Object-Based Learning: Exploring Museums and Collections in Education

A rich resource illustrating the key ideas behind learning with things.

This textbook provides an overview of some of the most important approaches to material culture and object analysis to illustrate broader themes and trends in museum studies and pedagogy. Covering diverse topics related to curatorial practice and exhibiting objects, including accessibility, curatorial ethics, colonialism and museums, audience engagement, and histories of collecting, Object-Based Learning weaves together important historical context and theoretical perspectives with practical case studies and exercises. It also includes discussion of timely issues like the role of digital technologies in teaching with objects, the psychosocial role of objects, and the use of collections in health and wellness.