Collecting Experiences: enriching design students' learning in the museum

The Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning through Design (CETLD) and the Art Design Media Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy (ADM-HEA) are organising a symposium to explore art and design students' learning from museums and their collections.

Research conducted by CETLD at the V&A, identified limited targeted educational provision for higher education design students in museums. The same research suggested ambivalence from museum educators about the most effective ways in which to support higher education students learning from museums; this is in spite of the fact that tutors see the role of the museum as an academic facilitator, supporting student learning

 
(Speight, 2007).  Similarly, tutors were ambivalent about ways that they can support students learning from museums, although they believe that museums do provide a range of valuable learning opportunities.

This day seeks to highlight the innovative and exciting work being undertaken in this area. The day will provide an opportunity for museum educators and higher education tutors to hear about pedagogical approaches, collaborative activities and resources developed to support art and design students’ learning from museums and their collections.  Our definition of ‘the museum’ is broad and presentations will range from exploration of departmental handling collections and the uses of university archives, to collaborations between large public museums and higher education institutions.

The day will include a number of facilitated discussion groups exploring the following:

• The activities and role/s of museum educators and higher education tutors in enriching students' learning from museums and their collections.
  

• Research underpinning activities to support higher education students learning from museums and their collections.

More information about the Keynote speaker and presenter's abstracts