This document summarizes projects using mobile learning and augmented reality to engage children with the Parthenon sculptures at the British Museum. Over 18 months and with input from over 250 children, two projects were developed: a worksheet ported to mobile devices and a game using augmented reality. Key learnings included that technology was exciting but problematic, children didn't like broken sculptures, augmented reality recognition was difficult, and testing helped refine wayfinding, instructions, and collaborative use. The goal was to celebrate Athens and deliver interactive content about the Pediment and Frieze sculptures in an engaging way for children.

1. Athens Augmented:
Mobile learning for the
Parthenon sculptures
Shelley Mannion @smannion
The British Museum
#mw2014
April 4, 2014

2. 18 months 2 projects 1 baby

3. Celebrating
Athens

4. Porting a traditional
worksheet

9. Gift
for Athena

10. Game play
AR
Self-facilitated
Deliver on strategy

13. Pediment
Frieze

24. Tested with more than 250 children
Informal
Frequent
Varied techniques
Evaluation

25. What did we learn?

26. Analogue versus digital:
Technology is exciting and
motivating, but it comes
with problems.

28. What is the character of your artworks?

29. Children didn’t like ‘broken’
sculptures.
Archaeological fragments in
Destination Culture by
Kirshenblatt-Gimblett

30. Where layers were noticed.

31. Wayfinding:
Some clues are
more equal than
others

36. Working together
Big screen does not mean
more users
Friendship groups
Encourage turn-taking

37. Gift for Athena:
Children liked linear
narrative, but wanted
freedom in using game
elements.

38. Augmented Reality was ideal,
but 3D recognition logistically tricky.

39. We get to see something in the sculptures
that other people cannot see.
– Elsie (23 Oct 2014)

40. 3D recognition
complicated by height,
position, lighting,
crowding.

41. Challenge of
self-facilitation
Test to refine wayfinding
Separate instructions from
content
Conceal text and offer drill
down for verbal learners

43. Positive
reinforcement from
game characters

44. Main findings
Informal testing
Contours of the content
Effective clues and cues for wayfinding
Collaborative working on tablets
Using AR in galleries
Designing for self-facilitation