THE Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House has just won a Silver 2015 MUSE Award for Education and Outreach.

Now in its 26th year, the international competition recognises innovation and achievement in museum media and technology, and this year attraction over 200 applications. MoAD received the award for its digital resource, Learning TRAIL, which incorporates Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, developed in collaboration with EDM Studios, to engage students with the museum’s material culture.

“We pride ourselves on creating interactive and meaningful learning experiences for our students, encouraging engagement with our content in a way that resonates with them,” said director of the museum, Daryl Karp.

Glenda Smith, Head of Lifelong Learning at MoAD comments, “For the students, TRAIL is intuitive, allowing greater time for student-led discussion and reflection at the end of the program. The interactive aspect of this program facilitates social learning, allowing students to discuss, vote and record their opinions in an accessible and enjoyable way.”

It’s all part of the museum’s civics-based programs to thousands of school students, young adults and families from all around Australia, designed to encourage participation rather than observation.

Other award recipients included the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Gold), Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (Bronze) and Metropolitan Museum of Art (honourable mention). This year’s entries included videos, interactive handheld tours, applications, podcasts, blogs, online communities, websites, audio tours, and gallery installations.

The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, open daily 9am – 5pm, for information visit moadoph.gov.au