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Jun 22, 2016 Commentary
"Bird of another feather": re-envisioning professional development for museum learning experts

by Maria Xanthoudaki

The article draws on the case study of the European In-service training course ‘School and Science Museum: Cooperation for Improving Teaching, Learning and Discovering’ aiming to offer insights into the training of educators in museums. It discusses training and contributes suggestions in the context of the contemporary museum context as well as approaches to visitors' learning.

Volume 15 • Issue 04 • 2016

Mar 21, 2013 Commentary
Reflecting on the role of informal learning and visitor experience in science museums

by Maria Xanthoudaki

This short comment presents a few suggestions for the enrichment of JCOM seen from the perspective of an informal learning expert.

Volume 12 • Issue 01 • 2013

Jun 21, 2007 Article
Museums for Science Education: can we make the difference? The case of the EST project

by Maria Xanthoudaki, Brunella Tirelli, Patrizia Cerutti and Sara Calcagnini

This paper addresses the role of museums in education in science and technology through the discussion of a specific project entitled EST “Educate in Science and Technology”. The Project puts together methodologies and activities through which museums can be used as resources for long-term project work. In-service training for teachers, work in class with learning kits or with materials brought in by a Science Van, and visits to the museum are planned and developed jointly by museum experts and teachers. The Project proposes a teaching and learning model which sees the museum experience as central and integral part of a teaching and learning process with more effective outcomes. The analysis of the Project activities and methodologies is based on the work carried out at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci, which perceives the learner (the visitor) at the heart of its educational methodologies and provision.

Volume 6 • Issue 02 • 2007

Dec 21, 2005 Commentary
Beautiful guides. The value of explainers in science communication

by Paola Rodari and Maria Xanthoudaki

During the last annual conference of ECSITE (European Collaborative for Science and Technology Exhibitions; Helsinki, June 2005), for the first time two discussion sessions were devoted to explainers, the innumerable people – young students mainly – who welcome visitors at exhibitions, museums and festivals, who animate laboratories and science shows, who guide, explain and lately also stimulate and manage discussions and participatory procedures. Thanks to the involvement of the speakers, who agreed to submit a broadened version of their papers, JCOM is glad to host the proceedings of these meetings. A great deal has to be done yet in order to analyse the complex European context and to fully understand the explainer’s professional profile.

Volume 4 • Issue 04 • 2005