ERIC Number: EJ1060519
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-8756-7555
EISSN: N/A
Using Museum Exhibits: An Innovation in Experiential Learning
Das, Satarupa
College Teaching, v63 n2 p72-82 2015
Museum exhibits can be a tool in experiential learning. While instructors have documented various methods of experiential learning, they have not sufficiently explored such learning from museum exhibits. Museum researchers, however, have long found a satisfying cognitive component to museum visits. This paper narrates the author's design to capture the cognitive experience at museums through integrating two Smithsonian exhibits with introductory Microeconomics and Macroeconomics classes in a two-year college. Cognitive gains made by students during the structured museum visit were reinforced with appropriate readings and assignments. The teaching method outlined is a significant addition to an experiential economist's toolkit. This method, however, can be used in any discipline. Apart from introducing students to a resource for lifelong learning, the inclusion of museum exhibits to academic teaching allows instructors to move away from chalk and talk, increase student engagement, increase content-relevance, provide in-depth coverage of certain areas and improve proficiencies. In a nutshell, the use of museum exhibits improves the overall quality of a course.
Descriptors: Museums, Exhibits, Innovation, Experiential Learning, Teaching Methods, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Two Year College Students, Learner Engagement, Active Learning, Cognitive Development, Race, Student Surveys, Student Attitudes, Questionnaires, Instructional Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A