Mobile apps are one of the most efficient ways to learn. Don’t believe it? The numbers speak for themselves.
The global education apps market is huge - valued at $31,251.26 million.
In 2022, these apps generated $7 billion in revenue for businesses. That’s quite a fortune.
These strong revenue figures position apps as a great opportunity for museums to use their existing collections for education.
But, why are mobile apps a golden opportunity for museum education? The answer lies in their unparalleled ability to tailor educational content to the needs and interests of each individual visitor.
Here are some factors museums should consider when investing in mobile apps.
Before embarking on the journey of designing or selecting a mobile app for museum education, it is crucial to define the learning goals.
Museums need to consider what they want their visitors to learn, understand, and appreciate from their exhibits. It's about creating a connection between museum content and the visitor's personal experiences, interests, and values.
The best part?
These mobile apps are interactive. And students grow from interaction. In fact, 90% of students claim to learn more knowledge from hands-on learning than from traditional learning methods.
Museum mobile platforms, therefore, foster a deeper understanding and a more enriched educational experience.
Let's delve deeper into the importance and impact of museum mobile apps in education. Welcome to the future of museum education!
The Educational Shift to Art
“Art integrated education is a pedagogical practice. For example, through Bharatanatyam, teachers can help students understand angles and degrees."
Fascinating, right? This statement comes from Joseph Immanuel, director of academics, at India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Education is evolving. CBSE has taken the important decision to showcase the potential of art to transform the conventional classroom setting.
According to Syed Aliya from Narayana e-Techno School in Chennai, art can be seamlessly woven into subjects like math or history.
Meanwhile, Deepa Rani, the head of Ekya School BTM Layout in Bengaluru, advocates for this holistic approach, emphasizing how art can simplify abstract concepts and enhance retention.
Kavita Nagpal, Principal of Orchids The International School in Mumbai, emphasizes that art allows for diverse expressions and relates to real-world occupations, from architecture to marketing.
On the other hand, the National Postal Museum's, "Listen, Look, and Do!" field trip in Washington, USA, is tailored for Pre-kindergarten to Kindergarten learners, aligning with Common Core State Standards. Focusing on the "Community Helpers" theme, it involves interactive visits to a mail truck, airmail plane, and Railway Post Office (RPO) car, including an immersive experience inside the RPO. Through observation and discussion, students actively learn by collecting, sorting, and delivering mail.
Traditionally, museums have been the finest repositories of art and culture. Hence, they are becoming essential in facilitating this art-integrated learning.
By leveraging mobile apps for museum education, museums can enhance this learning experience by offering interactive, personalized, and accessible educational content.
Benefits Of Museums As Pioneers In Art-Integrated Learning
Interactive Learning Using Gamification
A fundamental challenge in education is maintaining student engagement.
However, recent studies have found a solution: Gamification.
Research reveals that students engaging with gamified challenges in apps can see improvements of nearly 35%, with some even experiencing boosts as high as 89.45% over traditional classroom settings.
Gamification, the process of applying game-like elements to non-game contexts, provides an engaging, interactive, and rewarding learning experience.
For instance, a simple quiz at the end of a museum visit through a museum’s mobile app can test knowledge while also offering rewards and certificates.
This can enhance visitor involvement by transforming visits into interactive, immersive experiences for all ages.
24*7 Accessibility Through Digital Channels
“Accessibility allows us to tap into everyone’s potential.” - Debra Ruh
The COVID-19 pandemic created a significant challenge for cultural institutions worldwide - museum accessibility.
This crisis, however, offered a silver lining: it spurred the development of more inclusive and accessible museum initiatives through mobile apps.
Museums, faced with the challenge of staying relevant and accessible, embraced the digital transformation to extend their educational potential to wider audiences, including those with disabilities or at risk of social exclusion.
Virtual Tours and Exhibits: One of the most impactful developments in making museum education accessible is the introduction of virtual tours and exhibits in mobile apps. These digital experiences, often featuring 360-degree videos, interactive maps, augmented reality, and audio guides, provide immersive and realistic experiences accessible from anywhere at any time.
Online Courses and Workshops: Another effective strategy for increasing accessibility is offering online courses and workshops related to the museum's collections and themes through videos, podcasts, quizzes, games, and assignments. These can be seamlessly integrated into a museum’s mobile app and can increase visitor interaction and participation.
The National Museum of India faced a similar problem during the pandemic - remaining connected with audiences.
What did we do?
Museums22 quickly put in place a diverse digital plan along with the cooperation of the museum. The following activities were carried out:
- An immersive audio-visual narrative for three galleries
- A 'museum@home' webpage for easy access to resources
- Virtual tours and actively used social media to connect with the community
Additionally, we also made rare music recordings available on mobile platforms, significantly broadening their reach. This was especially loved by museum visitors.
The result? A global community that cares about the museum's future and supports the widespread sharing of its cultural treasures.
Customized Learning Paths In Museum Apps
Remember when Einstein said: “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
Guess what? It still persists.
The traditional education system relies on the same metrics for all students, not accounting for the uniqueness of each learner.
The solution? Integrating technology to create personalized learning experiences.
Museums are now using mobile apps to help students choose courses and tutors that match their interests and learning goals. These apps provide instant feedback and customized quizzes, focusing on each student's strengths and areas to improve.
Additionally, museums are using data analytics to provide adaptive learning methods, games, and dashboards that suit different ways of learning and personal preferences.
These apps often feature progress-tracking dashboards that let students monitor their learning journey and achievements in real time.
There's another secret to museum education's diverse solution - visitor surveys.
Online analytics, and feedback are being used to develop more relevant and engaging educational programs. This data-driven approach enables the analysis of visitor behaviors and preferences, leading to continuous improvements in museum education.
Envisioning The Future Of Museum Education
The American Alliance of Museums notes that annually, museums dedicate over $2 billion to education, with three-quarters of this budget aimed at K-12 students.
This investment translates into over 18 million instructional hours in various educational programs, highlighting museums' commitment to supporting state, local, and core curricula across multiple disciplines.
Mobile apps are the easiest and quickest way for museums to communicate knowledge and experiences to students. So, how do you develop these apps?
Starting at just $199, Museums22 offers our Full Stack Museum App, catering to diverse needs with Progressive Web App (PWA) capabilities, extensive content development options, and support services. Our varied plans, ranging from our basic plan for small museums to customized options for larger museums, ensure that museums of all sizes can benefit from our digital solutions.
Features like unlimited content downloads, GPS-enabled audio tours, and social media integration foster a more connected and engaging museum experience and are guaranteed to enhance educational outreach.
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