Future of Museums

Today, there are many individual examples of museums and other heritage learning institutions providing learning activities for senior citizens. But as of yet, there has not been any aggregate analysis on how cultural heritage institutions in Europe deal with these issues. The research group on museums and the ageing population will be dedicated to find good examples, analyse them and spread the results through the LEM-network to the inspiration of others. The group will start by creating an overview of experience: what has been done and what has been fruitful (and perhaps not so fruitful) in the different national contexts. The overview will be based on ideas, examples, practices etc, collected by the research group members respectively.

This report is relevant to anyone interested in evidencing the contribution creative learning and museum experiences can have on mental health and wellbeing. This report is the result of a partnership between Tate Modern, London and SLaM (South London and Maudsley) NHS Foundation Trust. As well as the specific results of the programme, it offers an excellent literature review of mental health and wellbeing findings.

A team of researchers across Europe is conducting an experiment to bring the museum into the school using virtual reality technology.

CONNECT project

The CONNECT project team believes that by linking the classroom with science centres, museums, planetariums and observatories, it can marry the best elements of formal curricula with informal learning.

Students still sit in classrooms, but lessons rely heavily on information found on the Internet and on interactive software. Students will be allowed to learn at their own pace. Homework is done on computer and sent to the teacher for grading and parents can access the school’s network to read teacher feedback on their child’s progress.

[T]extbooks and blackboards are out, so are paper and pens. There aren’t even books in the library. Everything is done on laptops

‘One half of the period you’re learning math, the other half of the period you’re learning science. But it all comes together,’ said one student.