Museum Education and Outreach (Fall 2023) - Online Course

Museum Education and Outreach (Fall 2023) - Online Course

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Course Description 

An AASLH Small Museum Pro! Online Course

At their heart, regardless of type or size, museums are engaging, dynamic places of education. This AASLH online course, Museum Education and Outreach, is about how we can facilitate visitors’ meaningful and memorable experiences in the informal environments of museums. The program looks at the larger umbrella of programming at sites and explores the large concept of who our audiences are, how best to connect with them, and what is needed to develop various methods.

This course requires regular check-ins, sharing and commenting on peer work, and participation in scheduled live chats. Participants will help shape the flow of the course in addition to providing resources and insights on each other’s work. Assignments are made weekly to allow for regular feedback and dialogue. While work can be done at your own pace, meeting deadlines is encouraged to maximize the experience. Throughout the course you will develop a toolkit of strategies, policies, and documents ready for immediate implementation.

  • Week 1: Defining the Museum / Museums and Memory
  • Week 2: Interpretation Strengths, Weaknesses, and Best Practices
  • Week 3: Audiences and Identifying Your Key Ones
  • Week 4: Education Program Planning, Management, and Evaluation
  • Week 5: Organizing of Museum Education and Outreach
  • Week 6: Community Partners and Funding
  • Week 7: Leading Staff and Volunteers
  • Week 8: Action Plan for Future Programming at your Museum

Details

SESSION DATES: August 28 – October 22, 2023

COST: $215 AASLH Members / $315 Nonmembers / 10% discount for STEPS participants with promo code found in the online STEPS Community

OPEN REGISTRATION:  June 1st, 2023 - August 21st, 2023; 30 participant limit. Courses typically fill up before the registration deadline, so register early.

Course Logistics

FORMAT: Online, Instructor-led, Weekly-paced course

LENGTH: 8 weeks

PARTICIPATION: Students should expect to spend approximately 5-7 hours per week on readings, video discussions, text-based forum discussions, and assignments.

LIVE ZOOM DISCUSSIONS: We recommend downloading the Zoom mobile or desktop app for this course. 

  • A one-hour live Zoom discussion will be held biweekly
  • Final dates/times will be determined by the instructor at the start of the course
  • Zoom discussions are recorded in case a participant is unable to attend the live sessions

MATERIALS: 

TECHNOLOGY: Participants will need access to internet and a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet to participate in this course. For the live Zoom discussions, we recommend having access to a camera and a headset, earpods, or other audio and microphone device. Automatic captioning is available in the Zoom discussions.

CREDIT: Successful completion of this course (B or higher) will earn one credit toward the Small Museum Pro! certificate from AASLH.

Participant Outcomes

At the end of this course you will be able to:

  • describe the characteristics and learning needs of various museum audiences;
  • summarize what we know about learning in museums;
  • assess the strengths and weaknesses of interpretive techniques and program approaches;
  • utilize a system for planning, operating, and evaluating museum educational programs;
  • access resources to assist you in future development of effective learning experiences

Who Should Take This Course

This course is a beginning level course designed for professional staff and volunteers of historical organizations and libraries with historical collections who have little to no experience with developing education programs and goals for museums. Successful participants should be ready to look past traditional methods and challenge themselves to work around site-specific hurdles.

How to Register

Click here for instructions on how to register yourself or another user for this event. 

Click here for instructions on how to register yourself or another user for this event. 

​Jenn Edginton

AASLH Online Course Instructor

Email: edginto2@gmail.com

Jenn Edginton is Director of Interpretation at the Illinois State Museum and a doctoral student in First Nations Education. She has a bachelor's degree in Anthropology and a certificate in Museum Studies from Michigan State University, and a Master's of Science in Education from University of Kansas. She has been working in museums for 15 years and has held positions in the education departments at various museums including The Field Museum, Naper Settlement, and the Museum of Science and Industry.

Her current work focuses on making social sciences inclusive and accessible to all learners. She has presented at various national conferences, including National Council for the Social Studies, American Association for State and Local History, and American Alliance of Museums on inclusive and accessible museum education programming. Jenn is a member of the AASLH 2020 History Leadership Institute cohort. She also co-authored a chapter in Interpreting the Civil War at Museums and Historic Sites.

