Facilitating the transition from academia to the workplace Theano Moussouri, Archaeology UCL Colloquium, 23/06/09

Museum Studies Taught courses: Museum communication Collections management & care Museum management Digitization & museums Collections curatorship Museum history & theory Seminars, field trips & placement

Communication course: content Educational & social role of museums Conceptualizing & studying audiences Communication theories Interpretation theories Learning theories Basic & applied visitor research skills Exhibition project

Communication course: approach Self-directed and managed learning Scaffolding individual & group learning Creating common understanding

Scaffolding steps I 1.Workshop-like sessions, group presentations, reading groups => bringing student knowledge into public view 2.Guest speakers & field trips => reference to common experience

Scaffolding steps II 3.Exhibition project team & panel meetings: –‘thinking in groups’, monitoring changes in project & own conceptions –sharing sense of purpose with tutors & clients

Exhibition project I Professional development programme Supportive environment Domain-specific knowledge & practice

Exhibition project II Understanding of context within which people work Locally relevant Professional judgment to know when knowledge & techniques should be applied