Immersive Libraries and Museums

IMMERSIVE LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS


The Journal of Immersive Education (JiED) is an immersive, interactive journal which published the information about Immersive Education Libraries and Museums Technology Working Group (LAM.TWG) which I will introduce you to in this post. First off, the Libraries and Museum Technology Working Group is a subgroup in the Immersive Education world to provide and expand immersive digital library and museum access. This means incorporating vast and growing new technologies (such as virtual reality, digital documents, web videos) into overall traditional non-digital library and museum catalogs.
To stay up to date, members of the group publish reliable resources and also decide upon best practice standards for the new emerging forum. The purpose of these virtual libraries and museums goes beyond simply furthering the field as noted above. Reliable research and information shall pertain to both builders and learners.
For example, the Smithsonian Institutes current learning efforts focus on making the end product virtual reality forums accessible and applicable to a group of at-risk Latino youth. The purpose of this initative is to pertain to, and help in learning, current STEM-focused Common Core learning requirements (STEM = science, technology, engineering, and math). This program uses a virtual environment to teach about the clean up process following natural disasters - key training for the emerging workforce.
Another example the article mentions is virtual reality lessons where classmates meet and "act out" - in cyberspace - Macbeth as they read along in order to increase understanding. Yet another of the many and various uses of the potential for immersive education to be implemented in educational settings is for language skill learning - students can interact in a Japanese restaurant simulation to practice language skills.

As you can see the power of immersion has huge potential amongst museums and libraries - and education in general. Immersive Education Libraries and Museums Technology Working Group helps make this emerging field possible through its professional research and collaborative archiving, as well as through its learning environment implementations.

Source:  "Immersive Education Libraries and Museums Technology Working Group (LAM.TWG)" // Journal of Immersive Education (JiED) at http://JiED.org