Project Title: Seeking Opportunity

Museum/Institution: Minnesota Historical Society, originally organized by The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Media Category: Interactive Surface

Program Created: “Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World” opened November 2009 at the MHS History Center, currently on view at the Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, California

Program URL: http://www.benfranklin300.org/timeline/index.html

Project Image(s) and/or Video:

Media Source(s)/Credit(s): http://www.benfranklinexhibit.org/ and http://www.benfranklin300.org/exhibit.htm

Program Description: (150-250 words)

The “Seeking Opportunity” part of the “Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World” exhibition is an interactive game in which visitors can explore what life was like in Ben Franklin’s time.  In the exhibition, there are two kiosks, each with two stools, allowing for multiple visitors to play at one time.  The first screen says, “You are 21 years old and have just completed your multi-year apprenticeship in a trade, paid for by your father’s generosity.  It is now time to seek your opportunity away from home.”  Then the visitor gets to choose a trade: Cooper, Clockmaker, or Chandler.  Each different vocation comes with a different amount of money with which to begin the journey.  Thereafter, a handful of decisions must be made in regards to modes of transportation, random jobs to earn extra money, and so on.  The goal is to successfully travel from Boston to Philadelphia, but occasionally ill-timed events thwart progress.  On the other hand, sometimes fortune smiles and a good opportunity arises.  In the end, the visitor either makes it to Philadelphia, or the journey ends somewhere along the way (usually when the player runs out of money).

Firsthand or secondary review/critique: (150-250 words)

I visited the “In Search of a Better World” exhibition about a year ago with my friend.  The “Seeking Opportunity” game was one of the first things we saw after entering the gallery, and we spent quite a bit of time playing the game, which is very similar to “Wagon Train” and “Oregon Trail,” of early computer game fame.  We played together, making decisions jointly, on the same kiosk.  It was a lot of fun at first, but after we played three rounds, I began to see the outcomes as arbitrary to the decisions we made.  We even played another round, making identical decisions to the last trip we attempted.  The end result was totally different.  I understand that the incidents along the way and conclusions are limited to what the game designer entered, but it would have been better with more user control, offering more opportunities for different outcomes. After we moved on, I started to wonder if there was a huge learning goal for that interactive.  It did give a good overview of what life was like in the early 1700s, but I did not learn anything about Benjamin Franklin, aside from the fact that he probably experienced some of the things included in the game.  It was an enjoyable activity, but I could see children getting involved in the game, neglecting other parts of the exhibition, especially since the game is so close to the entrance. 

Technologies incorporated:

Touch-screens, sound

Internally or externally produced: Externally (not produced at MHS)

Entry Contributor and Date: Leah Juster (02/05/11)

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