Learning from Museums: Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning

by John H. Falk

Why do people go to museums and what do they learn there? What roles can museums serve in a learning community? How can museums facilitate more effective learning experiences? John H. Falk and Lynn D. Dierking investigate these questions in Learning from Museums. Synthesizing theories and research from a wide range of disciplines, including psychology, education, anthropology, neuroscience and museum research, Falk and Dierking explain the nature and process of learning as it occurs within the museum context and provides advice on how museums can create better learning environments.

Visit the authors' web page

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

288 pages, Paperback

Published May 10, 2000

Reviews

[Catapilla]

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]

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]

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]

A museum workers must read!

[Billiam]

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