1 Learning Informal Science with the Aid of Mobile Phones: A Comparison of Two Case Studies Denise Bressler Liberty Science Center 251 Phillip Street Liberty State Park Jersey City, NJ USA dbressler@lsc.org Anne Kahr-Højland University of Southern Denmark/ Experimentarium Carl Lunds Vej 27 5000 Odense C, Denmark akh@dream.dk ABSTRACT Research trends indicate that informal science education could benefit from mobile learning. Yet, very few science centers offer it. In this paper, we report on two science centers that are using mobile phones to enhance visitor learning. The projects are in-progress, yet well-documented. Liberty Science Center is eight months into a three year government grant and Anne Kahr- Højland is in the middle of her Ph.D. work at the Experimentarium. Together, these projects mark the beginning of the knowledge base for informal science learning aided with mobile phones. The purpose of comparing these two case studies is to provide helpful indicators to other science centers looking to implement mobile learning initiatives. Author Keywords Mobile phone, m-learning, informal learning, science center, SMS, MMS INTRODUCTION More and more visitors are walking into museums with their own powerful mobile technology—their phones. Thanks to advances in processor and memory chips, mobile phones are not just for talking anymore; they are complete multimedia centers combining the capabilities of a still and video camera, personal organizer and Web browser all into one device (Marriott, 2005; Stone, 2004). Being a multimedia powerhouse is only one of the phone’s advantages in the mobile learning world. Since museum visitors own their phones, they are familiar with the user interface and can easily direct their m- learning experience. Visitor ownership also presents financial and logistical benefits to museums. The costs of upgrading, maintaining or distributing the devices are minimized because the institutions are not relying on renting out equipment. Given all that, it’s no wonder that Scanlon, Jones and Waycott (2005) “reviewed the trends in contemporary science learning and identified a number of current trends which suggested that mobile learning in informal settings had particular benefits to offer.” Unfortunately, despite all the powerful reasons to pursue mobile phones as a learning platform, the number of science centers investing in m-learning initiatives is miniscule. Part of the hesitation could be due to the absence of a conceptual framework for how to implement an m-learning initiative in informal science education. This paper presents two case studies of projects attempting to contribute to that body of knowledge. The conceptual framework doesn’t exist yet because the knowledge base is too small. More science centers need to create and implement m-learning projects in order to grow the knowledge base. These two projects, which are being developed in a relatively unexplored learning environment, represent the first of their kind. These case studies represent the first significant research and development efforts for using the mobile phone as a technical platform for learning in science centers. Comparisons are drawn to serve as helpful indicators to other science centers looking to implement mobile learning initiatives. PROJECT #1: EXTENDING THE MUSEUM EXPERIENCE With grant funding from the United States National Science Foundation, a mobile phone-facilitated learning companion has been designed and will be implemented at Liberty Science Center (LSC), located in Jersey City, NJ, USA. When the newly renovated science center reopens on July 19, 2007, visitors will use their mobile phones to interact with exhibits, retrieve extra content, and extend their learning experience. This mobile learning initiative is called Science Now, Science Everywhere (or SNSE, pronounced sen-say). Originally conceived in January 2005, SNSE started off as a mobile learning experiment with PDAs, MP3 players and mobile phones. But after meeting with an advisory committee and contracting a Front-End evaluation, LSC realized that the kind of learning they wanted to create would best be facilitated by the mobile phone. Mobile phones were absorbing PDA functionality and MP3 players didn’t have the capacity for instantaneous downloads or two-way communication. The