Learning package learning environments provided by Aalto University ARTS (Helsinki).

1. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Gallery Education and Museum Pedagogy
Design Education
Learning Resources in Exhibitions
Learning in the Tango Exhibition?
Links
References and Further Reading

2. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
This package gives you an overview of learning in exhibitions.
Under each header, you will find a definition or a short
Exhibitions explanatory paragraph followed by links that help you to
develop a deeper understanding of the issue at hand.
Open Learning Environments
Learning
Lifelong Learning
Different Learning Styles
Modes of Learning in Exhibitions
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3. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Exhibitions are public displays of works of art or other
items of interest that are held in an art gallery, museum or
Exhibitions some other context, depending on the type of exhibition.
Exhibits can be constructed around a certain theme,
specific artist or designer, or some other chosen factor.
Open Learning Environments
TANGO is an international design exhibition concerning
intergenerational dialogue and sustainable everyday, which
Learning encourages visitor participation by interactive engagement.
Lifelong Learning
Different Learning Styles
Modes of Learning in Exhibitions
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4. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Exhibitions have a long tradition as forums for learning.
Historically, the aims accorded to exhibitions have
Exhibitions varied from civilizing and educating audiences to, most
recently, providing them with open-ended and
participatory learning opportunities.
Open Learning Environments
Nowadays, the guiding light in exhibition-making is the
Learning idea of lifelong learning, for which exhibitions are seen
to offer ideal settings. In contrast to schools, exhibitions
are open and informal learning environments, where no
Lifelong Learning measurements or accreditations have to take place.
Different Learning Styles
Modes of Learning in Exhibitions
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5. Exhibitions as Learning Environments Here is one of many possible definitions for learning, by the
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA):
Exhibitions – Learning is a process of active engagement with experience.
– It is what people do when they want to make sense of the
Open Learning Environments
world.
– It may involve the development or deepening of skills,
Learning
knowledge, understanding, values, ideas and feelings.
Lifelong Learning – Effective learning leads to change, development and the
desire to learn more.
Different Learning Styles Read more: www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk/learning/
Modes of Learning in Exhibitions
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6. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Lifelong learning is a key concept in today’s gallery education and museum
pedagogy. According to the definition given by the European Commission,
Exhibitions
lifelong learning encompasses “all learning activity undertaken throughout
life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competences within a
Open Learning Environments
personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective”.
Learning Learning happens in various contexts in everyday life, often informally and in
diverse ways, including interaction with other people. Instead of knowledge
transfer, lifelong learning refers to individuals actively broadening their skills,
Lifelong Learning values, and attitudes.
Lifelong learning enlarges the focus of museum pedagogy, gallery and
Different Learning Styles design education from their most common targets – children and adolescent
audiences – to enrich adult visitors’ exhibition experiences.
Modes of Learning in Exhibitions In the NEMO (the Network of European Museum Organisations) website you
can read more about lifelong learning within exhibitions:
www.ne-mo.org/index.php?id=220&STIL=0&C_UID=5
www.ne-mo.org/index.php?id=226&STIL=&C_PID=&C_UID=25
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7. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Exhibitions Learning styles vary from person to person: some prefer to learn by looking
and watching, some by listening, others by doing and experimenting
with their hands. However, people often mix all three approaches in their
Open Learning Environments learning processes.
The key point is that there are many types of intelligence, each as valuable
Learning as the next, and to be able to address diverse audiences, using different
types of educational resources is recommended.
Lifelong Learning Here you can do a little test to find out about your preferred learning style:
www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk/learning/whatis.html
Different Learning Styles
Modes of Learning in Exhibitions
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8. Exhibitions as Learning Environments According to NEMO, the Network of European Museum Organisations,
exhibitions can provide a diverse range of learning opportunities:
Exhibitions
Formal Learning (conscious and goal-oriented learning):
Resources for learning are connected to an exhibition as part of a structured
Open Learning Environments course that leads to a qualification of some kind.
Non-formal Learning (non-goal-oriented learning):
Learning Settings for learning are structured but are not measured or accredited. In
an exhibition this can mean attending a guided tour, a workshop, a talk,
a lecture, a reading circle, or a seminar.
Lifelong Learning
Informal Learning (subconscious learning):
Learning occurs outside of structured contexts and not necessarily
Different Learning Styles intentionally. For instance, many adult visitors explore exhibitions by
themselves, without any set agenda for learning. Still they might get a lot
out of the experience.
Modes of Learning in Exhibitions
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9. Adult Workshop at the Design Museum, Helsinki.
Image Courtesy of the Design Museum.
