Research & Evaluation
I am currently undertaking a PhD in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, investigating young children’s experience of Natural History in Museums. This is using constructivist models of museum learning, incorporating Reggio Emilia inspired fieldwork methods within Natural History museum settings. See here for more information, including a list of publications and conference papers.
- I am currently evaluating the HLF-funded Full Circle project for the Media Archive for Central England, which is collecting and archiving home videos and film footage from communities in the Midlands.
- In October 2011 I received the Alison James Professional Development Bursary from the Visitor Studies Group to undertake a research and networking trip to the USA, visiting and presenting my research to museums, consultancy groups and Museum Studies university courses in New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington DC.
- I produced a consultation report on contemporary museum learning theory and uses of digital technology in museum education for Leicester Museums & Galleries.
- I worked with RCMG (Research Group for Museums and Galleries) on the evaluation of Their Past Your Future.
- While based at Thinktank, I was involved in a consultation with young children, carried out by Playtrain. This evaluated the ways in which young children made use of, and understood, an anatomical doll that we had developed. This consultation, carried out by experienced play workers and children’s consultants, fed directly into the workshop that I subsequently developed. I spoke about the project at Playtrain’s 2007 conference “Wow, This is Big!”.
- While working at Thinktank and the Thackray Museum I have carried out a large number of evaluations of the education provision, for both school and family learners. Many of these evaluations have made use of the Inspiring Learning for All framework. Results have been used to understand patterns of visitor learning and inform improvements to the programmes.
- In the summer of 2001, as part of my Masters degree in Science, Culture and Communication, I carried out a work placement at the newly opened Glasgow Science Centre. I undertook quantitative and qualitative research of visitor’s interactions with the hands-on exhibits, which formed the basis of my MSc dissertation.