The play needs of under threes is an under-researched area. In this study, 100 parents and carers were surveyed regarding their visit to a children's museum with a child under three. Using a play taxonomy and observation schedule devised for the study, 50 toddlers were also observed playing with the museum exhibits. The findings showed that whilst…

This brief report describes the growth and expansion of the Art"Access" program at Queens Museum in New York, NY, that is shaped and operated by art therapists and teaching artists. Art"Access" was first piloted in 1983 as Please Touch for individuals who are blind or have low vision. The authors conducted oral history research…

The art community tends to uphold the "norms of the able bodied majority" (Penketh, 2016). For this reason, museum patrons are discouraged from handling the art. While the intent is to preserve the quality of the art is understandable, for visually impaired individuals, this is a problem. In instances when efforts have been made to…

In this paper, I describe an interactive thought experiment and workshop that I conducted at a recent European LAM conference. In this experiment, I asked participants to imagine that we are at the very cusp of creating the next-generation curriculum for a libraries, archives, museum (LAM) program, and that we have a blank slate. I offered a way…

The study presents the development and testing of a model for explaining the learning outcomes when individuals use 3D virtual environments (VEs) in informal learning settings. For that matter, a VE was developed, presenting the work of a sculptress, namely Nausica Pastra. The following subjective factors were considered so as to build a research…

Writing Salon at the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, DC, is a series of free creative writing workshops for adult audiences. The program uses art as an inspiration for writing and embraces writing as a powerful way to experience art. Highlighting the parallels between the writing and art-making processes, the program demonstrates that…

In this autoethnographic narrative article, I apply a feminist antimilitarist lens to discuss how the critical learning that museums can facilitate can provide a powerful pedagogic lens into the past and present, particularly when connected to self. These sites can illuminate the strength of women as they encounter/ed individual and societal…

Museums have a crucial role to play in building active citizens in their societies. In part, museums are well positioned to do this because developing new citizens is greatly strengthened by the study of the challenges and successes of the past. However, in looking for examples to learn from just as much can be gained by examining citizens working…

Museums often cite supporting teachers and schools as a goal, and museum educators frequently create resources or provide professional development for this audience, though the two entities have little contact. This qualitative study sought to examine the perspectives of museum educators at a regional Holocaust museum as they planned and presented…

Rural public libraries hold economic, cultural, and social capital assets in trust for the benefit of their communities. Filling a gap in the study of those assets, 2012 through 2015 rural library statistics from the Institute of Museum and Library Services were combined with public data from the United States Departments of Agriculture and Health…

Over the centuries, changes in technology and education have transformed people's attitudes towards the arts, making them more accessible. Bohemianism and modern art in the 18th century challenged the elitist perception of the arts, democratizing access. Digital tools and online resources have further opened doors to creating and experiencing…

This study focuses on "digital learning sheets" by exploring the effects of different design strategies of the digital learning sheet on visitors' motivation and learning outcomes. This study chose the woodcraft themed exhibition as a case study, adopting the learning sheet design principles proposed by Hooper-Greenhill in order to…

Informal learning (IL) venues such as museums, zoos, scouting, national parks, and community activities are increasingly recognized for their important role in enhancing the public understanding of science. Many benefits to students who participate in rich informal learning experiences are reported in the literature, including improvements in…

Art classrooms and museums are places where teachers and students talk about artworks. However, there is a lack of empirical research into dialogue--the most basic component of classroom teaching and the most used education strategy in museums. I investigated the development and experimentation of a dialogue-and-questioning framework for art…

As K-12 schools strive to enhance education for their students while enabling educators to focus on core competencies, schools must look toward strategic partnerships with outside groups and organizations. Partnerships with families, libraries, museums, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and subject matter experts hold the promise of a brighter…