This collection of thoughtful essays and insightful case studies by leading practitioners is intended to help guide the museum in its planning and strategy as it explores this exciting new terrain. Mobile Apps for Museums examines the promise and potential of mobile apps in expanding exponentially the museum's audience

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 5th International Conference on User Science and Engineering, i-USEr 2018, held in Puchong, Malaysia, in August 2018. The 32 papers accepted for i-USEr 2018 were selected from 72 submissions with a thorough double-blind review process. The selected papers illustrate how HCI is inclusive and omnipresent within the domains of informatics, Internet of Things, Quality of Life, and others. They are organized in the following topical sections: design, UX and usability; HCI and underserved; technology and adoption; human centered computing; HCI and IT infrastructure; and HCI and analytics.

This book explores how digital culture is transforming museums in the 21st century. Offering a corpus of new evidence for readers to explore, the authors trace the digital evolution of the museum and that of their audiences, now fully immersed in digital life, from the Internet to home and work. In a world where life in code and digits has redefined human information behavior and dominates daily activity and communication, ubiquitous use of digital tools and technology is radically changing the social contexts and purposes of museum exhibitions and collections, the work of museum professionals and the expectations of visitors, real and virtual. Moving beyond their walls, with local and global communities, museums are evolving into highly dynamic, socially aware and relevant institutions as their connections to the global digital ecosystem are strengthened. As they adopt a visitor-centered model and design visitor experiences, their priorities shift to engage audiences, convey digital collections, and tell stories through exhibitions. This is all part of crafting a dynamic and innovative museum identity of the future, made whole by seamless integration with digital culture, digital thinking, aesthetics, seeing and hearing, where visitors are welcomed participants. The international and interdisciplinary chapter contributors include digital artists, academics, and museum professionals. In themed parts the chapters present varied evidence-based research and case studies on museum theory, philosophy, collections, exhibitions, libraries, digital art and digital future, to bring new insights and perspectives, designed to inspire readers. Enjoy the journey!

Location Aware: Mobile Applications as an Interpretive Tool Lauren M. Messenger The goal of this research was to describe the ways that the specific technologies available to smartphones, such as location awareness, afford new opportunities and strategies for interpretation of exhibit content and audience engagement. On-site analysis guided by principles of interpretation and design, and interviews with museum app developers, suggest that museum apps are considered effective as interpretive tools when the smartphone technology is used in a way that serves the content being presented. All of the institutions surveyed were interested in creating mobile apps that focused on augmenting the experience that visitors might have through traditional interpretation or exhibit content, rather than imitating it. A survey of professionals indicates that a more complete understanding of the audience of museums apps is still required within the field for there to be certainty about their effectiveness and impact as interpretive tools.

Due to the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence technologies, schools, museums, and art galleries will need to change traditional ways of working and conventional thought processes to fully embrace their potential. Integrating virtual and augmented reality technologies and wearable devices into these fields can promote higher engagement in an increasingly digital world. Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education, Art, and Museums is an essential research book that explores the strategic role and use of virtual and augmented reality in shaping visitor experiences at art galleries and museums and their ability to enhance education. Highlighting a range of topics such as online learning, digital heritage, and gaming, this book is ideal for museum directors, tour developers, educational software designers, 3D artists, designers, curators, preservationists, conservationists, education coordinators, academicians, researchers, and students.