Web-based Learning Solutions for Communities of Practice

Visualising the Invisible in Science Centres and Science Museums
Figure 6. The EXPLOAR service offers unique opportunities to the exhibit design and development team of
the science museums and centres as it gives them the opportunity to personalise the information available
to each visitor according to his/her profile and interest and at the same time it eliminates the need for
long explanatory texts, pictures and labels by offering visualization of the real physical phenomena.
BENEFITS FOR THE USERS:
SCENARIOS OF USE
The EXPLOAR service aims to contribute towards
this direction by:
• Engage visitors of science museums and
science centres in learning as constructive
dialogue rather than as a passive process
of transmission.
• Facilitate lifelong learning by providing
a free-choice learning environment
that permits a plethora of pathways and
possibilities.
• Highlighting key trends in the adoption
of digital technologies for learning within
and beyond the walls of museums.
• Providing pointers for potential future developments
for curators and developers of
digital technologies for museum learning.
Additionally the EXPLOAR service is raising
the wider public’s interest and awareness on
science. As reflected in many surveys realized
in the recent years there is a falling interest on
behalf of the wider public concerning science,
even if individuals in general have a positive
perception of science. The main reason behind
this attitude is the lack of attractiveness of science
matters as well as the lack of relevance
to the everyday life. The EXPLOAR service
gives to the users a different insight in physical
phenomena and physical laws. In this way they
are able to observe and thus better understand
the world they live, work, play, perform. As a
result science is brought closer to the individuals.
The way individuals experience science through
the EXPLOAR service is expected to have a
lasting positive impact on the general public
attitude towards science in general. The aim
of the EXPLOAR service is to demonstrate
an innovative approach that involves visitors
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