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ANTH 377“Ball State University”

April 11, 2010

Kelsey Perrigo

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Learning in the MuseumGeorge E. Hein

Routledge; April 21, 1998216 Pages

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History of Museums

Display of objects for entertainment is a product of late eighteenth century

Major development of museums occurred during the late nineteenth century

Early museums demonstrated wealth of government

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Educational Theory

Theory of knowledge (epistemology)› Classified by two

extremes: realism and idealism

Theory of learning› Also classified by two

extremes: absorption and transmission

Theory of teaching› Pedagogy for expository

—didactic education › Pedagogy for stimulus-

response education › Pedagogy for

constructivism Figures 2.2 and 2.4, p23-25

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Early Visitor Studies

Before 1900’s, almost no visitor studies Museum fatigue

› Discusses how museums should have fewer objects, changing exhibitions and divide museums between collections and study areas (44)

Growth for museums post-war (1950’s-1960’s), but also lack of empirical visitor study publications

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Holding Versus Attracting

The difference between holding-power and attracting-power is distinguished› Attracting-power addresses the extent that

visitors stayed to look at an object› Holding-power discussed how long visitors

stay looking at a single object or gallery

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The Countenance of Visitor Studies

In the 1970’s, there was a rapid growth of visitor studies as a professional activity

The field has produced professional museum evaluators and there are now professional organizations of museum researchers. › “In the United States, the Committee for

Audience Research and Evaluation (CARE) was recognized as a standing committee of the American Association of Museums in 1989 and the Visitor Studies Association, founded in 1990, had more than 350 members in 1997” (56).

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Evaluation

One of the issues with evaluation is determining whether or not evaluation can be unbiased› Should evaluators should be internal

(employees of the organization) or external (separated from the organization)

› According to Hein, “…separating evaluation from the activity being evaluated” has become an acknowledged practice and has “…supported the rise of large commercial organizations that concentrate on federally funded programs” (61).

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Reliability Versus Validity

Reliability versus validity› Two concepts essential to all research in

social sciences› Validity refers to the extent to which

information gathered is about the phenomena in question

› Reliability refers to the repeatability of a data collection method or of a measurement

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Studying Visitors

The range of methods and tools available to look at human activity is very broad

All methods fall into three categories:› Observing what people do› Using efficient speech› Examining a product of human activity

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Methods of Observation

One observation method is called “tracking and timing” wherein the movement of visitors in the museum is recorded or traced on the floor plan of a gallery (102)

Figures 6.1 and 6.2, p102-103

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Methods of Observation

Naturalistic observation, structured observations, event-based observations, maps and floor plans, drawings, interviews, focus groups, and experience sampling

Figures 6.3 and 6.4, p106-107

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Methods of Observation

Questionnaires or surveys are useful but have key disadvantages:› Good questions are hard to come

by› Questionnaires and surveys are

often unreturned Other written responses mentioned by

Hein include comment cards, participant journals, and pre- and post-tests

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Evidence

Learning in museums is a developmental process› Given rise to two separate approaches to

learning in a museum Categorizing visitors by previous

experience w/ museums Categorizing visitors in terms of their

general stages of development

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Evidence

Learning in museums is a social process› Families of higher levels of education tend to

ask more questions or make more comments than do families at lower levels of education (147-148)

› Culture also influences learning, and effects the outcomes of any form of research on learning Socio-cultural learning is also addressed: “Socio-

cultural theories (Vygotsky 1962/1978) suggest that the origins of intelligence should be sought in peoples social interaction rather than by examining the individuals with the environment” (149)

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Questions to consider

How should a new (or changing) nation-state define its museums, and how can these help to define the culture of the nation? (p10)

In what ways would Learning in the Museum have potentially benefitted the Anthropology Museum?

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Works Cited

Hein, George E. Learning in the Museum. London: Routledge, 1998. Print.