Make it Happen: Science Communication in Museums

When was the last time you visited a museum? Have you ever visited a museum virtually? Have you ever wanted to see more virtual, digital or interactive offers in museums? Have more interactive experience during your visit? Why not create a jump-and-run-game for your favorite museum based on its online collection or an interactive science communication experience on the venue? In the course “Make it Happen: Science Communication in Museums”, we will discuss how science communication in museums takes place in exhibitions as well as digitally and virtually. We want to discuss and test formats that break with traditional ways of science communication, such as computer games, VR/AR applications, hackathons, science cafes or social media walks. In the seminar, students will have access to the digital department of the museum, including the VRlab as well as to the Science Communication Lab to experience and test digital and analogue museum offers. The aim of the course is to enable students to develop small prototypes playing with the history of the Deutsches Museum and its (online) collection applying theories of science communication themselves. For this course prototypes are defined as concepts in the form of graphics, user journeys, etc, however, students are free to develop click-dummies or even digital asset if they have the skills, time, or desire to do so. The ideas will be developed in small groups and supported by the information provided, this includes knowledge about science communication and digital storytelling as well as feedback from the course instructors. During the course, students will keep an auto-ethnographic diary to document the development process and reflect on what they have learned. The auto-ethnographic diary is a method for the students to reflect on their work and will be done individually. Halfway through the course students will prepare a short presentation to discuss the progress of the project. At the end of the course, the prototype should be presented to all course participants in a 10–12-minute presentation. In addition, the prototype along with notes from the diary should be explained in a 2–4-page pitch.