider who will take the time to do research and organize them. Answering these questions will help determine the kind of activity you should create.
46. Creating Interactive Activities Assessment: Staff / Budget Unless you can take on the entire project with your in-house staff, do you have a budget to pay for a development team to take your ideas and turn them into a finished product?
49. Providing them with enough time to dedicate to the project
50. Creating Interactive Activities Budget: Example Project Costs On theLOW end: Several done for less than $5,000 US. On the HIGH end: Some have cost more than $30,000 each. (Excluding the Parks internal costs to provide subject matter experts, work on writing and gathering resources. )
56. Development Process 1. Define Approach You may have already have a vision for how the activity will work. If not, the WebRangers website may give you some inspiration dozens of different approaches you may find that a variation that inspires an idea for yours Maybe it will be best with an approach different from any that have been done before.
59. Team with technical experience To start – don’t worry about technical or resource limitations Get the creative juices flowing!
60. Development Process 2. Storyboard Development Create a rough draft of a Storyboard. A Storyboard outlines the story, sequence and graphic/programming directions for the project. Convey the overall concept with details so it is clear how the activity will work.
61. Creating Interactive Activities Follow these steps: Start Creating Development Process Flowcharts help convey concepts Create a rough draft of a Storyboard. A Storyboard outlines the story, sequence and graphic/programming directions for the project. Convey the overall concept with details so it is clear how the activity will work. Flowcharts can be helpful for organizing thoughts and visualizing the activity’s flow
62. Development Process 3. Gathering & Creating Media Resources In addition to the storyboard, before activity development can go very far, the developer/programmer will need the media resources. You may be locating or creating resources at the same time you are working on the storyboard, or afterwards.
63. Development Process 3. Gathering & Creating Media Resources You may be able to easily tap into resources that you have or that you have. Or, you may need to come up with images that do not exist.
65. Development Process 3. Gathering Resources Image Usability:What makes a photo usable? Just because you have a picture of Ranger Bob in a suit, that does not mean that the picture really tells the story you have in mind. Can you tell that he works for your organization and not just another firefighter? Is he actually working at the job described in the storyboard?
66. Development Process 3. Media Resources & Rights If your plan calls for illustrations or photos… do you have them in your library, anddo you have the rights to reproduce them online? If video is required, do you have it on file and if not, who will be responsible for shooting and editing?
67. Development Process 3. Media Resources & Rights If realistic sound is part of the activity, is that available, with rights? If you do not have the resources or cannot produce them in house, the idea should still be explored further, but that may affect the cost
68. Development Process 4. Visual Prototypes Static visuals to show overall look and feel of the activity and perhaps provide an idea of how it will work.
69. Development Process 5. Working Prototype Limited functionality. Content from storyboard. Shows how it will work. Provide opportunity for review and feedback from everyone involved with the project
70. Development Process 6. Final Storyboard is written Other visual resources, as specified in the storyboard, located or created.
71. Development Process 7. Activity is Programmed Ensure storyboard and resources are approved BEFORE programming Ensure it is thoroughly Tested
72. Development Process 7. Activity is Programmed Everyone should review to make sure it is error free. Many minor adjustments can be made right up to deploying. Too late for major adjustments (fine-tuning of text and perhaps minor graphic adjustments may be OK).
76. Online Interpretation Technical Considerations Flash: More interactivity options engaging animation, superior data connectivity HTML: relatively easy, at least at a basic level, but may appear relatively flat Adobe Captivate: Flash-type files - does not require as much programming skill
77. Online Interpretation Effective/Efficient Use of Text Keep text short and bold the important points to increase the likelihood it will be read. Less is more! Provide longer text content as an optional link for those who wish to read more.
79. Online Interpretation Engage, ask for participation Unless your activity is a game, or totally interactive environment, intentionally engage through questions and tasks for participants.
80. Online Interpretation Activity Length Try to keep the core between 15 and 20 minutes. With additional, optional information, participants may spend more than 20 minutes, but that will be because they are truly interested, engaged, and want to learn more. If it is compelling, the activity might make participants want to experience it again, perhaps exploring a path that was not taken the first time.
81. Online Interpretation Conclusion EuroparksGermany has been working with the US NPS to learn from what we have done with the WebRangers website and online activities. Currently in the process of creating their own online Junior Rangers program.
82. WebRangers WebRanger Statistics About 400,000 visitors per year. Over the past year, 156,000 have signed in to become WebRangers Over 7,000 have completed ALL the activities.
83. WebRangers Feedback from visitors From WebRangerCheergabby: "This website teaches me that I and other people around me have to take care of nature. Before this website, I really did not care about nature. This website really touches me.”
84. WebRangers Feedback from visitors From WebRangerParadise: "I think it is a really great web site for kids and adults of all ages where they can get together and discover the many great things God has put on this earth and for us to help preserve it to discover our own heritage! I love it!”
