The Art of Nurturing Citizen Scientists through Mixed Reality

Modern society requires the public to have an increased knowledge of science beyond the basics, with average people needing to understand concepts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics that rapidly evolve throughout their lifetimes. Our future depends upon closing the gaps between citizen and scientist to create a “Citizen Scientist.” Mixed Reality innovations provide the magic to spark a lifetime of learning for community learning centers by continuously providing new content and reinventing the free-choice learning experience that helps citizens make informed choices in an increasingly complex world. This paper explores a Mixed Reality experiential learning landscape that expands our ability to provide dynamic content structures for venues to engage the user’s physical environment and interactive imagination by incorporating the conventions of story, play and game employed in competing leisure time activities. This is intended to reverse the standard decline of attendance by teenagers and young adults.