Poetics and Politics of Interpretation and Education in Museums

Code:

MMUS026

Acronym:

PPIEM

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Museology

Instance: 2023/2024 - 2S

Active?	Yes
E-learning page:	https://moodle.up.pt/
Responsible unit:	Department of Heritage Studies
Course/CS Responsible:	Masters in Museology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MMUS	17	Study plan	1	-	6	41	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

This Course not only aims to provide a general context for a reflexive and critical discussion about issues that relate to key communication, mediation and museums and heritage theories and approaches and, in general terms, to the development of skills related to critical thinking, learn to work collaboratively and research autonomous.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of this Course it is expected that students have acquired the knowledge, skills and competences that best allow them to understand the contexts of mediation in a museological and heritage context, its interrelationships and inherent problems.

In addition, it is considered that this Course provides students with opportunities to develop skills that are essential to initiate and develop a career in mediation in museums and other heritage contexts, namely: knowledge of professional ethics and the ability to investigate and conceptualize issues related to study of communication, practices of representation, learning in museums; or of museum and heritage visitors' motivations and interpretative strategies, the ability to discuss questions related to the future of museum and heritage mediation. 


Thus, at the end of this CU students will be able to:
(a) critically analyse the different theoretical concepts that contextualize the practices of communication, research and evaluation in museums and heritage contexts and to understand its implications in the development of any type of mediation program;
(b) understand, develop and apply different research and evaluation methods in museological and heritage mediation contexts.
c) create, plan and implement mediation programs in museums and other heritage contexts, using the appropriate tools, namely design, digital and management ones.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Does not apply

Program

1. Introduction to the nature and processes of interpretation and representation in museums: object (s) and subject (s); contexts, critiques and practices. Interpretation and representation as encounter. Interpretation and language in museums. 

Mandatory literature

Hilde S. Hein; The^museum in transition. ISBN: 1-56098-396-5
George E. Hein; Learning in the museum. ISBN: 0-415-09776-2
Robert R. Janes; Looking reality in the eye. ISBN: 1-55238-143-9
John H. Falk; The^museum experience. ISBN: 0-929590-07-4
Alice Semedo; Visitar museus e monumentos. ISBN: 978-989-8351-99-9

Teaching methods and learning activities

The sessions of this CU are Theoretical-practical using several teaching-learning approaches. It is used, in particular, the presentation and discussion of open questions and scenarios, audio-visual material, different critical readings of texts or object exploration and, finally, it also resorts to other types of sessions, of a more practical nature in which museological resources are explored and experienced, making use of the field and its interlocutors whenever possible. This contact zone created with professionals is also used as a laboratory, and is understood as an essential opportunity to dialogically test ideas.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho escrito	70,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	30,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	71,00
Frequência das aulas	39,00
Trabalho escrito	40,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	2,00
Trabalho laboratorial	10,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

FLUP regulation applies

Calculation formula of final grade

Evaluation is distributed and beyond (a) quality of participation during the different sessions and accomplishment of tasks defined at the beginning of the semester (i.e. reading tasks) (10%), it takes into account (b) Final essay (5000 words+bibliography+abstract+key-words; storyboard and reflection on laboratory work). This report is carried out in groups to be defined. Work plan needs to be approved by lecturer (90%). Students should attend 2 supervising sessions.

Examinations or Special Assignments

FLUP regulation applies

Internship work/project

FLUP regulation applies

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

FLUP regulation applies

Classification improvement

FLUP regulation applies

Observations

All omitted cases will be solved according to the FLUP regulations.