Course Description: This required course introduces students to the theory and practice of museums and digital culture and to current research in the field. Students learn how digital culture is transforming museums across the full range of museum functions and activities and become familiar with the digital tools and technologies that engage and inform museum visitors. The course gives a broad overview of the field's development, and examines the issues and challenges museums face today and moving into the future. It surveys digital culture across the museum from the perspectives of digital technology and social contexts including digital information behavior, user experience, digital exhibitions and museums on the Web. Students experience and engage with museum digital culture through lectures, engaging with museum professionals, field observation, and by doing a final project drawn from coursework and class presentation.
Detailed Description: The most significant developments in museums today, and moving into the future, are taking place in the digital life of the museum manifested both in the physical and virtual museum world. Each class explores answers to different questions museums and museum professionals face, which taken together offer a broad view of the many facets and contexts of museum digital culture. Readings are assigned for each class session and students are expected to come prepared for discussion on the topics covered. Guest lectures by museum professionals and site visits give specificity and depth to student understanding of the nature of digital museum work, while from field observations in museums students experience and understand first-hand today’s digital museum culture and the ways different museums are adapting practice to meet the demands of our digital culture. The final course session is devoted to the presentation of student projects, which demonstrate student achievement in the course and give students an opportunity to share their work with the class and get feedback. This course enables students to meet outcome one, theory and practice, of the program’s five outcomes. As a field fueled by the digital revolution, museums continues to experience rapid growth and change driven by creative and innovative research and development. The course pedagogy designed around interaction, participation, experiential and immersive learning, engages students in the digital culture of museums and the museum community.
Course Goals:
Provide students with the core knowledge of the field’s theory and practice grounded in museology and digital cultural heritage.
Introduce students to the range of skills needed to be effective professionals for museums in the digital world, including resume/cover letter basics, project management, proposal writing, and evaluation.
Through lectures, field observation, and speaking with museum professionals, students learn about the organization and application of digital work across museum departments. They observe how museum professionals participate and contribute to digital programs and services in the physical and virtual museum, and how museums use digital to engage and educate users, and to enhance their museum experience.
Students consider the challenges and issues of the use of digital in museums through course readings and discussion.
Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, students will
Gain a critical understanding of museum theory and practice and a broad knowledge museology and digital cultural heritage;
Understand how museums use digital technology for all aspects of museum work both behind-the-scenes and as part of outward-facing initiatives;
Understand and write about digital culture and museums and demonstrate their knowledge and perspectives through discussion in class, field observations, an informational interview summary, and their final project;
Understand the nature museum professional work through site visits, guest lectures, an informational interview, field observation and readings and demonstrate and express this knowledge through discussion, written observation summaries, and final course project; and
Gain a basic understanding of how to plan, fund, manage, execute, and measure the success of a digital project.
Coursework:
Field Observations and Information Interview Summary
Final Course Project
Practice RFP and Grant
Presentation
Grant Proposal and RFP