The Evolution of Engagement with Young Audiences in Museums in the Last 5 Years
Museums have jumped at the chance to utilize more digital technologies to better engage their audience. Traditionally in museums in western cultures, touching objects on exhibit has been considered taboo for a member of the public (Cooper 2019). With technological advances in 3D printing and modeling, more people can supplement their museum learning with haptic experiences. Engaging with objects by touch supports mental growth and increases comprehension (Cooper 2019). Haptic experiences are especially beneficial for young audiences in museums. Each child has a unique learning style that every museum may not support, but that notion is changing with the increase in digital technologies.
With the introduction of digital technologies in museums, 3D printing has expanded in popularity. 3D prints are a key example of a way to utilize tactile experiences in museums. There are opportunities to scale small or oversized artifacts, replicate delicate objects, and emphasize textural elements (Cooper 2019). As a local example, visitors of the Lubbock Lake Landmark are encouraged to touch 3D prints of different animal bones to comprehend the size and textures of extinct animals. The use of 3D prints for education is now relatively common in museums with the appropriate resources.
In the last five years, there have been more interdisciplinary opportunities for children to learn about using technology while also learning historical content. Turner et al. (2017) provided evidence for the effectiveness of running workshops where the educational components are both passive and interactive. In their study, an educator lectured on the history of shoe buckles, and then, children were able to design and 3D print their shoe buckles. Based on survey data, children demonstrated an understanding of the fundamentals of fashion and social status that shoe buckles could convey. With the context gained from the lecture, the fabricated shoe buckles were personalized by each child. Not all 3D prints were successful, showing that children need to be supervised by an experienced educator to fully utilize the 3D modeling program (Turner et al., 2017). The outcomes of this study are directly related to the Bata Shoe Museum’s mission, as they aim to educate the public on the history of shoes. There is potential to use 3D fabrication and printing to supplement children’s education in museums. Other museums could apply the ideas brought forth by this study to find innovative ways to support their educational missions while also highlighting their collections.
Children’s feedback on museum experiences is essential. They absorb the knowledge within a museum that can lay the groundwork for their academic careers. Patterson (2020) highlighted that the emergence of numerous virtual experiences for children during the COVID-19 pandemic is that adults create children’s museum resources. There has been a gap in sharing content that children have created for other children. A few museums are picking up on this need and reacting to it. Notably, “the National Museums of Liverpool’s “My Home is Museum” initiative invited children between four and eleven years of age to curate exhibits from their collection of objects and artwork at home that represent their lives” (Patterson, 2020). This project aimed to facilitate the museum connection while families were unable to visit museum collections physically. With the astounding success of the initiative in Liverpool, museum-hosted projects, events, and exhibits created by children will likely increase in the foreseeable future.
Museums must continue to pioneer new technologies and research to keep audiences engaged in their educational material for years to come. It is imperative to seek feedback from children to create content that is relevant and encourage their engagement.
