Navigation North, located in Chico, California, is a team of educators, developers, and designers who build applications and handle web development in the education sector. Three years ago, the Smithsonian contracted Navigation North to research methods to help museums become more accessible through digital environments to teachers, and in turn, make Smithsonian assets more accessible to students who weren’t likely to visit the museum in their lifetime.
Funded through the Gates Foundation, Navigation North conducted research for over a year, gathering evidence and making recommendations to the Smithsonian about what sort of digital environments could be presented to educators worldwide for use in their classrooms. After being awarded the contract to develop the online resource based on their research, Navigation North sought out M&I to assist in design and implementation.
M&I Senior Consultant Earl Jessee had worked with Navigation North previously on a number of projects over the years, and was viewed by them as a great fit to assist with the implementation of the design, content, and user interface elements.
With M&I’s help for design sensitivity, Navigation North was able to create the Learning Lab, a web accessible digital platform that houses a catalog of assets from the Smithsonian’s galleries, museums, and libraries. People who use the Learning Lab can search and store learning resources (like lesson plans), create and share personalized collections, participate in online learning experiences, or find information about the Smithsonian Center for Learning & Digital Access.
With the launch of the Learning Lab has come a greater understanding for what museum culture is, and how those valuable resources can be shared with a larger audience through the strategic use of technology. With the repackaging of museum assets as a commodity within education and the general public, these resources can now be explored and enjoyed by a far larger audience than previously possible.