Cataloging, Analyzing, and Disseminating Museum Information for Educator Audiences

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Collecting and Sharing Information: Libraries, Museums, Partnerships, and the Public

Abstract

Whereas museums and historical sites have traditionally focused on education as a critical element of their mission, it remains challenging for teachers to locate and align museum resources with instructional objectives. This applied research project analyzed online educational resources from the websites of more than 400 mid-Atlantic museums. A small number of exemplars emerged, but less than one third included a link for the K-12 community, fewer than twenty percent aligned with curriculum standards, and only five percent offered a classroom-ready resource. Despite these limitations, our cross-topic coding demonstrated opportunities for broadening museums’ curricular relevance. The project also resulted in an online, searchable database that can be accessed by K-12 educators and researchers seeking to work with museums.

Authors

• Joanna K. Garner, The Center for Educational Partnerships

• James B. Schreiber, Duquesne University

• Terrell Perry, Old Dominion University

• Jennifer Thomas, Virginia Association of Museums

• Amber Inwood, Old Dominion University

• Alexandra Carver, Old Dominion University