85. WebRangers Feedback from visitors From: Screech Message: ”Itgets us kids to go out side and explore the world!” From: Nichols Message: ”Youlearn so much about nature and animals and stuff you wouldn't really even usally care about learning until now!”
86. WebRangers Feedback from visitors And, with all the kind words and thanks to come from visitors to the site, what do you think is most often requested from our audience? “More activities!”
87. Online Interpretation Conclusion Join us and start expanding on the number of great online interpretive activities I believe that there are is a huge audience out there, across national boundaries, looking for more opportunities to learn whatever it is we want to teach, as long as it is presented in an engaging way.
88. Thank you! http://www.dvinci.com dvinci@dvinci.com 1-800-30-MEDIA (Produced for the 2011 NAI International Conference presented live at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort in Panama May 7, 2011 by Vince Hellane of d’Vinci Interactive)
Notas del editor
Multiple ways to find activities
Finding activities
One of the other ways activates can be found and tracked is through a customizable ranger station. This site contributes to the success of the interpretive activities,like an online park where WebRangers can feel like real Park Rangers.
Provides virtual rewards and real encouragement.
Online community where visitors can share their park experiences with others.
Explore the site and the interpretive activities: http://www.webrangers.us
Puma Challenge One of the most effective interpretive activities on the site is the Puma Challenge. Consistently, feedback on this activity rates it among the highest.Many participants: “I felt I was a puma!” A very high complimentWe touched the participant so deeply, they identified with the mountain lion and their plight.
Begins with a little background about these cats: where they live, what they eat, how much they need to eat. We present a couple screens of information, then we ask our audience to participate…question to engage them.A lot of thought needed to go into this: creating the overall concept creating a game that feels like a real board game experience making sure that the player does not get stuck, unable to finish, for hours on end. If the experience were totally random, that could happen. So we needed to control things to some extent.What do you all think? Any impact on you? Did you want to learn more or find a way to help? We hope so.We provide some hope and encouragement - what parks are doing to try to help.How did we come up with an idea and approach? We worked closely with a park ranger / SME who: provided us with content and inspiration, idea of the 500-year span. worked out the rest of the approach as a team.
Sled Dog Patrol North, to Alaska. Close collaboration with a park ranger/SME.We do not go very far without asking questions to engage our audience. Basic information about how and why sled dogs are used. How does the musher make the dogs start, stop and turn? BNow, let’s learn some of those commands and listen to them. Practice – using the arrow keys on the keyboard. Team building - most important task a musher has. Connect the idea of putting together a team based on strengths and weaknessesUnlikely that our audience will ever see a sled dog team, let alone put one together, the lessons learned here can apply to real life. We ask them to build their own team. learn about each dog and its strengths. based on those strengths, we need to place the dog where it will be of most value. For their success, we have a video that shows the musher’s perspective. For fun, we throw in this howl.---Even if you were in Alaska, this kind of experience would be hard to give to visitors. Multi sensory experience. This activity took working with a park ranger / SME who really knew this topic and who had access to some really excellent resources – I the audio recordings, the biographies for the dogs the video. great selection of photographic images for ‘cool’ transitions in the beginning.And, we been contacted by corporatiosn that wanted to use this as a model for creating their team building exercises.
Sled Dog Patrol “North, to Alaska!” Required close collaboration with a park ranger/SME.To keep the audience engaged, we do not go very far without asking questions to engage our audience. The activity includes basic information about how and why sled dogs are used… such as: how does the musher make the dogs start, stop and turn?The activity provides the opportunity to learn some of those commands and listen to them. And you can practice using the arrow keys on the keyboard. Considering that team building is the most important task a musher has, we wanted to connect the idea of putting together a team based on strengths and weaknesses.It is unlikely that our audience will ever see a sled dog team, let alone put one together, but the lessons learned here can apply to real life. We ask them to: build their own team. learn about each dog and its strengths. Then,based on those strengths, we need to place the dog where it will be of most value. Rewarding them for their success, we have a video that shows the musher’s perspective. For fun, we throw in a real sled dog howl.---Even if you were in Alaska, this kind of experience would be hard to give to all visitors. This activity took working with a park ranger / SME who really knew this topic and who had access to some really excellent resources: the audio recordings, the biographies for the dogs the video. We had a great selection of photographic images for ‘cool’ transitions in the beginning.And, we been contacted by corporations that wanted to use this as a model for creating their team building exercises.
Swimming for HomeLess of a story, more of a game.Through the game itself, we educate. Swimming for Home was inspired by a simple, paper-based game, similar to a maze, a line is drawn to connect the salmon from the ocean to its spawning grounds.Translated that concept to this activity. With this activity, we learn by “making mistakes.” We had to make the game challenging enough that they would make mistakes, yet easy enough that anyone can finish it…. Or, so we hope.
