Photo Credits: High School students in Fossil Mammal Hall, American Museum of Natural History,1900 (NY State Archives), David Ramírez on Upsplash, NC Museum of Natural Science, 2021

This course is a deep dive into to ways of seeing museum education and public programs.

We start with a look at Museum Education as a way of learning about ourselves, each other, and the world we live in through 'meaningful objects'.

Then, we consider the history of museum education and roles and responsibilities museum education holds in contemporary society and culture. We'll also take a deep dive into the ethics and best practices that make a museum education program effective, 'engaging', and most importantly...enjoyable!

But most of the course centers on your personal exploration and evaluation of a variety of museum education programs. By the end of this course you'll have the foundational knowledge, a basic understanding of pedagogy and practice, and a program assessment toolkit that will help you get more out of museum education as an active and informed participant.

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Photo Credits: Samantha Borges, Sanna Argus Tirén/Nationalmuseumm Stockholm, NASA Celebrates Black History Month with the NMAAHC via Flickr

You'll build skills and frameworks for seeing museum education by reviewing Three Learning Modules (LMs).

Each LM presents a different aspect of history, theory and/or practice in museum education through videos, readings, and case studies. Curated images (read the captions!) and resources are presented to inform and evoke curiosity about museum education and public programs.

Throughout the course, you will put your knowledge and skills into practice with real-world applications via Activities and Fieldwork Projects.

Coursework is reusable and adaptable to any content, format, or mode of programming (physical or virtual). Do the activities and projects on your own or with others. Try them in different venues or types of education programs.

Everything is designed for you to tailor the course content and outcomes to your personal learning goals.

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Photo Credits: Mike Von on Upsplash, Dominika Roseclay, Tuan PM, Levent Simsek on Pexels

By the end of this course you will have gained knowledge, heard diverse perspectives, and practiced critical looking and thinking skills that empower you to see museum education differently.

So, how are we going to manage all of this? Don't worry, I have a plan! Let's check it out...