COURSE OUTLINE HA 494 Museum Exhibitions: Theory and Development Dillenburg and Morrissey Summer I, 2003 M – W – F May 12 – June 26 PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTOR: Eugene Dillenburg Exhibit Developer Science Museum of Minnesota 120 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul, Minnesota 55102 (651) 221-4706 (651) 221-4514 fax dillenbu@msu.edu gdillenburg@smm.org http://www.msu.edu/~dillenbu/ (class notes and other information) TEXTS: Required: Planning for People in Museum Exhibitions, Kathleen McLean Class handouts Recom’d: Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach, Beverly Serrell 1 SESSIONS: Classes meet 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. in Museum Auditorium, unless otherwise noted Session # 1 Monday, May 12 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Course Intro Assignments due today: Today’s class: none Lecture: Lecture: Lab: Lecture: Intro to course What is an exhibit? Viewing an exhibit at MSU museum Assigning teams for class projects Readings due next session: McLean Handouts Recom’d: Assignments given: Session # 2 Ch. 1 (visitors) Ch. 5 (evaluation) Visitors: Who Does…; Falk Contemporary Theories of Learning, Dierking Multiple Intelligences, Gardner Constructivist Learning Theory, Hein Visitors: Expectations & Behavior; McManus Serrell, ch. 4 (audience) and 5 (learning styles) none Wednesday, May 14 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The Receiver Assignments due today: Today’s class: none Lecture: Lecture: Lab: The museum visitor Evaluation (Kris Morrissey) Developing a questionnaire Interviewer training 2 Readings due next session: McLean Handouts: Recom’d: Ch. 3 (teams) Advocate for Everything, Kamien What’s the Big Idea?, Serrell Storytelling in Science Exhibits; Rounds Outlining Your Exhibit, Edelstein Noodling Around with Exhibit Opportunities, Gurian Serrell, ch. 1 (big idea) and 3 (types of labels) Assignments given: Conduct surveys BREAK #1 May 15 – 27 During this period, you should be: Conducting your surveys Researching the content of your exhibit project Meeting with your teams Catching up on that ton of reading I dumped on you Session #3 Wednesday, May 28 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The Proposition Assignments due today: Today’s class: Surveys (5 points) Lab: Lecture: Lab: Lecture: reviewing / compiling survey data Content development (main message / storyline) Developing a main message Guest speaker (Maria Quinlan Leiby, Mich. Hist. Mus.) Readings due next session: McLean Handouts Recom’d: Ch. 2 (Exhibitions) The Museum and Exhibit Experience; ILC User-Friendly, Kennedy The sound must be an echo…, Dillenburg What is an Exhibit Developer?, Horowitz and Krile Serrell, ch. 6 (levels & modalities) 3 Assignments given: TEAM: write a main message (due session 5) Think of content points for Friday’s lab Session #4 Friday, May 30 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The Dramatization Assignments due today: Today’s class: none Lecture: Lab: Field Trip: Developing and planning exhibit experiences Developing a storyline to local museum (TBD) Readings due next session: McLean Durbin Handouts: Ch. 4 (process) Ch. 6 (problem solving) Ch. 27 (Orientation & circulation; Bitgood) Making Museums Better Learning Experiences; Falk & Dierking Visitor-Centered Exhibit Development; Downey Visitor Orientation & Circulation; Bitgood Assessing Impact of Arrangement…; Falk An Exhibit Team at Work; Grasso & Morisson) Assignments given: INDIVIDUAL: exhibit review (due session 6) Remember: TEAM main message assignment due next session 4 Session #5 Monday, June 2 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The Importance of Story Assignments due today: TEAM main messages (30 points per team member) Today’s class: Lab: Lecture: Lab: Lab: Review Team main messages Exhibit content, story, metaphor and floorplan Jim Volkert’s “The Dinner Party” Developing a storyline and bubble plan Readings due next session: McLean: Handouts: Recom’d: Ch. 5 (transforming spaces) Ch. 7 (interactives) Why are Some Exhibits more Interesting…; Rounds Designing Exhibits that Engage Visitors; ILC A Picture of Visitors; Bricknell and Mann Creating in Teams, Bedno Serrell, ch. 13 (evaluation) Assignments given: TEAM: write a storyline and draw a bubble plan; due next session Reminder: Individual exhibit reviews are due next session BREAK #2 June 3 - 10 During this period you should be: Working with your team on your exhibit storyline and bubble plan Visiting a museum and writing a review, based on class criteria Continuing content research 5 Session #6 Wednesday, June 11 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. * NOTE: extended hours Exhibit Plans and Components Assignments due today: INDIVIDUAL: exhibit reviews (20 points) TEAM: storyline and bubble plan (30 pts. per team member) Today’s class: Lab: Lecture: Lab: Lecture: Lab: Lab: Reviewing team assignments Exhibit plan: creating a content outline Developing an exhibit plan Exhibit components and scripts Brainstorming components Model workshop Readings due next session: McLean Handouts: Recom’d: Ch. 8 (labels) Objectives for Labels; Rand Half a Dozen Hints; Curran Ten Deadly Sins…; Serrell A Label Manifesto; Williams Reading Behavior; McManus Professing the Word; Rupe Borrowing from Technical Communication, Cozart Spinning Fish Tales, Campbell, et. al. Serrell, the whole book, but especially chapters 2, 7, 8 and 20 Assignments given: INDIVIDUAL: develop an exhibit plan for one section of your team project (due next session) TEAM: final presentation of your exhibit, with each individual student presenting a script for one section. 6 Session #7 Friday, June 13 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. *NOTE: this session may run extended hours Label Writing Workshop Assignments due today: INDIVIDUAL: exhibit plan (30 points) Today’s class: anything we didn’t get to yesterday reviewing assignments label writing workshop reviewing final assignment Lecture: Lab: Lab: Lecture: Readings due next session: none Assignments given: Reminder: final presentations due next session. Each team presents exhibit project; each student presents script for one section. BREAK #3 June 14 - 22 During this time, you should be: Writing your final paper Coordinating your project presentation with your team Session #8 Monday, June 23 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.? Note: depending how long the presentations are taking, we might go a little longer if it means we can wrap them up. Final Presentations Assignments due today: Final presentations: Today’s class: Lab: TEAM: INDIVIDUAL: exhibit project script for one section (60 points) Final presentations 7 Readings due next session: McLean Durbin Handout: Assignments given: Session #9 Ch. 12 (constraints and opportunities) chapters 31, 32, and 33 (case studies, working with community) Customizing Exhibit Process; Faron none Wednesday, June 25 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Issues Assignments due today: journal (10 points) class participation (15 points) Today’s class: Lab: Lecture: (if necessary) finish presentations current issues in exhibition GRADING: Class participation Journal Surveys Team assignment: main message Exhibit review Team: storyline / bubble plan Exhibit plan Individual presentation TOTAL 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 15 points 15 15 30 points (per student) 30 30 points (per student) 15 50 ----200 188 points (94%) 176 points (88%) 164 points (82%) 152 points (76%) 140 points (70%) 8