Response to Designs for Learning

"Cognitive overload is a huge problem in museums of all kinds (e.g., Evans, 1995; Hedge, 1995), but perhaps especially in hands-on science museums. Consider the challenge: visitors are faced with a gyrating landscape of hundreds of exhibits, none of which they have probably seen before, and none of which has standardized controls, mechanisms, or explanations." (Designs for Learning:Studying Science Museum Exhibits That Do More Than Entertain)

The Article goes further to describe how a museum can combat this by making exhibits that have a limited range of exploration. These can help to limit the amount of mental energy needed to obtain the targeted information. The MOXI attempts to do this in the various tracks. In the sound track the Reactable and the Foley Studios are very interactive and have a wide range of options that can engage quests on several levels. To prime guests for these intensive experiences the quiet quest and sound machine are limited in there interaction level. This allows the guests to take a break from the high engagement activities before moving to another or when guests enter the track they can take a break before starting on the high engagement activities. By combining the high engagement and low engagement exhibits in the same space both engages guests of different levels whole and gives the guests that will be at the museum for an extended period a break from the high engagement activities.