This project-based thesis has added five stops and an introduction to American Silver to the Currier Museum of Art’s mobile tour. The Museum has an extensive silver collection but has very little information readily available for its visitors in the galleries. This thesis provides those visitors with information about the Currier’s American silver collection. It uses the Currier’s current mobile application as a template while incorporating museum education teaching methods to create an engaging tour.
The thesis begins with a history of silver in America from Colonial times to the start of the nineteenth century. This time period is best represented in the Currier’s American silver collection. The thesis discusses the role and development of the silversmith as a craftsman as well as the social history of silver in America during this period. It also discusses the use and advantages of using mobile technology in the museum setting. Many visitors already own mobile devices. Museums can take advantage of visitors’ familiarity with these tools by creating programs specifically for this technology.
The tour itself is based on teaching methods outlined by the museum educator George E. Hein in his book: Learning in the Museum (1998). These methods are used to build upon the standards set by the Currier Museum of Art’s “Audience Engagement and Interpretation Philosophy” in order to make the tour more engaging for visitors. Articles by museum technology professionals Robert Stein and Nancy Proctor were also consulted when researching the best practices for mobile tours. Their work lays out many key elements for successful mobile applications including the use of media assets, stops where these assets are experienced and the connections used to move between the stops. The accessibility benefits of mobile technology for visitors, especially the use of audio recordings for visitors with disabilities, are also discussed and were taken into account when creating the tour.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:harvard.edu/oai:dash.harvard.edu:1/24078350 |
| Date | 11 January 2016 |
| Creators | Galliher, Allison |
| Publisher | Harvard University |
| Source Sets | Harvard University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | open |
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