Learning, Education, and Public Programs in Museums and Galleries

Abstract

The role and place of learning in museums has been transformed in the past 20 years through a shared global community of practice. These transformations are both generic in terms of museological practice and specific to local cultures and conditions. For many, learning has moved from the margins to the core and is now central to what a museum or gallery is and does. We review the last two decades of work in learning and education to find what have been the factors for change and how these have shaped current museum practice. Our approach is bibliographical, citing the extensive literature on museums and learning from many perspectives that is itself an indication of a revolution in the theory, discourse, and delivery. We are entering a difficult period economically and politically, where there can be no presumptions as to the availability of financial support and the place cultural activities will have in the public's conscience. In order to strip back to the basics of museum and gallery learning to see what may remain, we question what will be the sustainable parts of public programs and what will disappear, and to what extent audience participation and collaboration will reduce the need for professional museum and gallery educators.

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