Why do people go to museums and what do they learn there? How can museums facilitate more effective learning experiences? Investigation of these questions.

Learning in the Museum examines major issues and shows how research in visitor studies and the philosophy of education can be applied to facilitate a meaningful educational experience in museums. Hein combines a brief history of education in public museums, with a rigorous examination of how the educational theories of Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky and subsequent theorists relate to learning in the museum. Surveying a wide range of research methods employed in visitor studies is illustrated with examples taken from museums around the world, Hein explores how visitors can best learn from exhibitions which are physically, socially, and intellectually accessible to every single visitor. He shows how museums can adapt to create this kind of environment, to provide what he calls the 'constructivist museum'. Providing essential theoretical analysis for students, this volume also serves as a practical guide for all museum professionals on how to adapt their museums to maximize the educational experience of every visitor.

The goal of this book is to cull from the last NSF conference, the "best ideas about how children interact with objects & through that interaction acquire new understandings, attitudes, and feelings."

In the first book to take a "visitor's eye view" of the museum visit, Falk and Dierking present research findings to demonstrate people's motivations for visiting museums and how museum professionals can enhance their visitors' experiences.

Teach. & learn. in non-school settings such as museums is a topic of increasing interest to researchers in psych, educ (sci, art, soc stud), cog sci, and to specialists in museum educ. This book fits nicely into a small but rapidly expanding market.

The science museum field has made tremendous advances in understanding museum learning, but little has been done to consolidate and synethesize these findings to encourage widespread improvements in practice. By clearly presenting the most current knowledge of museum learning, In Principle, In Practice aims to promote effective programs and exhibitions, identify promising approaches for future research, and develop strategies for implementing and sustaining connections between research and practice in the museum community.

"Museums and Interactive Virtual Learning provides informal educators with practical resources that will help them to build dynamic digital engagement experiences within their own cultural organizations. Presenting vignettes from experienced museum educators and end users, as well as scientific data and practical resources, the book highlights the mutual benefits interactive virtual learning (IVL) programs offer to the museum and those visiting from a distance. Chapters mirror the step-by-step process of developing reputable IVL programs and emphasize how important it is for cultural organizations to encourage cross-departmental collaboration, if they wish to ensure that their programs align with the overall goals of the organization. Providing a thorough overview of the technologies, budget, marketing and staff requirements, the authors offer a realistic depiction of the work involved in building content for digital engagement. Emphasising the importance of assessing existing programming, the book shows how institutions can adapt content to fit a virtual format and create inclusive digital engagement opportunities that reach local, national, and international audiences. Museums and Interactive Virtual Learning is an essential guide for professionals who are tasked with interpreting the content of a cultural organization and building lasting digital engagement opportunities. It will be particularly useful to those looking to reach diverse audiences"--