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ABSTRACT
Few investigations of museums have examined the potential of varying displays as related to learning outcomes. This study focused on two museum spaces, presenting different historical events and featuring different objects’ characteristics and arrangements, as related to seventh- and eighth-graders’ learning and experiences during a self-guided visit. Students responses to pre- and post-visit questionnaires were analyzed qualitatively and via some statistical measures. Three major factors emerged related to students performance: (a) the relevancy of the represented topic to students’ personal world, (b) the use of large and dominant objects as centerpieces that form a framework for processing the assembled information, and (c) the split-attention effect. Implications are discussed for objects’ characteristics and arrangements in the museum space that promote learning.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the staff of The Hecht Museum at Haifa University for their cooperation.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Falk and Dierking, Learning from Museums, 7.
2 E.g., Borun and Dritas, “Developing Family-Friendly Exhibits,” 178.
3 E.g., Eberbach and Crowley, “From Living to Virtual,” 613.
4 Donald, “The Measurement of Learning,” 376.
5 Boisvert and Slez, “The Relationship,” 515.
6 Peart, “Impact of Exhibit Type,” 231–3.
7 Piscitelli and Anderson, “Young Children's Perspectives,” 278–9.
8 Ibid, 279; Anderson et al., “Children's Museum Experiences,” 229.
9 Monti and Keene, Museums and Silent Objects, 243; Yosfan, “A History Museum Curriculum,” 106.
10 Yosfan, “A History Museum Curriculum,” 101–6, 173–5.
11 Harvey et al., “The Influence,” 625.
12 Sanford, “Evaluating Family Interactions,” 83.
13 Martin, “The Past in the Present.”
14 Wineburg, Historical Thinking, 7.
15 Lee, “Putting Principles into Practice.”
16 Ibid; Levstik and Thornton, “Reconceptualizing History,” 476.
17 Leinhardt and Crowley, “Objects of Learning,” 304–5.
18 Schwan and Dutz, “How Do Visitors Perceive the Role,” 234.
19 Bunce, “Appreciation of Authenticity Promotes Curiosity,” 236.
20 Schwan and Dutz, “How Do Visitors Perceive the Role,” 233.
21 Leinhardt and Crowley, “Objects of Learning,” 303.
22 Hapgood and Palincsar, “Fostering an Investigatory Stance,” 173.
23 Ayres and Sweller, “The Split-Attention Principle,” 206–7.
24 Bain and Elllenbogen, “Placing Objects,” 154.
25 Barton, “I Just Kinda Know,” 421; VanSledright, “Fifth Graders Investigating History in the Classroom,” 149–50.
26 Piscitelli and Anderson, “Young Children's Perspectives,” 279.
27 Eberbach and Crowley, “From Living to Virtual,” 332.
28 Macdonald, “Interconnecting,” 155.
29 Maxwell and Evans, “Museums as Learning Settings,” 4.
30 Ayres and Sweller, “The Split-Attention Principle,” 206–7.
31 Solis, David Hutchinson, and Longnecker, “Formal Learning in Informal Settings,” 2.
32 Yalowitz and Bronnenkant, “Timing and Tracking,” 47–9.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Billie Eilam
Prof. Billie Eilam Emerita’s research focuses on cognitive aspects of formal and informal learning (schools, museums) of science and history, as it transpires in different contexts. Her studies examine the application of learning theories in authentic learning situations while considering students’ personal learning spaces. Eilam published the book: “Teaching, Learning and Visual Literacy: The Dual Role of Visual Representations in the Teaching Profession” (Cambridge, 2012) and co-authored two edited books (Springer) on the topic of visual representations, learning, and instruction.
Merav Yosfan
Dr. Merav Yosfan's expertise and focus of research is children's learning and experiences in museums. In her thesis - “A history museum curriculum and parental mediation impact on its transformation” – she examined the characteristics of parents’ guidance to their children during a museum visit.
Joel Lanir
Dr. Joel Lanir is an associate professor in the Information Systems department at the University of Haifa, Israel, where he leads the human–computer interaction lab. His research interests lie in the general areas of human–computer interaction, mobile and context-aware computing, and the design and use of technology for cultural heritage.
Alan J. Wecker
Dr. Alan J. Wecker is the research and development manager for the University of Haifa’s EU Horizon 2020 SPICE project and a research fellow in the Information Systems department. . His research interest is connected to the use of technology in the domain of Cultural Heritage.