Getting the most out of excursions to Museums

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF EXCURSIONS TO MUSEUMS

Notes from a Seminar for STAWS members, July 30, 1998

held at the Sydney Children's Museum, Merrylands.

Janette Griffin, University of Technology, Sydney.

Finding a new Framework

This seminar was based on results of a research project which investigated teacher-led visits to museums and other similar venues. The study included field and literature research looking at the current and possible alternate approaches to teacher-led visits to museums, the behaviours of family groups on museum visits, and elements of successful learning by children, particularly in science.

The research revealed that when family groups visit museums they:

• enter with a sense of curiosity

• take time for orientation

• look very closely at each display in the first gallery, move in random leaps in the second, then scan other galleries

• share their viewing, talk and explain to each other

• link what they see to their own experiences

• respond to physical needs like sitting or having a break after a little more than an hour.

These characteristics closely resemble those which describe successful learning and teaching:

• learning is a process which involves student action

• learning involves sharing ideas

• learning takes place when a sense of curiosity and inquiry is aroused

• central to satisfying curiosity is question-asking

• learning takes place when a child can recognise a better explanation than the one they hold

• when teachers value student-initiated inquiry they increase opportunities for conceptual change towards the generally accepted view.

Comparisons of the informal or 'natural' learning behaviours of family groups in museums with characteristics of an environment which is conducive to learning, reveal a number of common elements. These lie in the definition of purpose for the visit, the timing and tracking of the visit, the choice of specific subject matter to be investigated, the variation in behaviours over time, the group interactions, and in particular the centre of control over the learning.

A framework for a learning unit incorporating ideas based on informal learning strategies, and successful learning in science was formulated and trialed with a Year 5/6 class. The topic investigated was Endangered Animals and included field investigations in the playground, book research, class discussion, a local site field trip, a visit to the Australian Museum in Sydney, student research and presentation of in-depth studies. The Unit was taught jointly by the researcher and the class teacher.

Finally, the school-museum learning framework was trialed by seven teachers working independently and on a range of topics. Findings from these trials were used to modify and develop a final framework, which has been called School-Museum Integrated Learning Experiences in Science. The framework rests on three Guiding Principles and is underlined by the concepts of Purpose, Choice and Ownership. See Table 1.

The overall themes of the SMILES framework are:

• The museum visit is an integral part of a classroom-based learning unit.

• The purpose of the visit is clear and largely driven by the students.

• Emphasis is placed on the museum as an information source, the range of possibilities for finding information are discussed prior to the visit.

• The students have considerable control of the visit, determining where, when and what they do, within a framework provided by the teacher.

• Small group interaction is encouraged.

• Teachers and parents are participants, with the students, in the learning process.

Table 1 SCHOOL-MUSEUM INTEGRATED LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN SCIENCE: The SMILES Framework

GUIDING PRINCIPLES	SMILES GUIDELINES
INTEGRATE SCHOOL AND MUSEUM LEARNING	• embed the museum visit firmly in a classroom-based learning unit, with the museum visit preferably occurring toward the end of the first half of the unit's program; • discuss with the students the different learning opportunities offered by the school and museum and how they can best be used to complement each other in the particular topic being investigated; • plan and prepare with the students the overall concepts to be investigated during the visit; • consider the students' prior experiences of museums, the particular venue, the topic and the learning approach, when preparing for the visit; • clarify with the students the purpose and use of the students' museum learning particularly indicating how they will use the information at school after the visit.
PROVIDE CONDITIONS FOR SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING	• foster curiosity by providing opportunities for students to have choice in their specific selection of learning episodes and sites;   • use a learner-centred approach where the students are finding information on their own area of inquiry, within the parameters set by the teacher;   • encourage students to generate questions and use their museum visit to stimulate interest in finding out more about the topic;   • facilitate formation of autonomous groups of students each accompanied by an adult who has been briefed on the program, and/or has some expertise in the topic area; • facilitate a range of learning approaches and strategies which complement the informal setting and optimise use of all learning opportunities provided; • participate in and model learning in an informal setting.
FACILITATE LEARNING STRATEGIES APPROPRIATE TO THE SETTING	• provide students with information about the setting - its purpose, content, methods of operating and how displays are prepared; • discuss with students the learning strategies and opportunities available and the skills required to use them; • allow a period of orientation at the site; • anticipate variations in students' concentration and depth of examination of exhibits over the period of the visit. Allow both physical and mental rests.

• Students are introduced to the topic and do preliminary investigations at school.

• From these investigations students determine areas of inquiry for their museum visit.

• Orientation to the museum, its purposes, its layout and what it includes, are provided before the visit to help students determine the type of information to seek at the venue.

• The students and teacher together develop the purpose for the visit, as well as sharing the overall planning of the day

• At the beginning of the visit students are physically oriented to the site

• A learner-centred approach is used throughout the day, where individual or groups of students are finding answers to their own questions or areas of inquiry.

• The students are encouraged to work in small groups, preferably with an adult facilitator.

• These groups are given autonomy in their movements, and in their choice of the places they visit, and the times they spend in each.

• The groups are allowed to determine when they have a rest or a break.

• Opportunities are provided for varied learning strategies and styles.

• A variety of activities is available over the duration of the visit, with more detailed and concentrated observations placed early in the visit, and less specific activities later in the day.

• Students are encouraged to gather further questions while at the museum, to use the visit to stimulate interest in finding out more about their topic.

• Students select their own method of recording information.

• Following the visit, students incorporate the information gathered at the museum into their school-based learning project, and investigate further avenues opened up by ideas stimulated by the museum visit.

• Finally students bring all their learning together into some form of report or presentation, shared with the rest of the class.

For further information, please contact Janette Griffin on 9514 5474 or Janette.Griffin@uts.edu.au.