Category Archives: Theory

TikTok and the Power of Collective Improvisation

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Barry

Today I have TikTok on my mind. All fall it was in the press, as a proxy in the economic battles between the President and China. But it was clear the media had a hard time getting its head around … Continue reading →

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My Weekend With Mixed Reality

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Barry

I’ve had my conversion moment – I now believe in the power and potential of mixed reality. In this post I want to explain how it happened and what it means for the future of museums. I first wrote about … Continue reading →

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A Suggested Model for Future-proofing Digital Interactives

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Barry

Last fall, after my experience observing visitors interacting with biological science data through an augmented shark, it got me thinking about how we could learn about future museum visitors by develop cutting-edge prototypes for today’s visitors. Clearly, the tools are … Continue reading →

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A Series of Epistolary Romances: Games and Museums

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Barry

Last year I received a rather unusual request: Would I have a conversation with my friend and colleague James Collins – over many months, like letters sent in days of old – and then publicly share it, inviting others to … Continue reading →

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The Making of a Digital Educator

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Barry

For my recent post on DMLcentral I wanted to explore how digital educators are trained to do what they do… or are we just figuring it out on our own? You can read the original here or read it below … Continue reading →

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Augmented Wearables and the Future of Museums: An Update

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Barry

Below is a re-blog from my latest DMLcentral post, which you can find in its original form here. I wrote this one ready to go a few weeks ago, just before the launch of the widely popular augmented reality mobile … Continue reading →

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The Secret Sauce in Pokémon Go: Big Data

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Barry

My recent post for my DMLcentral column was inspired by my amazement at the emergence of Pokemon Go in the past week (has it REALLY not been a full week yet?). Go check it out on DMLcentral or take a … Continue reading →

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My AR/VR Framework Featured in TrendsWatch2016 Report

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Barry

I open each year’s TrendsWatch report, produced by the Center for the Future of Museums at the American Association of Museums, like a birthday present. Led by Elizabeth Merritt, their Vice President and Founding Director, this survey of emerging future … Continue reading →

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Planning For Disruption: A Use Case in Digital Learning

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Barry

The following is not directly museum-related but I wanted to repost it here because the digital learning innovations I address have relevance for us all. For many years I have worked with the Covenant Foundation to bring digital learning into … Continue reading →

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NYT VR & the Mooshme Matrix of Place-based Augmented Devices

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Barry

Last March, I penned a post “Augmented Wearables and the Future of Museums” in an attempt to better understand the emerging landscape of augmented/virtual reality wearables, and what they might mean for museums. A potential game-changer occurred last week that … Continue reading →

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