January–December 2006
As an increasing number of complicated ethical and social issues involve scientific and technological debate, there is greater need to provide tools to further inform discussion. Museums present opportunities to explore complex scientific ideas and evidence that can shed light on current debate and hence support rich discussions. Designed for a museum environment, the POSIT project utilized Augmented Reality (AR) games previously developed by the Teacher Education Program and role-playing to help participants better understand alternative views.
These games allowed participants to move through physical spaces with a Microsoft Pocket PC and interact with virtual characters to help illuminate matters of public health, forensics, and history. Participants could express opinion ratings with a handheld slider, showing how new evidence could provide a rationale to form new opinions. These participatory simulations encouraged students to investigate the complex facets of difficult issues in order to arrive at informed decisions—a vital skill in complicated times.
Investigators: Prof. Eric Klopfer, Teacher Education Program and Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning; John Durant, MIT Museum and Science, Technology and Society Program