Things I discovered this week on a blog.

Like many people plugged into the Internet I subscribe to blogs on topics which interest me. One of those is Moosha, Moosha, Mooshme which explains itself to be "exploring the intersection of digital media and museum-based learning". where i was captured by one word 'pterosaur'. Like many small boys anything with 'saur' in the name has fascinated me since being four years old.

The blogs introduced a project at the American Museum of Natural HIstory working with teenagers on #scienceFTW program who were helping create a card game to raise awareness of pterosaurs and clarify they were not dinosaurs. A few posts down the line they had released the game and their relief was obvious. Even though AMNH is in New York they wished the game to be for everyone and made it available as a downloadable PDF.

I am not used to playing these card games and roped my friend to have a go with me. The instructions were one page long and I felt missed some important details, however we agreed rules between us when there was any confusion, for example 'can a card serve in multiple food chains?' we said yes. We also picked up three cards on each turn as we felt if making three plays per turn needed more cards. It all added to our enjoyment and I suspect experienced card game players will get into it very quickly.

The blog's next post showed them at an Games for Change event with the game and also shared some photos and videos of the day. It seemed that everyone was enjoying the game - looks like they are onto a winner.

In addition to the PDF there is an iOS app "Pterosaurs: the card game" which doesn't add any game play but has wowed me on two fronts. The first is the simplicity, constructed of three screens, three button choices and one of those links out to AMNH other apps. The opening and most important screen uses augmented reality on the pterosaur cards which have black diamond shape on them. view the card through the phone screen and you will see the pterosaur come to life and tap the screen to make him fly.

Screenshot of pterosaur soaring in AR

The AR is slick, no delays and allow the user to have an almost 360 degree view of the pterosaur on the ground or in flight. An excellent experience with AR is not that common and certainly not on free apps. It also shares the images produced for other areas of what looks a major exhibition, more examples on the exhibition webpage.

During the game I was beaten and remain confused to the extent of how the Event cards should be played but it was a great experience and I have now donated the cards to a family with dinosaur-fan children to spread the fun. I highly recommend having a go at it and if you have an iOS to download the app for the extra wow factor. The other playing cards also had symbols and I hope this signifies future AR features will follow.

I just have to blog about this app!

ArtLens iPad app available from App Store

For all the irreverent comments made by friends over the years about Cleveland, OH there is now something to entice me to visit and see the place for myself. Just as the director tells me to in his TEDex presentation.

Sitting on my couch 3524 miles from The Cleveland Museum of Art I can be transported to a world class art collection thanks to the new iPad app ArtLens. Hat tip to @amyldale for bringing it to my attention.

The app is so good I had to blog about it. It has a good cross section of an impressive encyclopaedic collection amassed since the museum's foundation in 1913.

It is easy to be critical about apps, there are so many, they have great things that make us use them, but generally one BAD thing that infuriates and makes us complain. For example, the Reminders app will not let me see all my categorised lists in one place so i have to review each list each time. But it does sync with Outlook, not many others do that!

Carrying an iPad around an exhibition is not ideal and the irony of me singing ArtLens praise is how great an experience it is from my front room. I hope the developer and museum do not deem my enthusiasm as a failure, in the space I am sure the experience will be awesome but never must technology get in the way of the real object.

The reason I am evangelising is twofold;
1. This app has things I have been wanting in a museum guide for ages: tailored tours, self-build tours, optional extra context on works beyond labels, sharing buttons and augmented reality. Multiple methods of learning more with videos, audio and 'similar works' links.
2. It looks great and is easy to work.

Just this morning I was telling a colleague of the options technology provides to enhance the visitor's experience and benefit further from what they do and do not know. ArtLens gives choices and at no extra intrusion to other visitors.

Recommendations
My recommendation to ALL iPad users is to download and enjoy getting close to this great collection. Museums, take note, an app can be done well with enough thought and dare I say $$$$$.

To the CMA I say; include a note to say the additional download when first using the app will take "approx 10 minutes" to give the user a choice when to do it.
Add a feature to allow audio to be recorded to personal tours. Have a look at Soundcloud, Audioboo and Digisocial for good implementations.

WELL DONE!! You have restored my faith in apps in museums, they can be done well and can be incredible in the museum or in my pyjamas.

Update on 2013-07-26 11:51 by Museum Follower

Jake Barton, Local Projects presents at Wired 2012 talks on four projects, including Cleveland Museum of Art's Gallery One. Begins with 9-11 Museum and then 11 minutes in CMA. Insightful, clear and further details of the leap being made by this project. Hat tip to Museums Association for the link .