A museum studies student from the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University was selected to present her research at the university’s 2012 Graduate Research Symposium on April 6.

Donna Tressler, an M.L.I.S. student who is specializing in museum studies, will present “Learning in Museums: How Does It Happen? A Case Study on the Contextual Model of Learning”: “How does learning happen in a museum? One of the ways is through the Contextual Model of Learning which involves three overlapping contexts: the personal, the sociocultural and the physical. Do all three of these work together equally or does one factor overwhelm the others? How do they work? Using case study as the mode of inquiry, research is conducted in a local museum to help find the answers to these questions.”

Tressler received her bachelor’s degree in history from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. She will receive her Master of Library and Information Science in May 2012.

The museum studies courses in the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State employ a holistic approach to the study of museums as institutions, like libraries, that generate and perpetuate knowledge. Students gain an understanding of museums in context as dynamic, interactive information systems composed of people, objects, and activities.

What distinguishes Kent State’s approach is that the museum is at the center of study, not content. Most museum studies programs take the subject content (e.g., history, natural history, or art) as the focus for student training. The courses offered by SLIS at Kent State make the study of museums their core starting point, allowing content to filter in from previous degree work, other electives or research. Because the SLIS courses are structured within a library and information science framework, students are able to cut across the spectrum of traditional academic disciplines, which strengthens the skills of future museum professional by giving them a broader perspective, a larger knowledge base, and more flexibility.

The Museum Studies specialization within SLIS prepares MLIS graduates with the knowledge and skills required to not only work in traditional LIS careers as librarians and registrars, but also serve as trained information professionals in many additional capacities in museums. The courses offered by SLIS will prepare graduates to work in any type of museum. For more information, visit http://www.kent.edu/slis/programs/mlis/museum-studies.cfm.

The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at Kent State University boasts the only American Library Association-accredited Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.) program in Ohio and the only LIS program in the United States with a museum studies specialization. SLIS also offers a Master of Science in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management and is part of the interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Communication and Information offered through the College of Communication and Information. The school is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s top 20 LIS graduate schools, with a youth librarianship program that is ranked 13th. It is one of the largest library schools in the country, with more than 650 students enrolled.

All the best,

Flo

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Flo Cunningham

Marketing Communications and Public Relations Director

School of Library and Information Science

Kent State University

330-672-0003

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