Museums in the Modern World

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• an understanding of the history of museums and their place in the modern world;
• an awareness of museum policy frameworks and funding;
• an understanding of the professional context of museums;
• an understanding of the theoretical frameworks underpinning heritage interpretation and presentation;
• an understanding of the practical processes required to deliver exhibitions in museums.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• plan, develop and implement creative solutions to heritage issues through the application of appropriate skills and interpretative frameworks;
• critique and present your own evaluation, analysis and synthesis of key issues relating to cultural heritage;
• integrate the results from your own research or fieldwork with that of others to answer specific questions;
• apply, with critical awareness, appropriate theoretical frameworks and practical approaches to relevant debates;
• critique museum presentations and prepare exhibition design proposals for non-professional audiences.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• work effectively alone and/or as part of a team to meet deadlines and reflect on own or others' functioning in order to improve practice;
• evaluate evidence on paper or in the field;
• apply and develop key skills in critical thinking and analysis, written communication, information-handling and professional presentation;

Heritage communication and presentation in the past; the birth of the museum; museums in the modern world; theoretical developments underpinning heritage interpretation and presentation; debates around value; protecting whilst presenting the past; policies and funding; implementing an interpretive scheme.

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures

Seminars

Field trip to a museum

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Black, G. (2012). Transforming Museums in the twenty-first Century. London: Routledge.

Dean, D. (1997). Museum Exhibition. Theory and practice.. London: Routledge.

Marstine, J. (ed.) (2006). New Museum Theory and Practice. Oxford: Blackwell.

Lord, B and G. Lord. (eds) (2002). The Manual of Museum Exhibitions. Walnut Creek CA: Altamira Press.

Ambrose, T. and C. Paine. (2012). Museum Basics. London: Routledge.

Assessment strategy

Formative

This module has been designed around providing formative feedback within the classroom environment through the provision of student-led seminars and formative input to the development of an interpretive scheme. This will allow students to receive formative feedback in advance of the summative assessment of the interpretive scheme.

Summative

There is one assessed essay which allows students to select an area of heritage communication/interpretation that they would like to explore.

The interpretive scheme gives students the opportunity to interpret and present heritage for museum displays and exhibitions.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External