Strandbeest: stille strand Apodiacula 2 by Theo Jansen |
Every museum has a de
facto learning framework. Ideas and assumptions about learning have some degree of presence across the museum. They are enlisted during exhibit and program
planning and in setting project goals, sometimes incidentally. There is, however, little
assurance that these ideas are well understood, shared across the museum,
thoughtfully connected, build on one another, are applied intentionally, and
reflected on.
The difference for a
museum between a de facto learning framework and one that is deliberately developed
is significant. An explicit learning framework shows staff where they can
contribute their enthusiasm and expertise to create stronger learning
experiences and serve visitors. It allows a museum to align messages about learning and its learning interests internally to staff and
board and externally to stakeholders and partners.
But getting started on a learning
framework can feel overwhelming, especially the first time. Figuring out where
to start, imagining what the midst of the process will feel like, and wondering
if it will be worth the effort are just some of the thoughts that surface. I
sense this when colleagues who are thinking about developing a learning
framework for their museum talk about it. Both interest and hesitation are
present.
For first-timers, the
challenge may be how to describe the learning framework to others or bringing
along reluctant colleagues. From experience, I know of several ways to ease
into projects including Planning to Plan and adapting one museum’s process to a different museum. Another approach, even
better suited to developing a learning framework, is working with a set of
questions that addresses key ideas and probes important understanding. Eight
questions have been helpful to me and to several museums in this process.
1. How does this museum
view learning? How a museum views learning is related to how it sees its role with
its visitors and in its community. Learning frameworks explore and consolidate
a museum’s learning interests: what’s important about learning to the museum,
for its visitors, and how it delivers learning experiences and value. Introducing
this question early in the process helps create a shared view of learning, one
that very likely draws on research, considers the nature informal learning
setting, and focuses on the learner. While composing this view of learning may
require a couple of passes, it helps to anchor other framework discussions and
decisions.
2. What principles about
learning grounded in research and theory support the museum’s view of learning?
Exploring
and describing a museum’s view of learning surfaces beliefs and assumptions
about learning, learners, and the role of context in learning. By taking time
to track down 5 - 7 principles from theory and research that are consistent
with its view of learning, a museum is both strengthening its understanding of
learning and underlining what it feels is of importance. This step also
facilitates making these underpinnings accessible to staff during training and demonstrates
its seriousness about learning to supporters and funders. Addressing this
question recognizes the connection between research and practice and creates an opening for the museum to engage in research itself.
3. How does the museum
view its learners? How a museum views its visitors influences how it plans
for them. If it sees them as learners–as active learners starting at birth and learners
throughout life–it will serve them as learners. While there is tremendous
variety among visitors, they also share some similarities as learners that are worthwhile to note. Significantly, they
have found their way through the museum doors, logged onto its website, or
participated in programs and events. In considering the qualities of learners that it wants to engage in particular, whether it is curiosity, persistence, or empathy,
a museum is reinforcing its view of learning, setting a course for learning
experiences, and pointing to likely learner impacts across the museum.
4. What experiential and
learning platforms allow the museum to deliver learning value? A museum has multiple
valued and complementary resources through which it delivers learning
experiences and value. In addition to its exhibits and programs, it may have
collections, a school, planetarium or digital theater, nature area, library, research
center, or historic building. These are learning assets or platforms. This question is an
opportunity to identify them, describe the attributes that make each platform distinct
and valuable, and identify the related activities and the learner groups they serve.
Addressing this question assists a museum in assessing and building the
capacity of each platform to make an impact on or for learners, the
organization, or the community.
5. In what areas should
the museum focus its expertise and resources to build learning value and to distinguish
itself from other groups serving a similar audience? A museum’s mission,
audience, community priorities, and collections help inform its primary areas
of focus. Drawn from a museum’s strengths, a few selected focus areas such as
creativity, STE(A)M, well-being, play, or global awareness, set priorities for developing
learning experiences. Focus areas help locate themes and topics for exhibitions
and initiatives; they serve as multiple contact and access points to the collection,
assist in being more intentional about developing and delivering experiences,
and guide staff and volunteer training. Too many focus areas, however, disperse a
museum’s efforts, while areas of disproportionate magnitudes create inequalities. Related learning approaches–conversation, making, design thinking, inquiry–that actively engage learners and are used consistently and well support and
advance the focus areas.
6. In what areas does the
museum intend to make learning impacts? Identifying learner impacts is where a museum’s aspirations
for its learners intersect with its internal capacities and the nature of
learning. This is often a challenge. Important clues about what it hopes will
happen for the learner are implanted in the other framework parts, its view of
learning, image of the learner, focus areas and approaches, and learning
experience platforms. Does it hope learners will construct meaning from their
experiences? Develop new attitudes? Change perspectives? Make a personal
connection? Develop a new skill or skills? A technical skill? A thinking skill?
How does each possible outcome relate to the focus areas and learning
approaches? What might an outcome look like for a learner? How does the museum
think it can encourage it?
7. What criteria assist
in selecting, shaping, assessing, and strengthening learning experiences across
the museum?
This question identifies the characteristics that all learning experiences share
across all learning platforms to achieve quality, consistency, and greater or consistent learning value. Criteria aligned with the view of learning and learning
principles guide development of new activities, programs, events, and exhibits.
Clarity about what “socially engaging,” “active participation,” or “multiple
points of view” mean cultivates fluency with them, greatly assisting in assessment and
improvement. Familiarity with these criteria across learning platforms helps in
eliminating less promising choices and facilitates finding successful examples
of how criteria have been applied. The deeper the familiarity with the learning
experience criteria, the more staff is able to engage in innovative thinking
that creates and strengthens learning experiences.
8. What experiential
qualities unify the museum’s experiences across platforms? Every museum has an
experiential brand embedded in its learning experiences. Regardless of its size,
particular experiential learning assets, or its awareness of it, a style
comes through that supports–or undermines–a museum’s learning intentions. Exhibit
activities, programs for different audiences, graphics, an on-line presence,
and thousands of interactions with visitors broadcast a museum’s experiential
brand. It is echoed in its public spaces, color and material palette, and the care of wear-and-tear. Articulating the set of
experiential qualities that connect and unify these experiences expresses the
museum’s essence. Once captured, a museum can work those criteria deliberately,
consistently, and confidently distinguish itself from other settings serving a similar
audience.
True, even a stellar set
of questions doesn’t eliminate the need for a collaborative group, good
thinking, persistence, or the necessary time. Thinking over these
questions, however, will suggest who needs to be part of this exercise and the
information and documents needed for engaging in lively discussion. The
questions help guide the process, inspire thinking, and shine a light on what
parts of a framework contribute and how they connect with one another. More
than a standard list of plan parts or a table of contents might, questions ensure
that each museum’s learning framework will serve its mission, reflect its
community, and build on its existing learning interests.
When colleagues engage with
these questions and with one another, they are likely to transform a de facto
learning framework into a shared understanding of the museum’s most important
ideas about learning and learners and its role in serving them. They are also
very likely to find more questions that will power more learning.
Jeanne, this is a wonderful armature of provocative questions for thinking through a framework. I plan to draw on this extensively in faciltating some development conversations with my leadership team. Thank you, as always, for sharing your thoughtful, expert and insightful perspective!! Sarah Brenkert
ReplyDeleteSarah, I'm so glad you find this set of questions both provocative and useful. Your intention to draw on these questions is a good example of how each museum can customize these questions to its process or learning framework scope. I'd love to hear about where your conversations lead. Good luck, have fun.
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