The Informal Learning Museum (ILM) will have many different kinds of exhibits. The environment, context, interpretive aids, and objects will vary greatly from exhibit to exhibit. The following is intended to provide an overview of the capabilities and most likely implementations.
Roberto lives in Madrid and he's fascinated by the idea that animals similar to the elephants, camels, and lions of modern day Africa once roamed North America. He had been surfing the internet, looking for information about the fauna of prehistoric North America, when he came across an advertisement for a natural history exhibit on the subject at the ILM in Second Life (SL). He had been to SL a few times, so he clicked the link and was transported to the ILM lobby.
The ILM advertises in SL, on the internet, and in real life to draw in visitors.
Roberto now finds himself standing in an enormous, elaborately-landscaped atrium with songbirds flitting among the lush greenery. There are people and creatures everywhere, standing and walking about the floor, sitting in small groups, riding the escalators and elevators to the upper levels, flying through the air, suddenly appearing and disappearing, going in and out of wide doorways. At the far end of the floor, a young boy is happily perched high on the neck of a Tyrannosaurus holding reins in one hands and petting the creature with the other. Nearby, a man in Renaissance garb is painting the Last Supper while lecturing the group gathered around him. In an alcove, several people are excitedly passing around an object that Roberto can't see clearly.
Most of the people, some of the creatures, and Roberto himself are avatars, virtual incarnations of visitors, the character, the skin, the dress, the attitude that a person wears in SL. Anything animal, vegetable, or mineral might be an avatar.
Many of the avatars in the ILM are docents. Docents are volunteers with a passion for exploring a subject in great depth. They assume human or animal avatars and stay in character while making themselves available to help visitors and lead guided tours. They are eager to help and are constantly watching to see who needs or wants help. Because they are always watching, they are frequently asked by exhibitors who want visitor data to record their observations.
One docent dressed in 18th century clothes has been watching the activity in the lobby and Roberto in particular. He walks over to Roberto and says, "Good day to you, sir. I trust you are pleased of your visit today. May I be of assistance?"
Roberto doesn't respond right away, and the docent continues, "Will you accept my card by way of introduction?"
Notecards contain a wide variety of information. Visitors can read them and discard them or add them to their inventory for later reference.
Roberto accepts the notecard, which explains that the docent has assumed the character of Ben Franklin and will answer any general questions about the ILM or specific questions about Ben Franklin.
Ben Franklin says, "You may address me as Ben, if it pleases you."
Roberto explains that this is his first visit to the ILM and he's not quite sure where to start.
"Allow me to inform you," Ben says. "Although they are not intended to appear so, many of the objects around us have hidden interpretive aids. If you have a question about something that has caught your attention, a tree, a statue, a machine, a docent in character, just touch the object or ask the docent for more information. At times the information is a simple notecard with some text, sometimes an elaborate presentation intended for the eye and the ear, more often it's something in between.
"Indeed, I have many objects of interest about my person: my clothing, my watch, my hairpiece, coins, spectacles, and each has an interpretive aid. This notecard will explain all.
"The museum has dozens of levels, as you can see, and is organized in galleries such as the Art Gallery, the Science and Technology Gallery, and the Natural History Gallery. Those tall boards you spy strategically placed about the lobby are interactive directories were you can search for galleries or exhibits of interest, join guided tours, ask for more information, and get walking directions or teleportation coordinates. Follow me, if you please, to this directory close at hand."
Roberto follows and Ben continues, "What subject interests you today?"
Roberto says, "I'm interested in the wildlife of North America when sabertoothed cats were still alive."
Ben says, "Ah, an interest of mine as well," and touches the directory next to "Natural History Gallery" and a list appears under the heading. "I thought so. There is a wonderfully immersive experience that I am sure will delight you as it has many visitors. If you choose to walk, you can select a map, or you can get the teleportation coordinates."
As it implies, teleportation is an instant form of transportation that transports a visitor to a set of coordinates.
"Is it a long walk?" Roberto says.
"Not at all," says Ben. He points to a doorway opening onto the lobby floor. "It's just there, inside that second doorway."
"I'll walk, then," says Roberto.
"An excellent choice," says Ben. "May I offer you my friendship? If you keep it, you can summon me from anywhere in the museum, should you want my assistance again."
Avatars can maintain a list of friends, see when they are also visiting SL, and communicate with them anywhere in SL. Roberto adds Ben's name to his list of friends and walks through the lobby crowd to the doorway. As Ben had said, just inside the doorway labeled "Natural History", there is an exhibit labeled "North America 10,000 BC."
The exhibit is actually a "private preserve" outside of the museum that is only accessible from the museum. When Roberto touches the door, he is automatically teleported to the secret coordinates. All around him, as far as he can see is the North American plains as they were according to the best available evidence. As in the lobby, nearly everything animal, vegetable, or mineral is a museum object with hidden interpretive aids.
The portal where Roberto has just arrived also contains several interpretive aids and one, a man dressed in skins, appears next to him. The man says, "Hello, I am Hunter. Although I look like an avatar, I'm actually a program designed to help orient you to this world. If you would like me to continue, please type or say, 'yes'."
Roberto types, "yes"
Hunter then asks Roberto to choose one of three modes to explore the preserve: stealth, interactive, or gaming. Roberto chooses interactive and Hunter explains, "In interactive mode you assume the avatar of something that existed in this time and place. Every effort has been made to make the avatar as realistic as possible and you will experience the advantages and disadvantages, the limitations, of your avatar. For instance, you will not be able to fly unless you choose the avatar of a flying creature."
By experiencing the limitations, the visitor will gain a deeper understanding of the creature's environment and lifestyle in a way that's also fun and entertaining. It's also important to get a sense of handling objects, so other objects respond to the avatar as realistically as possible.
Roberto assumes the avatar of a sabertooth cat and sets off to explore. He's also thinking about the last thing Hunter said. "There are other visitors out here. Be wary of the hunting party."
The hunting party is a group of visitors who have chosen native american avatars of the period. Because Roberto is disguised as a sabertooth cat, it's unclear how the hunting party will respond if Roberto runs into them, they may not realize there's a real person behind the avatar. And, Roberto hasn't discovered yet that as a sabertooth cat, he won't be able to communicate with the hunting party.
At the conclusion of Roberto's adventure, Hunter appears again and explains that there are few exit options that Roberto can take advantage of if he wants. His adventure has been recorded and he can review it to reinforce what he's learned or have it analyzed for even greater depth. There are also quizzes, an exit survey, and a notecard with links to more information.
Roberto declines the recording, but takes the quiz and the notecard, and completes the exit survey.
While he's completing the survey, the hunting party arrives at the portal and starts a discussion with Roberto. They all agree to meet in the lobby in 10 minutes to continue the discussion.
One of the greatest advantages of SL and the ILM is the interaction among people. For the docents, being able to share their characters with others reinforces their passions and makes them even more rewarding. For the visitors, the opportunity to meet new people and share common interests in a fun, exciting, neutral environment enhances the learning experience significantly.
The hunting party joins Roberto in an alcove off the lobby. One of them has a smilodon skull which they pass around while Robeto explains that he was the sabertooth cat they chased away from their kill.