Modern museum

Modern museum

Students create a dynamic new app for the Museum of Ontario Archeology.

The Museum of Ontario Archeology features educational programs and exhibitions—including a reconstructed longhouse—focused on 13,000 years of human life in our region. Students in Fanshawe’s Interactive Media Development – 3D Visualization advanced diploma program recently had an opportunity to work with the museum, using skills learned in the classroom to bring local history to life.

“The museum staff were looking for ways to modernize and leverage existing assets,” says Marco De Luca, coordinator of the Interactive Media Specialist program. “We took a tour of their space and got the idea to develop an augmented reality (AR) version of the longhouse.”

Marco’s students developed an app that scans QR codes, which will be placed on signage at the museum. With the tap of a button, users can see information about the artifact and a 3D image in AR.

“We focused on designing a user experience that has ease of access and portability,” says Cadence Watson (Interactive Media Development – 3D Visualization Alumni, 2021), one of the students who worked on the project. “We used a minimalistic design that focuses the viewer on the artifacts and the educational elements.”

Fanshawe has committed to ensuring every Fanshawe graduate participates in at least one rich, experiential learning opportunity, known as a Signature Innovative Learning Experience (SILEx).

“It was a multi-disciplinary project, involving live client interaction and applied research. It was a clear choice for a SILEx project,” says Marco. “It also touched upon many Job Skills for the Future: complex problem solving, novel and adaptive thinking, self-directed learning and resilience as we had to move to an online format in the middle of the project.”

“The project was a lot of fun,” says Cadence. “We all learned a lot along the way and it’s one of the most rewarding projects I’ve ever done.”