Key:

Complete
Failed
Available
Locked
Course Resources
Course Guide
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Course Messaging Instructions
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource. Instructions on how to set up your privacy and messaging settings for the course.
You must register to access.
Week 1: Defining the Museum/Museums and Memory
Week 1 Zoom Meeting - 5:30 CT/6:30 ET
08/30/2023 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes
08/30/2023 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes Meeting ID: 864 7924 3923 Passcode: 370951
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Introduce Yourself
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
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Lesson - Seven Practical Guidelines Regarding Learning and Museums
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Week 1 Assignment: Museum Learning Experience Reflection
Passing Grade: B
Passing Grade: B Weekly Assignments are due by midnight Central Time North America on Sundays.
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Week 1 Forum
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue. Building off our assignment on memorable learning experiences, I want us to think a little more about what caused them to be so memorable (both good and bad). There are two main themes a lot of people will mention- educators/interpreters and interpretation/signage. I am interested to know, what qualities do YOU think make a good educator (or if you want to do the opposite: a bad educator). Are these skills that can be learned, or practiced? How does one acquire these skills? How about interpretation without staffing; what makes for a good experience over a bad experience? What are YOU looking for when you go to an unstaffed museum/exhibit/organization but still want to walk away with a good experience and learning something?
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Week 2: Interpretation Strengths, Weaknesses, and Best Practices
Lesson - Museum Audiences-Characteristics, Needs, and Learning
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Week 2 Assignment: Audience Learning Activity
Passing Grade: B
Passing Grade: B Weekly Assignments are due by midnight Central Time North America on Sundays.
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Week 2 Exercise: Visitor Observation Exercise (Optional)
Upload 1 files to pass.
Upload 1 files to pass. Weekly Assignments are due by midnight Central Time North America on Sundays.
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Week 2 Forum
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue. Please take some time to answer the instructor's question(s) and discuss with the class. I want to get the conversation going, so I have a few questions for you. You do not need to answer all of them- try to address 2 questions. • Using Multiple Intelligences: What type of learner are you? How do you know? • Based on the reading, can you give an example of an inquiry activity that you have participated in or seen at a museum? Was it successful or no? How do you know? • Thinking about active learning, a lot of it falls on developing good questions. Using your own site (or a site you worked at) as an example, could you share a few examples of higher-level questioning? • Can you think of any good examples of play at museums you have seen or participated in? • How do you think COVID will affect active learning at Museums? • Is there anything you would add to the Rights of Visitors to Museums, Sites and Cultural Organizations? • What is the most important right in the Rights of Visitors to Museums, Sites and Cultural Organizations?
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Audience Learning Chart
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Observation Exercise
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Week 2 Supplemental Resources
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Week 3: Audiences and Identifying Your Key Ones
Week 3 - Zoom Discussion
09/13/2022 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  0 minutes
09/13/2022 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  0 minutes Meeting ID: 864 7924 3923 Passcode: 370951
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Lesson - Interpretation Strengths, Weaknesses, and Best Practices
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Week 3 Assignment: Strengths and/or Weaknesses
Passing Grade: B
Passing Grade: B Weekly Assignments are due by midnight Central Time North America on Sundays.
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Week 3 Forum
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue. Participants can choose between these questions - they do not need to answer both. 1. The best practices in interpretation and programs are broken into 4 categories in our lesson: interpretation as a transformative communication process, experience sign as strategy, teaching through interpretative processes and hands-on activities and offering multiple perspectives. Using the best practices in interpretation and programs listed in the lesson, describe a museum experience that highlight one of these really well. This could be that you did or another museum did and you participated in. 2. How does your museum serve teachers? How do they serve families? Are their similarities between the two audiences? How does your interpretation change for the two audiences?
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Group Audience Learning Chart: Live Class Session 1.27
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource. Audience Learning Chart from 1.27 Live Class Session
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Margaret Middleton's Family Inclusive Chart
Select the "Open Webpage" button to begin.
Select the "Open Webpage" button to begin.
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Accessibility in IT Design
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Select the "Open Webpage" button to begin.
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Week 4: Education Program Planning, Management, and Evaluation
Lesson - Organizing Museum Education and Outreach
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Week 4 Assignment: Educational Policy
Passing Grade: B
Passing Grade: B Weekly Assignments are due by midnight Central Time North America on Sundays.
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Week 4 Forum
