NMC Horizon Report: 2011 Museum Edition

Abbildung: NMC

Yesterday I recieved the message that the 2011 Museum Edition Horizon Report is out. Right away, I took a look at it and wrote this short description.

This report “is a coproduction with the Marcus Institute for Digital Education in the Arts (MIDEA), and examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in education and interpretation within the museum environment.” [NMC] “The technologies featured in each edition of the NMC Horizon Report are embedded within a contemporary context that reflects the realities of the time, both in the sphere of museum education and in the world at large.” [Johnson et al. 2011, p. 4] The consortium identifies six key trends that were currently affecting the practice of museum education and interpretation.
The key trends are

1. Increasingly, visitors and staff expect a seamless experience across devices.


2. Collection-related rich media are becoming increasingly valuable assets in digital interpretation.


3. The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators.


4. There is a growing chorus of voices advocating a more active role for visitors in shaping what museums do.


5. Digitization and cataloging projects continue to require a significant share of museum resources.


6. Expectations for civic and social engagement are profoundly changing museums’ scope, reach, and relationships.

The report “highlights six emerging technologies or practices that are likely to enter mainstream use within three adoption horizons over thenext five years” [Johnson et al. 2011, p. 3]. The technologies or practices are

One Year or Less

• Mobile Apps
• Tablet Computing

Two to Three Years

• Augmented Reality
• Electronic Publishing

Four to Five Years

• Digital Preservation
• Smart Objects

Further Information at museum.wiki.nmc.org.

Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Witchey, H. (2011). The NMC Horizon Report: 2011
Museum Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.