PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FOR PERSONAL LEARNING
The book contains the results of 1994 Annapolis Conference that sought to explore how and what people learn in museums.
Big idea: Understanding even the most fundamental questions about learning in museums remains elusive and further research is necessary.
Strength: Foundational discussion of learning research theories.
Weakness: Lacks a practical component.
Key concepts: Learning is a verb, noun, process, and product. Museums are sites of informal learning. Constructivism: enabling students to make sense of concepts for themselves. Flow: common experiential state that is spontaneous and encourages participation when extrinsic rewards are absent.
Contents: What do we learn in museums; How should we investigate learning in museums; Establishing a long-term learning research agenda for museums; learning in interactive environments: prior knowledge and experience; Museum memory; Intrinsic motivation in museums: why does one want to learn?; The influence of culture in learning and behavior; Evidence of development from people's participation in communities of learners; Human-factor considerations in the design of museums to optimize their impact on learning; learning and the physical environment; Mucking around in museum research; The need for learning research in musuems; Creating an academic home for informed science education.
- David P ( )