From Information Habitat

UGS 200H Section 15: Assistive Technologies for the Museum

Syllabus

UGS 200H Section 015, Honors Seminar, 2008-2009
Evolution for Everyone—Enhancing the MSU Museum Experience for sight-impaired visitors
Facilitators:
Dr. Danita Brandt, Department of Geological Sciences; brandt@msu.edu
Ms. Judy Smyth, Education Division, MSU Museum; smythjud@msu.edu
Dr. Dean Rehberger,Writing, Rhetoric, & American Culture; MATRIX, rehberge@msu.edu

Seminar Expectations
Seminar participants are expected to take an active role in shaping and defining the seminar through the following activities
• Attend every seminar meeting
• Keep a journal/log of meetings, activities, assignments, thoughts
• Actively participate in each seminar meeting
• Contribute resources and ideas
• Complete periodic assigned tasks
• Work cooperatively in a group
• Communicate and share resources via site
• Define a research topic in consultation with facilitators to pursue for the Undergraduate Research Forum
• Present a talk, poster, or multi-media presentation at the UURAF
Grading: a pass grade will be earned by successfully fulfilling the above criteria

Tentative schedule of topics (subject to change)

FALL TERM
Introductions; Hopes and Expectations for the seminar (see above)
Introduction to the MSU Museum and Natural History Museums
Museum Mission Statements
Museum Resources
Museum staffing
Exhibit design and construction
Introduction to the MSU Museum Natural History Halls
An MSU class assignment in the exhibits
Comments from other users (classes, public)
Literature on the Natural History Museum experience
Identifying the problems faced by sight-impaired visitors
An assignment, repeated, with a twist
Investigating ADA and Assistive Technologies
Michigan Commission for the Blind
ADA and the MSU Museum
MSU disabilities resources
Identifying other Natural History Museums and their efforts to serve this audience
Virtual Museum (online) accommodations
Brick-and-mortar accommodations (museum visits)
Introduction/background to the content topic (evolution, history of life)
Misconceptions, competing agendas
Brainstorming
What aspects of evolution/history of life do we want to convey?
What is MSU obligated to provide (legally, morally)?
What resources (human, literature) do we need to consult
How do other museums address sight-impaired needs?
Ideas for our Museum
Using technology (what is available, appropriate, affordable?)
What resources are available to support our proposals?
Trips to other museums (locations and dates to be determined)
Division of labor: identifying individual/group research projects
Develop funding proposal for outside agency

SPRING TERM
Periodic whole-group meetings, regular small group-individual meetings with facilitators
Research and development of individual/group research projects
Writing/submitting abstract for the UURAF
Participation in UURAAF
Develop funding proposal for outside agency (if not completed Fall term)

Important Dates
February 15, 2009, draft abstracts due for peer review
February 22, 2009, deadline for online application to UURAF
April 16, 2009, University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (MSU Union)

Research

Sight Day Celebration

So, Jeremy suggested we have a celebration at the Museum tied into our improvements (such as they will be). Erin and Danita got online and found that there is a World Sight Day, annually, the second Thursday in October, initiated by the Lions Club back in '98.

That would be a natural date to shoot for.

What would this event look like?

The Lions club has helpful stuff on their website:

http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/pdfs/pr804.pdf

It would also present a funding opportunity.

Let's brainstorm this some more.