Learning and museums

Learning is central to the work that museums do.

Museums are well placed to offer experiences and opportunities for learning through interaction with collections and objects which bring the past to life. As well as formal learning techniques, museums can engage and inform visitors through interpretation, object based learning and collections-centred activities. There are also opportunities for outreach through loan boxes, mobile museums, touring exhibitions and school visits.

Learning can take many forms:

More information about each of these different types of learning can be found in the left hand menu on this page.

Learning needs to be thought of in a broader context to encompass people of any age and not just be thought of in formal education context.

In the right hand menu on this page can be found various resources to help you in planning, implementing and evaluating effective learning activities.

Inspiring Learning for All can also help. It has been developed as a web-based resource by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and will help you to review and develop learning activities based on a framework of best practice, as well as measuring their impact on learners.