Museum of Science and Industry Reusable City Exhibit

Mapping with EVS's MaD browser enables an interactive on-line environmental exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.

Need/Opportunity

• Move environmental exhibit experience beyond Museum's walls
• Involve children in exploring and gathering information about their environment
• Provide a means for sharing results on-line

The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) in Chicago is interested in using the Internet to move its exhibit experiences beyond the Museum's walls.; As part of "Stories from the Underground," students are encouraged to collect information about their local environment by sampling soils using simple test kits and sharing their results with other Chicago area students online. EVS's MaD browser provides the vehicle for them to upload their sampling results to a common database, and display their sampling locations and data on neighborhood maps.

Approach

• Customized version of MaD browser
• Web-enabled administration tools
• Neighborhood-specific maps
• Password-protected uploading

The MaD browser was customized to meet specific needs of the "Stories from the Underground" on-line exhibit. Customization included a child-friendly MaD browser interface, Web-based administration tools for map and data management, neighborhood-specific maps of the Chicago area, and integration of the browser with MSI's on-line exhibit. Students sample and analyze neighborhood soils with soil sampling kits supplied by the Museum. Using the MaD browser, students identify their sampling locations and, using a password, upload their results to a master database. Students and teachers can assign URLs to data points that link to web sites specific to that school or data collection effort. Museum staff are automatically notified when new schools or data have been added to the database. Using EVS-designed administration tools and a Web interface, the Museum can review these data and changes, approve them for display, then post the new information on the MaD-served neighborhood maps.

Results

• On-line exhibit available
• Neighborhood mapping
• Soil sampling kit distribution

Maps of 75 Chicago area neighborhoods are available via the MaD browser and the on-line exhibit. The Museum is preparing to distribute soil test kits to participating schools in late Spring 2001.

Benefits

• Extends the exhibit experience
• Involves students in environmental data collection
• Shares results on-line
• Museum controls data presentation

The MaD browser allows this exhibit experience to reach beyond the Museum walls. Students can explore their environment and share their results in an interactive and collaborative on-line environment. Through web-based administration tools, the Museum maintains control over the exhibit's content and quality. The MaD browser facilitates data collection and information sharing for 75 Chicago area neighborhoods. With EVS's web site hosting capabilities, the Museum can include advanced database and mapping support within its larger on-line exhibit.