Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Natural History Museum in Graz, located in the Joanneumsviertel. It’s a museum known for its extensive collection of natural history artifacts, ranging from fossils to live exhibits, and it offers a unique blend of scientific information and interactive experiences. For someone like me, who is focused on the role of interactivity in public education for my master’s thesis, this visit was an inspiring and thought-provoking experience.
In this blog post, I’ll reflect on how my visit to the museum relates to my ongoing research and how it has sparked new ideas for incorporating interactive elements into educational spaces.
Exploring the Museum: A Blend of History and Technology
The museum itself houses a staggering 2.1 million objects, including 1.1 million animals, 650,000 plants and fungi, 200,000 fossils and rocks, and 100,000 minerals. One thing that stood out to me was the diversity of the exhibits—not just in terms of the specimens, but in how they were presented. The museum is divided into several areas, including a main exhibition house in the Joanneumsviertel and other specialized locations like the House of Biodiversity and a study center.
What made the museum especially interesting was the way it integrates modern interactive elements into its exhibits. For instance, there were various touchscreens, video stations, quizzes, and mini-games designed to engage visitors of all ages. The use of these interactive tools helped to bring the information to life, allowing visitors to engage with scientific concepts in a more immersive and hands-on way.
Observation of Visitors and Their Interactions
One of the most insightful parts of my visit was observing how other visitors interacted with the exhibits. It was fascinating to see how people—especially children—were drawn to the interactive components. Instead of passively looking at static displays, they could actively engage with the material. For example, touchscreens allowed visitors to explore different animal species or geological formations at their own pace, and the quizzes added a gamified element that made learning fun.
I paid particular attention to how different people used these interactive stations. Some immediately gravitated toward them, eager to try the mini-games or watch the educational videos, while others preferred to observe first before engaging. It became clear to me that offering a variety of interaction types—both digital and physical—is key to capturing a wider audience. This is something I want to explore more in my own research: how different types of interactivity appeal to different types of learners and visitors.
The educational value of these interactive exhibits also became apparent. Visitors seemed to retain more information when they were able to manipulate objects on a screen or participate in an activity. It’s one thing to read about fossils or minerals in a textbook, but it’s another to be able to zoom in on a high-resolution image of a specimen and explore its details or even simulate a fossil excavation in a mini-game.
Inspiration for My Master’s Thesis: Interactivity in Educational Spaces
This visit was particularly valuable for my master’s thesis, which focuses on how interactive design can be used to educate the public about complex topics, like biodiversity and conservation. The Natural History Museum in Graz gave me a lot of inspiration for how museums can implement these elements successfully.
I’ve been reflecting on how these interactive stations could be translated into different settings—like zoos or aquariums, where I’m researching alternatives to traditional animal exhibits. Imagine an exhibit where, instead of seeing a captive animal, visitors interact with a touchscreen that shows the animal in its natural habitat through high-quality video or even virtual reality. They could learn about the animal’s behavior, its role in the ecosystem, and the threats it faces in the wild without ever needing to keep it in a cage.
Another exciting idea is how gamification can be used in educational settings. During my visit, I saw several examples of interactive quizzes and mini-games that made learning fun. This is something I’d love to explore further in my research—how introducing game-like elements can make learning about complex subjects, like conservation or animal behavior, more accessible and engaging.
What I found particularly insightful was how the museum tailored the interactivity to different age groups. The touchscreens and games were perfect for younger visitors, while more in-depth video content and quizzes appealed to adults. This layering of content, where different forms of interaction cater to different levels of knowledge, is something I want to explore more as I consider how to design educational exhibits that reach a broad audience.
Key Takeaways and Future Research Directions
One of the most important takeaways from my visit was realizing that interactivity is not just about technology—it’s about creating meaningful experiences for visitors. Whether it’s through touchscreens, games, or videos, the goal should be to immerse visitors in the subject matter and encourage them to actively engage with it. I’ve seen how this can work in a museum setting, and I’m excited to see how I can apply these principles to other spaces, like zoos or aquariums, where the focus can shift from passive observation to active learning.
For my thesis, this visit has reinforced the idea that technology can be used as a tool to deepen engagement without relying on outdated models like captivity or static displays. By creating interactive experiences that are informative, fun, and dynamic, we can foster a deeper connection between the public and the natural world.
Overall, my visit to the Natural History Museum in Graz was not just a fun and educational day out—it was an essential step in gathering inspiration for my research. The museum’s use of interactivity and its focus on making complex topics accessible to all kinds of visitors showed me what’s possible when we think creatively about how we share scientific knowledge. I’m excited to keep exploring these ideas and to see how they evolve as I continue working on my thesis.
Futher Reading
Eine Community für Naturfreunde · iNaturalist
BOLD – The Barcode of Life Data Systems
Naturkundemuseum und Studienzentrum: 20 Museen und 1 Zoo in Graz und der Steiermark
