The Informal Museum Learning Experience

Abstract

This chapter focuses on stimulating informal learning through active audience participation. It looks at the way informal museum audiences engage with museum content, the nature of the ‘traditional’ museum approach to informal learning, the contrasting agendas of audiences and museums, and the importance of research on the long-term impact of the visit. The chapter discusses the potential for digital learning before concluding with reference to the impact on formal learning in the museum. An important minority of museum users seek an ‘informed and reflective adult learning experience’ that enables them to interact internally with the art or objects in an ‘intra-personal way’. McIntyre demonstrates that there is nothing passive about those seeking a deep learning and/or aesthetic experience but rather a ‘desire to be involved in a self-exploratory manner’. The digital revolution and rise of participatory cultures bring remarkable new informal learning opportunities.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 5 citations exist upstream.