Bridging Museum Mission to Visitors' Experience: Activity, Meanings, Interactions, Technology

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Museology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• The integration of diverse professional fields like psychology has reshaped museology.
• Psychology offers a holistic view of the museum experience, encompassing memory, identity, and leisure.
• Psychological research informs the design of innovative museum technologies and tourism services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply the Socio-Cultural Activity Theory (AT) as a framework for understanding technology-mediated museum visits.
• To identify key factors influencing visitor interaction with museum technologies.
• To analyze the visitor experience within a museum setting utilizing augmented and virtual reality.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research methodology.
• Case study conducted at the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome, Italy.
• Analysis of visitor experiences with an augmented and virtual reality integrated tour.

Main Results:

• Activity Theory (AT) provides a valuable framework for conceptualizing technology-mediated museum activities.
• Technology acts as a crucial mediator between museum objectives and visitor engagement.
• Visitor characteristics, museum environment, and technology features significantly shape the interaction and experience.

Conclusions:

• The study validates the use of Activity Theory in analyzing technology-enhanced museum experiences.
• Understanding the interplay of visitor, environment, and technology is key to optimizing museum engagement.
• Findings support the development of more effective and immersive museum technologies and visitor services.