T412: Learning in the Museum, Pedagogies in Practice

Museums are spaces for learners of all kinds to question, wonder, investigate, discuss, and build practical and analytical skills. Based in the diverse, world-class collections at the Harvard Art Museums, this practice-based course explores a variety of strategies for object-based teaching and learning, while taking a critical approach to these pedagogies. We will read key scholarship on a range of methods for teaching with art and other objects, and then model and assess those methods ourselves. With the Art Museums as our home base, we will explore what museum education can look like for various types of learners and imagine creative ways to engage them longer and more deeply. Course activities will include field-testing and reflecting on various museum learning strategies at the Harvard Art Museums; field trips to other institution types (e.g. natural history and science museums); active discussions; and group work to design hypothetical learning experiences. Readings on theories and methods in museum pedagogy, with a particular emphasis on art museum pedagogy, will form the basis of our inquiries. The final project will be for students to design, propose, and facilitate portions of a museum-based learning experience.