The document discusses why visitors come to museums. It covers several learning theories that can help explain visitor motivations, such as Falk's identity-related visitor motivations which include curiosity, social experiences, connecting to culture, deepening knowledge, and relaxation. Case studies are presented on using tablet computers, adult-only events, children's books museums, and science centers to engage different types of visitors. The overall message is that visitors come to museums to learn and have experiences that relate to their own identities and lives.

1. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
140-летие
политехнический музей
Conference on the 140th Anniversary of the Polytechnical Museum
Tuesday 11 December 2012
ruben.smit@ahk.nl

2. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
• Learning
• Visitor’s Identities
• Case Studies

3. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
• Learning
• Visitor’s Identities
• Case Studies

4. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
physical context:
6. advance organizers
and orientation
7. outreach
8. exhibition design
PRE VISIT
EXPERIENCE
POST VISIT
EXPERIENCE
social context:
4.cultural background
5.social interaction
personal context:
1. prior knowledge,
interests & beliefs
2. motivation &
expectations
3. Choice & Control
MUSEUM
EXPERIENCE
Interactive Museum Experience, Falk & Dierking

5. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Learning Cylcle and Learning Styles, Kolb
Diverger
• Dreamer
• Imaginative
learner
Assimilator
• Deliberator
• Analytic learner
Converger
• Decider
• Common sense
learner
Accommodator
• Doer
• Experiential
learner
Concrete Experience
(feel)
Reflective
Observation
(reflect)
Abstract conceptualization
(think)
Active
Experimentation
(act)
WHAT?
WHY?IF?
HOW?

6. Why do(n’t) they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Learning Tool Box, Claxton
exploration, inve
stigation, experi
mentation, use
of space and
resources
fantasy, visualis
ation, storytellin
g,
to create and
explore
hypothetical
worlds.
creativity, germi
nation of ideas
language, reaso
ning, analyses,
communication.

7. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Flow Learning, Csikszentmihalyi
C
h
a
l
l
e
n
g
e
LOW HIGHS k i l l s
HIGH
Worry
Stressed, Sad
Boredom
Depressed, con
tented
Arrousal
Allert, Focusse
d
Control
Happy, Confident

8. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
• Constructivism
• Visitor’s Identities
• Case Studies

9. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Visitor’s Identities, Falk
1.
The need to satisfy personal
curiosity and subject matter
interest in a intellectually
provocative surrounding.

10. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Visitor’s Identities, Falk
2.
The need to share a
meaningful experience
with someone close and
important to you in a
surrounding that facilitates
‘learning’.

11. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Visitor’s Identities, Falk
3.
The wish to connect with
things and ideas that are
considered as best and
intellectually seen most
important in a certain
culture or society.

12. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Visitor’s Identities, Falk
4.
The need to deepen and
strenghten knowlege in a
specifially content related
environment.

13. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Visitor’s Identities, Falk
5.
The desire to physically, emotionally
and intellectually recharge in a
beautiful and refreshing surrounding.

14. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
• Constructivism
• Visitor’s Identities
• Case Studies

15. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Tablet Computers in Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, UK

16. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
‘Adults Only’ events in Science Museum London, UK

17. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Children’s Books Museum, The Hague, Netherlands

18. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
“Museum visitors come to museums and
bring the whole of their lives with them.”
Eilean Hooper-Greenhill
“People do not come to museums for us. We tend to think
that people are there to see the stuff that we’ve got here.
But that is not true…
They are not coming because of us,
they come because of themselves!”
John Falk

19. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
ruben.smit@ahk.nl

21. Why do they come?
Museum Learning at the Core of our Work
Continium Science Centre, Kerkrade, Netherlands