Abstract
Since the publication of George Hein’s seminal work, Learning in the Museums (1998), museums have endeavoured to providing constructivist learning experiences for educational audiences. However, the nature of contemporary educational practice has necessitated that museums develop deeper and more sustained relationships with their audiences and, in doing so, presents many challenges for museums. A key component of this change is the need for ongoing and sustained consultation in an equal, respectful and two-way relationship, where both the audience and the museum are transformed in some way. This presents a major challenge for both museums and museum professionals, many of whom have long been used to a one-to-many relationship with their audiences, rather than the many-to-many model currently being championed by a range of museum thinkers.
This chapter will consider how these challenges can be met through presenting the groundbreaking work of the Australian Museum, in partnership with Professor Susan Groundwater-Smith and the Coalition of Knowledge Building Schools, who have been working together since 2003 in consulting and collaborating with a range of educational audiences, including both young people and teachers. A key component of this work was the close involvement of museum staff, who have now taken on board many of the techniques as well as the mindset developed through this partnership when working with other audiences.
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Notes
- 1.
The Australian Museum, Sydney, was established in 1827 and is Australia’s (and one of the world’s) oldest natural history and anthropological museums. The mission of the Australian Museum is ‘Inspiring the exploration of nature and cultures.’ The primary functions of the Museum are to make information, collections and research available to a wide range of audiences through undertaking scientific research and managing a vast range of collections in the areas of zoology, mineralogy, palaeontology and anthropology. As well, public communication and learning through physical exhibitions, public programmes, publishing, regional outreach and online delivery of services are ways the Museum communicates with a wide variety of audiences. Annually, the Museum attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors to the College Street site and over 15 million visitors to the website http://australianmuseum.net.au/. Accessed 30 April 2010.
- 2.
‘The term “Web 2.0” (2004–present) is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centred design and collaboration on the World Wide Web.’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0. Accessed 30 April 2010.
- 3.
‘Social media is a term for the tools and platforms people use to publish, converse and share content online. The tools include blogs, wikis, podcasts, and sites to share photos and bookmarks.’ http://socialmedia.wikispaces.com/A-Z+of+social+media. Accessed 30 April 2010.
- 4.
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Cut-the-Carbon/. Accessed 30 April 2010.
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Kelly, L., Fitzgerald, P. (2011). Cooperation, Collaboration, Challenge: How to Work with the Changing Nature of Educational Audiences in Museums. In: Mockler, N., Sachs, J. (eds) Rethinking Educational Practice Through Reflexive Inquiry. Professional Learning and Development in Schools and Higher Education, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0805-1_6
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