Museums and education: theoretical approaches and implications for Asian universities / Badrul Isa and Zuraimi Zakaria

Over the last few decades, museums have become centres of learning and not merely places for the exhibition of artefacts. Learning is a process based on knowledge and is not necessarily confined to classrooms. Children learn best through visual interaction and learning through the visual medium is considered to be more effective than learning through texts. In museums, visitors interact with visual objects leading to a more meaningful learning process. Children are especially fascinated with the objects displayed, which can become an effective medium of instruction. This article discusses
educational and psychological theories and empirical studies that
could be employed by museum educators to facilitate effective
museum learning. In addition to teaching approaches, this article
also discusses the possibility for university teaching and learning
experience to be gained at museums and art galleries as part of
training requirements for students undertaking Art and Design
courses as well as Visual Art Education courses in Asian universities.