AUGMENTED REALITY AND SHORT VIDEOS: TRANSFORMING MUSEUM EXPERIENCES FOR VISITORS

Augmented Reality (AR) has been increasingly popular to be used in museums as it can bring static displays to life, making historical exhibits more interactive, especially to cater to the vibrant younger generations. To narrate history, the use of AR coupled with short videos can be seen as an innovative strategy to attract visitors and engage them with rich historical events that are related to certain artifacts or displays. Such implementation allows for an interactive and immersive experience, enabling visitors to engage with artifacts and exhibits in ways that extend beyond traditional museum visits. Together, both AR and short videos offer a versatile medium to convey narratives, showcase expert insights, and present behind-the-scenes content. In this paper, the case of the Kota Kuala Kedah Museum, which has successfully implemented AR with short videos as its content, is analyzed. The impact of AR implementation on the museum's ability to attract and retain visitors, particularly in making historical narratives more accessible and engaging, is evaluated. The findings indicate that when used thoughtfully, AR and short videos increase foot traffic and deepen the exhibits' educational impact on visitors, making them more aware of what actually happened at the location hundreds of years back. For this, an interview was conducted with 15 visitors who experienced the AR features, and then content analysis was used to analyze the information. The findings reveal that AR manages to increase the interaction and immersion significantly, allowing the visitors to be more connected to exhibits. In this case, we can conclude that AR was particularly effective in improving the understanding of complex historical events by providing an interactive learning experience. However, technical issues such as glitches and usability challenges were noted, indicating the need for more seamless technology implementation. Nonetheless, this paper highlights the potential of AR to complement traditional exhibits while also emphasizing the importance of balancing digital and physical elements to maximize visitor satisfaction and educational value.