Abstract

While some evidence is available of the valuable role of museums as general learning environments, not much is known about the value of museums in the development of learning in specific creative areas such as design. This paper builds on the work of Hein, Csikszentmihalyi, Falk & Dierking and Hooper-Greenhill on museums as general learning environments to explore the potential of museums as valuable learning environments for tertiary design students. It establishes a theoretical framework for a stage 2 study which will involve the development and testing of a methodology for evaluating creative learning in museum settings.

The work of Cross on the learning styles of designers, and the work of Caban on designers' learning needs, is applied to design learning in museum settings. Empirical studies indicate that the learning styles of designers are systematically different from those of other professional groups, and this has obvious relevance to designers' ways of viewing the world and responding to different environments. A greater understanding of the ways in which designers learn, and of what they need to learn, should assist museums which have a focus on areas which are related to design.

As the capacity to think creatively is an important attribute for designers, the paper examines whether it is possible for museums to enhance this capacity. While there is no general agreement on what is meant by creativity, how it is learned or how it can be taught, the work of Briskman, Edwards, Poincare, Getzels and others can be used to suggest ways of developing creative learning. Csikszentmihalyi's work provides a link between creative thinking and the museum experience, and ideas for museums to provide a more extensive learning interaction resulting in personal growth and considerable skill enhancement.

A research study is foreshadowed which will determine the forms of creative learning that can be fostered effectively in museum settings. The methodology to be developed and tested in the extended study will be adapted from Falk's model of Personal Meaning Mapping and from Csikszentmihalyi's work on optimal learning conditions. The study will involve students from a cross section from both university and TAFE (technical and further education) industrial, architectural, fashion, and graphic design courses.

Date published: August 2000