This comprehensive volume highlights and centers untold histories of education at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) from 1937 to 2020, using the critical voices of artists, scholars, designers, and educators. Exploring these histories as transformative and paradigm-shifting in museum education, it elevates MoMA educators as vocal advocates for…

University research labs focusing on education, psychology, and cognitive development have been collaborating with museums more and more over the past decade. Nevertheless, cognitive science labs that primarily engage in basic as opposed to applied research may find it difficult to entice museums to collaborate, and existing collaborations may…

The use of facilitators to engage visitors in conversations at collections-based institutions has the potential to greatly impact and deepen visitor experience. The job requires the development of complex skills across specific strands of study. In this article, we share details on the strands of study in the training of youth floor facilitators…

Purpose: Science museums provide a context for developing and testing engineering activities that support visitors in creating personally meaningful objects. This study aims to propose that narrative design elements in such engineering activities can foster empathy to support engineering engagement among girls ages 7-14.…

The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a serious issue that threatens many species worldwide. Zoos and aquariums are in a prime position to educate visitors about this issue and work to reduce the impact of IWT. This article describes the work of four zoos across the United States that tested different ways to engage with visitors and broader…

This article is a qualitative investigation of teachers' pedagogical approaches to the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. The ten participants are regionally diverse in-service teachers who attended workshops conducted by the 9/11 Memorial Museum and Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York during June and July, 2019. Teachers…

Since its inception in 2011, Museum Teen Summit (MTS), a youth-led collective dedicated to better understanding and transforming the role of young people within museums, sought to act as a bridge between teens and cultural organizations. Over eight years, MTS built an impressive network of youth and adult professionals interested in specialized…

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a machine learning (ML) integrated science curriculum implemented within the Science Research Mentorship Program (SRMP) for high school youth at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) over 2 years. The 4-week curriculum focused on ML knowledge gain, skill development, and self-efficacy, particularly…

This comprehensive study explores the experiences of underrepresented students who have participated in informal science education programs at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Using qualitative methods, including interviews and participant observations, the research uncovers transformative insights shaping the educational landscape.…

The first three children's museums in the world opened in Brooklyn, New York (1899), Boston, Massachusetts (1913), and Detroit, Michigan (1917). This paper examines the contributions of children's museum professionals to museum education through presentations at the American Association of Museums given by the curators of the first three…

In this paper we define the concept of collective usability, a complex systems perspective on usability that positions an entire group, not an individual, as the unit of analysis. Shared XR experiences have inherent temporal and spatial properties that produce emergent, collective impacts which can impede learners' engagement. Assembling large…

Background: This study explored science teachers' participation in a professional development partnership with informal science institutions (ISIs) designed for urban middle school science teachers, known as the "Urban Advantage Science Initiative." The teacher training involved a whole school focused approach, providing teaching…

The 9/11 Memorial Museum's docent program offers visitors artifact-based entry-points into a difficult, emotional history. The program's launch raised a host of questions, many centered on how to balance and convey strongly held, often traumatic, and sometimes conflicting experiences with a newly constructed institutional narrative. This article…

Artmaking, when used as a form of pedagogy and approached in a socially-conscious manner, has the potential to promote agency and create a democratic learning environment for students. This study examines one such project, "The Council," created by artist Adelita Husni-Bey in collaboration with former Teen Program attendees of the Museum…

In the early 1950s television was the hot new broadcast media. The post-war economic boom meant that more and more American households were purchasing televisions, and television programming was growing to meet demand. The moment was rife with the potential to reach more and more people through the dazzling allure of television. Many American…