Learning from Museums

by John H. Falk, Lynn D. Dierking

This is the second edition of John H. Falk and Lynn D. Dierking's ground-breaking book, Learning from Museums. While the book still focuses on why, how, what, when, and with whom, people learn from their museum experiences, the authors further investigate the extension of museums beyond their walls and the changing perceptions of the roles that museums increasingly play in the 21st century with respect to the publics they serve (and those they would like to serve). This new edition offers an updated and synthesized version of the Contextual Model of Learning, as well as the latest advances in free-choice learning research, theory and practice, in order to provide readers a highly readable and informative understanding of the personal, sociocultural and physical dimensions of the museum experience. Falk and Dierking also fill in gaps in the 1st edition. Falk's research focuses increasingly on the self-related needs that museums meet, and these findings enhance the personal context chapter. Dierking's work delves deeply into the macro-sociocultural dimensions of learning, a topic not discussed in the sociocultural chapter in the first edition. Emphasizing the importance of time (and space), the second edition adds an entirely new chapter to describe the important dimension of time. They also insert findings from the burgeoning field of neuroscience. Latter chapters of the book discuss the evolving role of museums in the rapidly changing Information /Learning Society of the 21st century. New examples and suggestions highlight the ways that the new understandings of learning can help museum practitioners reinvent how museums can and should support the public's lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning.

Genres: Museology, Museums, Nonfiction, Education, Textbooks, Reference, History

294 pages, Paperback

Published October 16, 2018

Reviews

[Catapilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores different definitions of learning, particularly learning in a museum context. Falk & Dierking devolve their research on how a person learns, the facilitation of learning, and characteristics of museums visitors. This book explains the Contextual Model of Learning more in depth than their first book, "The Museum Experience".

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would suggest, if you’re going to read this books then skim it to find the info you’re in particular need of. There’s a cool section on “color” theory as it applies to visitor reception of exhibits.
What’s real neat about this guidebook is the summarizing “key points” that accompany each chapter and tells the reader everything they need to know about the chapter. Hence, I recommend that you read the key points and then read in depth the sections that apply to what you need when developing an exhibit.

Great pull-away I got from the book:
“How does this museum, exhibit, or lecture contribute to what someone knows, believes, feels, or is capable of doing?”

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish I could have read the Cliff Notes version. There were some good nuggets, and I took notes, but it could have been shorter. Basically the nature of learning is complex, and museums can improve learning experiences by considering aspects of personal context (why someone chose to visit and what they're interested in), socio-cultural context (the learning that happens through social and interaction and mediation), and physical context (good design and communication). All the information seems to still be very relevant, even though the book is approaching 20 years old.

[Fangtasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A museum workers must read!

[Billiam · Rating 4 out of 5]

people come to museums to find a part of themselves that is already there.