Hi all!

 Here's a new topic for discussion.

I am invovled in a new project at my non-museum job centered around performance centered learning modules on the web.  This is a product of the theories of Roger Shank, who wrote "Engines for Education".  His website is:

http://www.ils.nwu.edu/~e_for_e/nodes/I-M-INTRO-ZOOMER-pg.html

Anyway, his idea is that people, especially children, learn best when they are doing something they like and are engaged as opposed to what he calls "traditional learning" of sitting in a classroom and being fed information.  This is transferred over to web design of Performance Centered Learning Modules where the information is presented and accessed through a series of questions and related topics.  People don't have to go through the site sequentially but choose what they want to learn and how they want to learn it.  This application is mainly for people with some background in the subject and want to know something specific but can be applied to someone who doesn't know anything on the topic.

As I'm learning about these, esp. the design aspects, I'm thinking of how they could be applied to museum tours and programs.  With the new iGo (Apple Newtons) technology and EPROMs, visitors aren't chained to their tape decks that only play in a certain order or to their little audio wands that can only pick up what is transmitted from the exhibit.

Has anyone using this theory in the museum world?  If so, how are you using it and do you find it effective?

Thanks!

Deb

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