Digital Storytelling and Engagement in Exhibitions about Shipping

Museums and Science Centres are informal education environments that intend to engage the visitors with their exhibitions. The installation ‘The Highway of the Seas’ in the exhibition Norway is the Sea is a game that teaches players the roles of people employed in shipping and tasks related to shipping from the perspective of a ship operator. We investigate the narrative elements of this installation, how to characterise these, and their impact on engagement. Using such characteristics, informed modifications that increase engagement can be made. Further, we compare aspects of ‘The Highway of the Seas’ with two other installations in a study and find that ‘The Highway of the Seas’ is the most engaging serious game of these three.