intro, my background, and some museum education theory

Hi water and the world designers

I thought it would be constructive to start off by introducing myself, my background, and what I hope to accomplish this semester. My name is Rick. I am a second year master’s student in the Museum and Field Studies program. My thesis explores the impact dispersal has on the local adaptation of grasshoppers in CO with a twist of climate change. As an undergrad studying ecology, I began working in the field for the museum’s entomology and botany sections. So, concerning this course I do have some knowledge and experience in aquatic ecosystems, limnology, and climate change biology. However, I hope to contribute far more to our effort as someone knowledgeable and experienced in museum theory, informal and participatory learning, and current museum practices.

Now that I have explained a bit of my story, I have a couple of things to confess/vent. The first is that this will be my maiden voyage in a design based course/project. So I may be asking a lot of questions and/or look really confused at times. Thank you in advance for your patience. Second, I am really looking forward to our trip to the museum on Wednesday. I think it will be a great way for us to begin thinking about how to deliver information and still allow for personal interpretation. While the museum has some incredible exhibits up right now, I think there exists a real concern for finding a middle ground between active and passive learning or a didactic vs. constructivist approach. Below are some helpful excerpts from George Hein's book Learning in the Museum that you may want to glance at.

I am very excited to be a part of this project and especially to see all of your talents as designers!

From Hein’s book Learing in the Museum

Museums organized on didactic, expository lines will have:

• Exhibitions that are sequential, with a clear beginning and end, and an intended order
• Didactic components (labels, panels) that describe what is to be learned from the exhibition
• A hierarchical arrangement of subject from simple to complex
• School programs that follow a traditional curriculum, with a hierarchical arrangement of subject from simple to complex
• Educational programs with specified learning objectives determined by the content to be learned  

Museums organized on stimulus-response lines will be characterized, as are didactic, expository exhibitions, by

• Didactic components (labels, panels) that describe what is to be learned from the exhibition
• Exhibits that are sequential, with a clear beginning and end, and an intended order for pedagogic purposes

Museums organized on discovery learning lines will have:

• Exhibitions that allow exploration, probably including going back and forth among exhibit components
• A wide range of active learning modes
• Didactic components (labels, panels) that ask questions, prompt visitors to find out for themselves
• Some means for visitors to assess their own interpretation against the “correct” interpretation of the exhibition
• School programs that engage students in activities intended to lead them to accepted conclusions
• Workshops for adults that offer expert testimony and other forms of evidence for contemplation and consideration, so participants can understand the true meaning of the material

A constructivist exhibition, like one based on discovery learning, will provide opportunities for visitors to construct knowledge. But in addition, it will provide some way of validating visitors’ conclusions, regardless of whether they match those intended by the curatorial staff. Thus a constructivist exhibition:

• Will have many entry points, no specific path and no beginning and end
• Will provide a wide range of active learning modes
• Will present a range of points of view
• Will enable visitors to connect with objects (and ideas) through a range of activities and experiences that utilize their life experiences
• Will provide experiences and materials that allow students in school programs to experiment, conjecture, and draw conclusions