Course Syllabus

Jump to Today

Introduction

This syllabus is an outline of what we will cover. Throughout, the emphasis is on learning by doing – in this case, experiencing firsthand exactly how museums of science around Boston are currently going about their business.

In Week 1, classes will introduce the world of science museums, introduce some core concepts, & lay the ground for fieldwork (readings will be kept to a minimum). Over the long weekend in the middle, students will divide into small teams & visit 2 out of 4 selected museums in the Boston area. In Week 2, teams will prepare and deliver presentations on these museums. Grading will be based on contributions in class and the formal presentations.

Classes will be held in the Collections Workshop on the 3rd floor of the MIT Museum. Teaching in the classroom will take place in 2 sessions per day: Session 1, 10:00-12:00am; and Session 2, 1:00pm-3:00pm. The STS Program will cover the direct costs of fieldwork (essentially, public transport to museum sites, & admission fees where these apply).

Outline Syllabus

Day 1 (Mon 22)

Session I: Introductions; course aims; Syllabus; Canvas site; fieldwork

Session II: Introduction to the 4 Museums: Boston Museum of Science; Harvard Museum of Natural History; MIT Museum; & Paul S. Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation

 

Day 2 (Tue 23)

Session 1: History & development of science museums

Session 2: 3 Magic ingredients: wonder, interactivity & art

 

Day 3 (Wed 24)

Session 1: The role of collections

Session 2: The roles of galleries & programs

 

Day 4 (Thu 25)

Session 1: Scope of fieldwork (how to study science museums)

Session 2: Conduct of fieldwork (teams, venues, methods, practical arrangements, etc.)

 

Days 5 – 7 (Fri 26 – Sun 28)

 FIELD VISITS (by arrangement)

 

Day 8 (Mon 29)

Session 1: Initial reports back from fieldwork

Session 2: Work on presentations

 

Day 9 (Tue 30)

 Session 1: Work on presentations (continued)

Session 2: Work on presentations (continued)

 

Day 10 (Wed 31)

Session 1: Presentation #1 & discussion

Session 2: Presentation #2 & discussion

 

Day 11 (Thu 1)

 Session 1: Presentation #3 & discussion

 Session 2: Presentation #3 & discussion

 

Day 12 (Fri 2)

 Session 1: Comparative Assessments

 Session 2: Conclusions

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due