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue. This week's reading is on outreach and getting the museum beyond the physical walls of your institution. Please answer 1 or 2 of the questions- you do not need to answer all. Remember - the forum is a chance for you all to talk to each other- please make sure you interact with other cohort members. I read the forums, but I like watching you all discuss. 1. Museum outreach can be done in various ways. Some of the examples from the books include lecture series, puppet shows, education trunks, distance learning, mobile museums, and more. Has your museum tried any of these types of outreach? What did you do? Was it successful? Did you reach a new audience? 2. If your museum does not have any of those listen in question 1- have you seen or participated in any outreach from another museum? What did that look like? What did you get out of it as a participant? 3. If you were to develop an outreach right now (in Covid times) what might it look like? (This does not need to be a full fledged program, just some ideas....) 4. Any questions about the reading or the content this week? Anything stick out that you want to emphasis? Anything you want further discussion on?
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Excellence in Practice
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Sample Education Policy
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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STEPS AUD and INT Performance Indicators Checklist
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Group Strength and Weakness Document: Live Class Session 2.10
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource. Group Strength and Weakness Document: Live Class Session 2.10
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Week 5: Organizing of Museum Education and Outreach
Lesson - Education Program Planning, Management, and Evaluation
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Week 5 Assignment: Educational Programming Activity Evaluation
Passing Grade: B
Passing Grade: B
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Week 5 Forum
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue. • Develop one evaluation question you would ask to better your museum programming or interpretation? This could be an internal or external question. • Please take some time to answer the instructor's question(s) and discuss with the class.
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Week 5 - Zoom Conversation
09/27/2023 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes
09/27/2023 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes Meeting ID: 864 7924 3923 Passcode: 370951
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Week 6: Community Partners and Funding
Lesson - Developing Programs for Youths, Families, and Adults
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Week 6 Assignment: Youth Programming or Adult Programming
Passing Grade: B
Passing Grade: B Weekly Assignments are due by midnight Central Time North America on Sundays. Select either the Youth Programming assignment or the Adult Programming assignment. You DO NOT need to complete both.
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Week 6 Forum
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue. Museums have needed to be adapted because of COVID, especially in terms of Youth & Adult programming. How have your museum's programs changed? (you can also look at other museums and how they changed) How can museums still reach youths and adults safely during COVID?
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Week 7: Leading Staff and Volunteers
Lesson - Managing Museum Education Staff and Volunteers
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Week 7 Assignment: Job Description
Passing Grade: B
Passing Grade: B Weekly Assignments are due by midnight Central Time North America on Sundays.
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Week 7 Forum
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue. Please answer one of the following (you do not need to answer all) • What is your institution's education volunteer training program looked like? • How do you evaluate volunteer docents? • Have you volunteered in a museum's education department? How was your experience?
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Core Values: Live Session 2.24
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
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Week 7 - Zoom Conversation
10/11/2023 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  Recorded On: 10/12/2023
10/11/2023 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  Recorded On: 10/12/2023 Passcode: Lb6#.Y$C
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Week 8: Action Plan for Future Programming at your Museum
Lesson - Action Plan for Future Programming at Your Museum
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
You must register to access.
Week 8 Assignment: Action Plan
Passing Grade: B
Passing Grade: B Weekly Assignments are due by midnight Central Time North America on Sundays.
You must register to access.
Week 8 - Zoom Conversation
10/18/2023 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  Recorded On: 10/24/2023
10/18/2023 at 6:30 PM (EDT)  |  Recorded On: 10/24/2023 Passcode: *5gSU0e4
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Week 8 Forum
Make 1 discussion post to continue.
Make 1 discussion post to continue. At the beginning of the program, I asked what your goal was for this program. Did you accomplish this goal? If not, how can we help you accomplish it? Anything else you would like to share?
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Course Survey and Certificate of Completion
Course Survey
13 Questions
13 Questions Please note the survey must be completed and a passing grade must be achieved before the Certificate of Completion is available.
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Certificate of Completion
1 Small Museum Pro! Certificate Credit credit  |  Certificate available
1 Small Museum Pro! Certificate Credit credit  |  Certificate available Successful completion of this course (80% or higher) will earn one credit toward the Small Museum Pro! certificate from AASLH.
You must register to access.

If you have any questions, please contact AASLH Professional Development staff at learn@aaslh.org or 615-320-3203.

Cancellation/Refunds for onsite workshops must be submitted in writing via email to learn@aaslh.org or mail to 2021 21st Ave S., Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37212. Cancellations made prior to the early-bird registration deadline date will receive a full refund. Cancellations made between the early-bird deadline date and eight days prior to the workshop will be subject to a $55 processing/materials charge. No refunds will be given within seven days of the workshop date. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received.

Cancellations/Refunds for online professional development (webinars and online courses) must be submitted in writing via email to learn@aaslh.org or mail to 2021 21st Ave S., Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37212. Cancellations made prior to the start date for the online course or the day of the webinar will be given a full refund. No refund will be given after the start date for the online course or on/after the day of the webinar. Registrants may transfer their registration to another person. Registrations cannot be transferred between courses or course sessions. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received.