ISLAMABAD, Mar 6 (APP): Pakistan Museum for Natural History (PMNH) has planned to execute a novel initiative the “QR Code Project” to enable visitors to get educational insight into the natural history specimen collection through digital means.
The visitors of the museum will be able to scan a QR code through their smartphone or tablet to get information about any of the exhibited specimens.
Education and awareness of the masses about the various environmental issues and natural resources of this country is an important function of PMNH.
For this purpose, a modest Display Centre has been developed which is visited by a large number of students and other members of the public on a routine basis.
The Teacher Guide is an essential part of the museum display to guide the visitors regarding exhibits or dioramas but with time, the integration of technology has become essential to offer seamless experiences and deliver knowledge efficiently so keeping in mind PMNH has decided to utilize the technology of QR Code.
The visitors can use their Smartphone camera to scan the code which will be available with each exhibit that links to the information about it, like audio transcripts explaining its history and scientific meaning.
It can help visitors to gain knowledge independently as they walk through the exhibits without taking help from other resources.
The idea is to leverage the visitor’s smartphone using an app. The app will have the ability to scan the QR code through the digital camera on a smartphone or tablet and provide an educational multimedia experience and audio tours for the visitors. It would act as a visitor’s digital guide without any human interference.
Talking to APP, the Director General, PMNH, Dr Saima Huma Tanveer informed that the QR project has been submitted to Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) to acquire funding.
This was the much-needed initiative for educating science enthusiasts about the unique specimen exhibited in the museum after conservation, she said.
“QR Code project will add more value to the only natural museum history collection as only visiting the museum without having any historical information is useless for the visitors”, Dr Saima Tanveer said.
The PMNH was established in 1976, under the patronage of the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Ministry of Science and Technology, Pakistan. It has four divisions namely Botanical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Zoological Sciences and Public Services.
The first three divisions are engaged in the collection, preservation, identification, and research activities related to plants, animals, fossils, rocks, and minerals resources of Pakistan, while the latter is responsible for public education through dioramas, exhibits, lectures, workshop, seminar, posters and film shows, etc.
PMNH also provides consultancy and advisory services to public and private sector organizations.
PMNH scientists work on various projects for the popularization of natural history through research publications, displays, exhibits, and dioramas.
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