This is an alternative paper the faculty can assign.

ENT 1100 goes on a field trip for this project. Possible locations are listed below. Your class location will be posted on Brightspace.

Whitney Museum

• Open 10:30am-6pm daily, Tuesday through Sunday.
• Free admission Friday 5-10pm and second Sunday of month
• Your Professor will set the date and time for your class tour.
• Address 99 Gansevoort Street New York, NY 10014

National Museum of the American Indian

• The museum is open 10am-5pm daily, Thursday until 8pm
• Free admission
• Address: 1 Bowling Green New York, NY 100004
• Located on the south side of Bowling Green, in lower Manhattan, adjacent to the northeast corner of Battery Park. At the Bowling Green subway entrance/exit

Subway
4 & 5 trains to Bowling Green
1 train to Rector Street or South Ferry
R (& W on weekdays) trains to Whitehall Street
J & Z trains to Broad Street
2 & 3 trains to Wall Street

Assignment

Go to the National Museum of the American Indian. Observe closely the technical elements which are used to control and define the environment.  The areas you should observe include lighting, sound, video, scenery or control systems. Observe the use of the touch screen displays. Is it an intuitive experience? Observe the use of audio in the pottery exhibit. Did the audio complement your experience? Go down stairs and experience the displays. The Museum contains many exhibits dedicated to different tribes in the state of New York. Each room is relatively self-contained but a part of the larger whole of the museum. You are to choose two rooms in the museum and compare them. Look not only at the technology in the exhibit but in the way it is displayed to you: The lights placed on it, the sound it makes, the sound of other displays in the area, any technological element that you notice. Then decide if one display is more successful than the other and explain why you think this is so. You define what constitutes success: Did you learn more? Could you see everything? Did one room look disused and dated? Don’t tell me you were bored. If a room is boring, don’t write about that room. Pick two rooms you liked and talk about them. And remember, you’re not looking at the content as much as you’re looking at the technology. For example, in the room with the traditional clothing, what is supporting the clothing? What lights are on it? Can you see everything? And how does it compare to the room with the pottery?

Use your personal observations as a starting point. Describe the displays briefly, then use those descriptions to explain the similarities and differences between the two. You should research the displays to help determine the technologies and use those to help explain your opinion, though you do not need to go into great depth.

Next go online and try to find some of the technology you observed. If you are not sure of the make or brand of an item you may research and write about a similar piece of gear in your paper.

When presenting the technology in your paper you may discuss how effective the gear was in achieving the design aspect of the display. You may discuss the size and scope of the gear and its’ relationship to the display. You may compare the specific gear.

You will be required to cite three or more resources in this paper.

You are allowed to use manufacturer spec sheets and websites as references in this paper.

Architecture

• 3-5 page maximum
• Use Word Processor
• Title Page
• Name
• Name of displays
• Date and Time of your observation

Report on

• Type of display (Size, relationship of audience to display)
• Type of Technologies noted before the actual interaction
• Type of technology used during the experience
• Observation of effectiveness of the technology to support the learning outcomes in the museum

Subjective Evaluation

• Did you like the display?
• What was the most important or most used technologies?
• Did the technology suit the experience?
• What interested you the most?

Remember, these reports should be on the technology aspects, not the dramatic, musical, artistic, etc., except in how technology impacts these areas.

Neatness counts! I cannot give a perfect grade if there are misspellings, typographical errors, grammatical issues, etc. Also, PLEASE use a word processor or typewriter. If you do not have access at home, there are many computers on campus and in the Entertainment technology program which are available for your use.

Print this page