Museum Koenig #digital

The aim of the "Museum Koenig #digital" project is to use the experience gained to further develop and professionalise the digital transformation process by creating the necessary infrastructure, expanding existing services and developing new digital education formats and researching their impact. In doing so, it is of central importance not to simply translate the analogue into the digital, but to bring together digital and analogue offerings in a forward-looking and user-oriented manner in order to generate added value.

Since the coronavirus pandemic at the latest, it has become clear that museums need to explore new ways of educational and mediation work in order to remain relevant as places of learning, experience and participation in the digital age. Museum Koenig has also faced this challenge over the past year and a half and has experimented with various digital formats, gathered experience and identified potential for improvement.

The aim of the "Museum Koenig #digital" project is to use the experience gained to further develop and professionalise the digital transformation process by creating the necessary infrastructure, expanding existing offerings and developing new digital education formats and researching their impact. In doing so, it is of central importance not to simply translate the analogue into the digital, but to combine the digital and analogue offerings in a forward-looking and user-oriented manner in order to generate added value.

For example, an outreach format that combines digital and analogue teaching methods should primarily reach a target audience that has little access to extracurricular education. In addition, a digitalisation strategy is to be developed in the area of knowledge transfer in order to strategically build on and align the various digital channels, content and formats.

Planned measures and offers at a glance

Digital infrastructure

An efficient and well thought-out digital infrastructure is the basis for the development, realisation and marketing of digital offers. This includes, in particular, freely accessible Wi-Fi throughout the museum (e.g. live online tours), technology for producing digital content and formats (e.g. short films for social media, production of podcasts as part of educational projects) and visitor management that can be used to market and organise online offerings.
The pandemic and its impact on museums, such as access restrictions, hygiene measures and social distancing, have significantly changed visitor behaviour and expectations. Measures that meet these expectations and enable museums to continue operating efficiently even under coronavirus conditions are therefore of great importance. For example, the permitted number of visitors per exhibition area is to be regulated in defined areas with an admission control system. And with an audio visitor guidance system, it is possible to maintain the minimum distance from other visitors during a guided tour and at the same time follow the guides' explanations, even if the acoustics are not ideal due to the mask and the distance. Enabling visitors to download the audio guide to their own devices (BYOD - bring your own device) is a logical step in the digitalisation process, as more and more people are accustomed to using digital tools.

Digital educational programmes

Museums are one of the most important extracurricular places of learning and education. With their variety of objects, themes and methods, the exhibitions and educational programmes at museums offer space for discovery and activity-based learning. For pupils in particular, museum visits offer a welcome change and a valuable addition to their school day: the direct encounter and creative engagement with original objects in a stimulating learning environment lead to new insights, realisations and learning successes. None of this was possible during the lockdown. Homeschooling was a major challenge for everyone involved, and teachers in particular were faced with the task of transferring their analogue lessons into the digital world. This is where museums can make a valuable contribution with their specialist expertise, technical capabilities and digital experience. After all, digitalisation in the education sector and the demands on pupils' digital skills will continue to advance even after the pandemic.
Online live tours, digital lectures and discussions with scientists, weekly working groups and school internships lasting several weeks via ZOOM and with digital tools are just a few examples of what Museum Koenig has been offering during the lockdown. These are to be expanded and improved with the expansion of the digital infrastructure. For example, there are plans to convert the audio guide content into films with sign language to reach people with hearing impairments. Or the digitisation of the permanent exhibition will provide the basis for a new type of online tour format that offers unusual perspectives on the objects and space for creative interaction with the public.
In addition, a digital learning platform with interactive, school-relevant teaching and learning opportunities is to be developed, with the help of which teachers, pupils and parents can discover and experience the topics, objects and specialist expertise of Museum Koenig. These can serve as preparation and supplement for a visit to the museum with the school class, but can also be incorporated into school learning contexts independently of a visit and thus also independent of location.

The digital space offers diverse and unique opportunities for gamification of educational content ("game-based learning"). Discovering, experiencing and solving problems together and playfully in a social group motivates and supports the entire learning process. In particular, this can appeal to a younger audience (teenagers and young adults) that is difficult to reach with traditional museum programmes outside the formal educational context. For example, a virtual escape room on the topic of biodiversity is to be developed that will appeal not only to teenagers and young adults, but also to families. Embedded in an exciting story, with interesting information and puzzles and tasks to be solved together, the digital escape room offers a new opportunity for museums to communicate their content in an entertaining way and also generate revenue. However, little is known about the effect of such digital educational formats, which is why the development and implementation of the escape room is being scientifically monitored and evaluated with the aim of deriving general recommendations for supporting the acquisition of knowledge/educational content through digital formats.

Especially in the digital age, real encounters with the exhibition objects and the primary experience of nature are of great importance for holistic learning success. It is therefore important to see and develop analogue and digital offerings in an overall context, as they complement each other and create synergies. For example, a museum bus ("Museum Koenig mobil") is currently being designed and developed at Museum Koenig, which will travel to schools, daycare centres and public places as a mobile exhibition and education venue in line with the outreach approach and reach people who cannot easily find their way to the museum or for whom a visit to the museum is not possible during the pandemic. Digital learning and illustrative materials as well as educational programmes will also be developed for this bus. With its digital and analogue offerings, the museum bus thus expands the museum space and its scope in two ways. The outreach approach can also help to facilitate access to cultural and scientific education, especially for educationally disadvantaged children and young people, given that increasing digitalisation is reinforcing the already existing social inequality in the education system.

Virtual Escape Game

Attention puzzle enthusiasts! Our new escape game "Project Pollination: A Buzzing Rescue" is online!

You can now play our digital escape game at www.project-pollination-lib.de. Solve exciting puzzles and discover the world of our pollinators!

Also available in English: projectpollination-lib.de/en

Watch the trailer for the game on YouTube!

What is it all about?

The browser-based game takes you to a fictitious city that wants to win the title of "BiodiverCity - the city with the highest biodiversity in Germany". To achieve this, you have to solve puzzles and tasks relating to the topic of pollination under time pressure (max. 60 minutes playing time). But only those who have significantly changed the cityscape and created a paradise for pollinators such as hoverflies, bees and butterflies will win first place.

Don't worry, you don't need any prior knowledge. The main aim is to have fun and discover why biodiversity is so important for us all. You'll get practical tips on how you can support pollinators right on your doorstep. And if you're keen for more afterwards, you can visit us in the museum and become real biodiversity experts.

Who is it for?

For all game enthusiasts and interested parties aged 13 and over. You can play alone or in a team.

Don't you need a lot of things for an escape game like this?

Not at all! Our escape game is digital and therefore accessible from anywhere. All you need is an internet connection, a laptop or computer and preferably a pen and some paper - then you're ready to go. If you want to solve the puzzles in a group, you will also need a video conferencing tool.