The Museum as Curricular Site

Abstract

Although museums are considered to be institutions with educational responsibility to the visiting public, planning for the education of the casual visitor to museum settings is seldom discussed in curriculum-making terms. Education in a museum may be defined as the intention to enlighten the public or literally to shed light on the interpretation of the museum's collections or creations. The intended curriculum in a museum, then, would relate to the planning for enlightenment of individuals visiting a particular setting. Using this formulation, the curriculum as experienced would be the actual opportunities taken up by individuals visiting a museum. The curriculum-making process would then include the development or production of a variety of interpretive aids and communication devices. Each museum situation tends to be unique in terms of the educational decisions made. Institutions are distinctive in terms of their subject matter, size, location, funding, missions and mandates, goals and methods, and people working to produce specific environments. Each situation seems to be full of complexities and differences in values and perspectives, and each provides alternative solutions to producing effective environments for casual visitor experience. There are several ways of conceptualizing curriculum making.' Decisions may be made about how most effectively to bring together teaching and learning of subject matter in a particular educational environment. Joseph Schwab's view of the curriculum-making process pays attention to different perspectives and contexts when a group is deliberating about possible action in an educational situation.2 His notions about curriculum

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