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10. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Gallery education and museum pedagogy are the most
commonly used terms for activities related to learning in
Gallery Education and Museum Pedagogy exhibitions. A diverse range of both informal and formal learning
can take place within the settings provided by exhibitions:
opportunities vary from specific subject learning to more open-
Participatory Exhibitions
ended processes.
The use of various participatory practices is one way to encourage
visitor exploration. By allowing people to engage with the
contents of an exhibition, creative thinking and actions can be
promoted. By implementing both fresh ideas and good practices
within gallery education and museum pedagogy, exhibitions
can be regarded as inspiring learning sites for various kinds of
audiences.
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11. Exhibitions as Learning Environments Participatory exhibitions open up possibilities for visitors to interactively
engage with the displayed content. Instead of, or in addition to, finalized
objects, the contents can consist of social processes in which people can
Gallery Education and Museum Pedagogy take part. These types of exhibitions can become forums for active exchange
of ideas and experiences.
Participatory Exhibitions Activities carried out within exhibitions can even aim to combat social
exclusion, educate on active citizenship, promote intergenerational and
intercultural dialogue, and contribute to participants’ wellbeing and personal
development.
Through an approach that encourages participation, the TANGO exhibition can
spark new ideas related to visitors’ social, cultural, and physical environment,
provoke creative and critical thinking, and even inspire the audiences to take
positive action within different spheres of their own living environment.
Case Examples:
The Museum 2.0 blog explores participatory museum experiences and ways
that social web philosophies can be applied in museum design. The blogger,
Nina Simon, is the Executive Director of the Museum of Art & History in Santa
Cruz and author of the book Participatory Museum.
A link to the blog:
http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/
An online version of the book: Simon, N. (2010). The Participatory Museum.
Santa Cruz: Museum 2.0
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12. Children’s Workshop “Esa ja esineet”
at the Design Museum, Helsinki.
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Image Courtesy of the Design Museum.

13. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Everyday life with its different experiences and material
environments provides the starting point for design education. It
Design Education
guides the participants in recognizing and articulating their own
experiences. The most important goal is to open up and deepen
the participants’ relationship with their own living environment: to
encourage them to find new meanings related to their surroundings
and connect with them in new ways.
(See Vira, 2004, 20.)
Although design is constantly present in our lives, its meanings
reach beyond the everyday. Design education opens up new ways
to observe our physical and social environment. It explores and
experiments, focusing on the relationship between people and their
surroundings and trying to provide tools for critical, ethical, and
ecological thinking – but also for enjoying the aesthetic pleasure
that our environment can provide us. It also aims to deepen our
understanding of the central elements in design processes: creative
thinking, problem-solving, and artistic expression.
In the TANGO exhibition design education can open up new perspectives
on the possibilities for intergenerational dialogue in our everyday
environment.
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14. Workshop “Avoin kuva” at the Design
Museum, Helsinki. Image Courtesy of the
Design Museum.
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15. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
In this chapter you will find information on various
Learning Resources in Exhibitions
learning resources that exhibitions can provide.
Inspiring Infography
Publications
Guided Tours
Workshops
Side Programmes
Spatial and Technological Solutions
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16. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
For individual visitors who explore the exhibition by themselves,
informative and inspiring wall texts, signs, and infograms that
Learning Resources in Exhibitions
visualize data are especially useful.
Inspiring Infography Various printed or digital information materials (info brochures,
interactive info screens, exhibition website, etc.) complete the
exhibition experience.
Publications
Guided Tours
Workshops
Side Programmes
Spatial and Technological Solutions
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17. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
An exhibition can have an official catalogue that deepens and
broadens its content by going into details. More informal types
Learning Resources in Exhibitions of publications such as magazines or very informal `zines´
are also common ways to open up new viewpoints on the
exhibition, and they provide the possibility to expand its time
Inspiring Infography span by contributing to its documentation and collective
remembering.
Publications Publications do not necessarily have to be printed; they can also
be in audiovisual or other type of format.
Guided Tours
Workshops
Side Programmes
Spatial and Technological Solutions
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18. Exhibitions as Learning Environments Different types of guided tours are probably the most traditional way to
open up exhibitions to audiences. Typically, the guide leads the visitors
through the exhibition, presenting information about it to them. Today,
Learning Resources in Exhibitions
more participatory forms of guidance tend to be favoured: for instance,
the Finnish Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma offers tours where
Inspiring Infography visitors can give a `thumbs up´ or down on the exhibited artworks.
This is one way people’s own reactions, emotions, and experiences can
be brought into the discussion.