Swimming for HomeThis one is less of a story, more of a game.Through the game itself, we educate. Swimming for Home was inspired by a simple, paper-based game, similar to a maze where aline is drawn to connect the salmon from the ocean to its spawning grounds.We translated that concept to this activity and, with this activity, we learn by “making mistakes.” We had to make the game challenging enough that the audience would make mistakes, yet easy enough that anyone can finish it.
This graphic summarizes the things to think about when assessing the scale of your activity.
What Does It Take?Before deciding whether you are ready to create your own activity, understand the significant effort that will likely be required. Make sure that you are ready to commit the time and resources required to make it happen. Thinking about the activities on the WebRangers site, some represent several days work; others have taken many months, and some have taken years to complete. Before deciding whether you are ready to create your own activity, it is important to understand the significant effort that will likely be required. You need to make sure that you are ready to commit the time and resources required to make it happen.
Why did some happen so quickly and others take so long?Based mostly on the scope of the activity, and whether is was based off an existing program or not.Make an honest effort to understand where you’ll be starting from. What do I mean by that?If the activity (new OI) is based on an existing program, you might have all the resources and the idea for the narrative or storyline may already be developed. If this is the case, development time and effort will likely be smaller.If, on the other extreme, this activity is to be based on a topic that is new for you and your team, recognize that just getting an initial story draft could be quite a challenge. if you do not have the graphics or other visual or audio resources readily available, your challenge can be greatly increased.
If you are fortunate enough that money is no problem, or if you feel that you may be able to define your budget based on the scope of the activity, then you canAssess the scale of the activity after you analyze how much time you will want to put into it.Or you can base the scale of the activity on the budget. Instead of the other way around.
Approach You may have already have a vision for how the activity will work.If not, the WebRangers website may give you some inspiration dozens of different approaches you may find a version or variation that you would like to emulatePerhaps one will inspire an idea Or maybe your activity will be best with an approach different from any that have been done before.
In order to figure a lot of these things out, you may want to start with a brainstorming session.To start – don’t worry about technical or resource limitations Get the creative juices flowing. Keep track of the ideas and see how many you can come up with in an hour or two. While you are doing this, you may have a “Wow!” moment where an idea bubbles up and just seems perfect. Some of our best activities have come from a brainstorming session where we came up with a great approach, but we kept going, coming up with variations on that original idea. In the end, that original great idea is hard to even find in the final concept that we decided to go with — but it served as the fertile soil from which greater ideas germinated.
With the Powder Monkey, photos of a tall ship needed to be taken, and then photos of models posed in the correct position were also needed. Using Photoshop, the developers created the scenes actually used in the activity. Needless to say, this can be time consuming and more expensive.
A visual prototype providesstatic visuals to show overall look and feel of the activity and perhaps provide an idea of how it will work. Prototypes can be uploaded to a website or sent around in an email message.They should be reviewed by everyone involved with the project and include receiving feedback from representatives of the target audience. Adjustments will then be made based on the feedback.
With the functional prototype approved, and enough of a storyboard developed and approved, creation of the actual activity can proceed.If the resources specified in the storyboard are available, they are incorporated as specified.If resources need to be created, that can happen prior to, or at the same time as activity development.It is very important that the content in the storyboard is approved by subject matter experts before actual programming takes place. Make sure the CompletedActivity is thoroughly Tested* Design & ProgrammingTo save time, activity programming and graphic design can usually happen simultaneously with final storyboard development. * At various times throughout this process, feedback from the target audience should be sought. This may include structured analysis, or it may be informal assessments.
Inaddition to the web, a kiosk version of the same activity could be in your visitor center, or similar place.
When adding the finished activity to a web page – provide links to related websites. Hopefully your activity will make your audience want to learn more and by providing links, you can make that easier for them to continue their discovery.Encourage feedback so visitors tell you how they feel about the activity which is especially important if you are planning to do more in the future. Learn what visitors like and don’t like since this can help guide any future development, and maybe make changes to the “finished” activity. Unlike those published on paper, an online activity can be changed at any time, with relative ease.
Keep text short and bold the important points, we increase the likelihood of what's on the screen actually being read.Remember, if you have a lot of text you want to provide for those who are really interested, you can provide that information as an optional link. Consider effective wayside or visitor center exhibits... Which is more likely to capture and hold attention: a lengthy, text heavy sign, or a compelling image with minimal text?
Use pop-ups for anything that is not essential to the story, or for definitions.(kids will click on anything…)
This could be multiple-choice question, but ideally it would go beyond that.
EuroparksGermany has been working with the US NPS to learn from what we have done with the WebRangers website and online activities they are currently in the process of creating their own online Junior Rangers program.