Mbira: A Platform to Build, Serve, and Sustain Mobile Heritage Experiences

The spaces we inhabit and interact with on a daily basis are made up of layers of cultural activity that are, quite literally, built up over time. While museum exhibits, archaeological narratives, and public archaeology programs communicate this heritage, they do not generally allow for interactive, place-based, and individually driven exploration by the public. In recent years, mobile and augmented reality applications have offered both platforms and models for mobile heritage experiences that partially address these issue. Unfortunately, the bar for developing mobile heritage applications is getting increasingly more difficult to reach for many heritage institutions and projects. Quite simply, building robust mobile applications is too technically complicated and specialized for many in the heritage community.

It is within this context that this paper will introduce and explore mbira. Currently being developed at Michigan State University, mbira is an open source platform that empowers cultural heritage institutions, archaeological projects, and heritage landscapes to create, serve, manage, and sustain engaging mobile heritage experiences. Special attention will be paid to the design metaphor of “space and place as museum” that is woven into the fabric of mbira. In addition the paper will explore mbira’s features that support multivocality and public discourse.

Transcript

1. MBIRA Ethan Watrall Department of Anthropology MATRIX: The Center for Digital Humanities & Social Sciences Michigan State University @captain_primate | watrall@msu.edu A PLATFORM TO BUILD, SERVE, AND SUSTAIN MOBILE HERITAGE EXPERIENCES
2. rideau.timescapes.ca @captain_primate | #DH2015
3. mobilehistorical.org | clevelandhistorical.org @captain_primate | #DH2015
4. archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/research/archbritapp @captain_primate | #DH2015
5. 2UNDERLYING LIMITATIONS @captain_primate | #DH2015
6. campusarch.msu.edu u @captain_primate | #DH2015
7. v @captain_primate | #DH2015
8. msu.seum msu.seum.matrix.msu.edu @captain_primate | #DH2015
9. PROJECT GOALS MSU.SEUM v EXPOSE AND EXPLORE THE PROCESS BY WHICH THAT HERITAGE WAS UNCOVERED (QUITE LITERALLY, IN MANY CASES) CREATE A MOBILE EXPERIENCE THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS u @captain_primate | #DH2015 msu.seum.matrix.msu.edu
10. PROJECT GOALS MSU.SEUM v EXPOSE AND EXPLORE THE PROCESS BY WHICH THAT HERITAGE WAS UNCOVERED (QUITE LITERALLY, IN MANY CASES) CREATE A MOBILE EXPERIENCE THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS u @captain_primate | #DH2015 msu.seum.matrix.msu.edu
11. CAMPUS ARCHAEOLOGY FIELDSCHOOL campusarch.msu.edu @captain_primate | #DH2015
12. CAMPUS AS MUSEUM msu.seum.matrix.msu.edu @captain_primate | #DH2015
13. msu.seum.matrix.msu.edu CAMPUS EXHIBITS @captain_primate | #DH2015
14. EXHIBIT LOCATIONS msu.seum.matrix.msu.edu @captain_primate | #DH2015
15. DIGGING DEEPER msu.seum.matrix.msu.edu @captain_primate | #DH2015
16. github.com/matrix-msu/msu.seum @captain_primate | #DH2015
17. WHERE TO GO FROM HERE? @captain_primate | #DH2015
18. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
19. Open source platform designed to empower individuals, projects, and institutions to create and sustain compelling mobile heritage experiences. MBIRA mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
20. SITUATING MBIRA THEORETICALLY v APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY APPLIED (PUBLIC) HERITAGE u w COMMUNITY & PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
21. u LOWERING BARRIER TO ENTRY v CO-CREATION, MULTIVOCALITY w EXPOSING PROCESS & PRODUCT mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
22. CMS/DIGITAL REPOSITORY MBIRA PLUGIN MOBILE TEMPLATES mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
23. MBIRA PLUGIN MOBILE TEMPLATES CMS/DIGITAL REPOSITORY mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
24. kora.matrix.msu.edu | @kora_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
25. KORA MBIRA PLUGIN MOBILE TEMPLATES mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
26. SPACE & PLACE AS MUSEUM mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
27. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
28. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
29. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
30. Location Name Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aenean aliquam elit eu tincidunt dignissim. Proin tincidunt orci sed commodo... VIEW LOCATION mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
31. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
32. DIGGING DEEPER mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
33. BEYOND POINTS & SPACES BUILDING EXPLORATIONS @captain_primate | #DH2015
34. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
35. CO-CREATION, MULTIVOCALITY, & COMMUNITY mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
36. SHARING SOCIALLY @captain_primate | #DH2015
37. SOCIAL MEDIA SHARING mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
38. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
39. GETTING BEYOND COMMENTING ENCOURAGING CONVERSATION @captain_primate | #DH2015
40. PARTICIPATE IN CONVERSATION mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
41. USER GENERATED CONTENT @captain_primate | #DH2015
42. USER CONTRIBUTED MEDIA mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
43. RECOGNIZING & RESPECTING CITIZEN SCHOLARS @captain_primate | #DH2015
44. USER BADGES USER BADGES mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
45. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015 project member project scholar citizen scholar
46. HOW? mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
47. HUMAN MEDIATED AUTOMATED Project administrators assign roles based on personal communication, previously known/ established expertise, etc. Potential citizen experts are flagged and suggested to project administrators based on computational analysis of conversation mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
48. MOBILE TEMPLATES MBIRA PLUGIN KORA mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
49. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
50. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
51. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
52. MOBILE TEMPLATES MBIRA PLUGIN KORA mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
53. MOBILE TEMPLATES MBIRA PLUGIN mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
54. mbira.matrix.msu.edu | @mbira_matrix @captain_primate | #DH2015
55. github.com/matrix-msu/mbira-plugin @captain_primate | #DH2015
56. mbira.matrix.msu.edu @captain_primate | #DH2015 mbira.matrix.msu.edu/try login: demo password: demodemo
57. FIN Ethan Watrall Department of Anthropology MATRIX: The Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences Michigan State University @captain_primate | watrall@msu.edu (THE END)