Publications
Another option is to have an approachable person present in the
exhibition space. For example, the Museum of South Carelia has offered
Guided Tours the possibility to discuss its exhibitions with their recruited “museum
grannies and grandpas”. Audio or mobile application guides and
podcasts are gaining more and more popularity among museums and
Workshops museum-goers. They offer an easy way to tailor different guided tours
to different needs. They can go into the smallest detail and for visitors
with visual impairments they can be a great way to make the
Side Programmes exhibition come alive.
Spatial and Technological Solutions See – and hear – how MoMa’s collections and exhibitions can be
enjoyed via different multi-lingual audio guides, podcasts, and other
audio formats:
www.moma.org/visit/plan/atthemuseum/momaaudio
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19. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Working with one’s hands can be a great way to understand
and learn: guided tours can be combined with workshops to
Learning Resources in Exhibitions introduce various aspects of the exhibition to visitors through
participation. The workshops are closely related to certain
themes or works in the exhibition, and they are usually tailored
Inspiring Infography according to participants’ needs, knowledge and previous
experience.
Publications Case Example:
Design Studio – Finnish Design Museum’s workshops for
different audiences:
Guided Tours
www.designmuseum.fi/en/education/design-studio/
Workshops
Side Programmes
Spatial and Technological Solutions
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20. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Learning Resources in Exhibitions
Often exhibitions have a side programme consisting of lectures,
Inspiring Infography seminars, talks, reading circles, interventions (by invited artists,
performers, etc.) or other events related to its themes.
Publications
Guided Tours
Workshops
Side Programmes
Spatial and Technological Solutions
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21. Exhibitions as Learning Environments
Learning Resources in Exhibitions Exhibition architecture, design and modes of display can
encourage learning. New and developing interactive exhibition
technologies take visitor experiences to another level. Designing
Inspiring Infography spaces for visitor interaction and recreation can be conducive to
sharing experiences and learning.
Publications There surely are opportunities for completely new solutions
– Could you come up with some of your own?
Guided Tours
Workshops
Side Programmes
Spatial and Technological Solutions
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22. Children’s Workshop “Esa ja esineet”
at the Design Museum, Helsinki.
Image Courtesy of the Design Museum.
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23. Exhibitions as Learning Environments Questions for you:
– What kinds of possibilities open up when exhibited content is more about
Learning in the TANGO Exhibition? processes, ideas and concepts than finalized objects?
– How can the themes and concepts of the exhibition be made tangible to
the audiences?
– How could the theme, intergenerational dialogue, be taken into account
in exhibition design and pedagogy?
– In what ways could the field material gathered during the courses be
present in the exhibition?
– How can an exhibition environment be created that is conducive to
learning?
– How can interactive engagement in the exhibition be encouraged?
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24. Exhibitions as Learning Environments A quick checklist for supporting learning in different institutional
environments:
www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk/export/sites/inspiringlearning/
Links: Designing Great Learning Environments
resources/repository/Quick_checklist2.pdf
A more detailed checklist for creating accessible and inspiring learning
environments:
www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk/export/sites/inspiringlearning/
resources/repository/Detailed_checklist_Places2.pdf
A self-assessment tool for improving possibilities for learning in different
organizations:
www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk/framework/index.html
Collect & Share is a European network that promotes good practices in
learning and education within visual arts for adults. Here is a link to their
list of useful publications: www.collectandshare.eu/reports/index.aspx
Collect & Share publication “Good Practices”, see e.g. p. 6 of the document:
www.collectandshare.eu/common/downloads/good_practice_english.pdf
Collect & Share also hosts a database of informative case studies from
across Europe: www.collectandshare.eu/studies/index.aspx
An online library of audiovisual material on gallery education case
studies: www.lemproject.eu/library/audio-video
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25. References and Further Reading
Vira, R. (2004). In: Ikonen, P. & Vira, R.. Esineet esiin! Näkökulmia
muotoilukasvatukseen. Vantaa: Taiteen keskustoimikunta.
An improvement framework by British Museums, Libraries and Archives
Council provides a tool for creating better learning environments:
www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk/
Link archive by the Finnish Open Museum project
(see the section in English/ “Englanniksi”):
http://avaramuseo.blogspot.com/p/tietopankki.html
Intergenerationality in exhibitions:
A study of grandparents and grandchildren as museum and gallery visitors:
www.le.ac.uk/museumstudies/m&s/Issue%209/beaumontsterry.pdf
A report on benefits for older people from learning in museums, libraries and
archives:
www.mla.gov.uk/what/policy_development/learning/%7E/media/Files/
pdf/2009/Older_Learners_Report_Final_2009_2.ashx
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26. Family Issues exhibition opening at
the Design Museum, Helsinki.
Image Courtesy of the Design Museum.
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