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Perrigo 1
ANTH 377“Ball State University”
April 11, 2010
Kelsey Perrigo
2
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.