Newcastle University

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

In relation to heritage organisations/agencies, museums and art galleries, the aims of the module are to provide an introduction:

To the intellectual framework of communication and learning theories and their applications;

To an understanding of visitors and users and their engagement;

To communication and interpretation planning and programming;

To exhibition, theory and practice with regards to space, layout, exhibition hardware and communication media;

To potential, value, use and application of digital technologies within communication and interpretation;

To writing texts for communicating to visitors and users;

To a range of different types of appraoches that can be used to guide visitors including, information centres, way-side and site display panels, audio tours, and heritage and art trails;

To developing and using live interpretation; and,

To the evaluation of communication and interpretation facilities, media and materials.

The module also provides the knowledge and confidence for students to contribute to interpretation programmes on graduation.

Outline Of Syllabus

In relation to heritage management and tourism, the 'Communication and Interpretation' module addresses the characteristics of the visitors and users of heritage, museum and art gallery venues, and examines the diverse ways information and ideas are communicated to these visitors and users through a range of media and public programmes. Throughout the module, an emphasis is placed on the visitor/user being an active participant in the meaning-making and interpretation processes, which are both enriching and enjoyable.

Topics to be covered in the module include: 1) communication and learning theory; 2) understanding vistors, users and tourists; 3) communication and interpretation planning and programming, especially in terms of developing strategies and implementation plans; 4) theory and practice related to the development of exhibitions; 5) theory and practice of developing written texts to communicate through display panels and exhibition labels; 6) use of other communication facilities, devises and media; 7) use of various forms of live interpretation; and, 8) the evaluation of communication and interpretation facilities and materials.

The module will introduce you to a range of theories and practices through the online material and activities. You will also be provided with a case study that should help you to contextualise and think about the use of the theories and practices within an actual context. The module topics, learning material, activities and case studies should provide you with enough information to explore examples from your own country. You will be expected to visit heritage sites, museums and art galleries near you (or virtually) and critically examine and evaluate them against what you have learnt in the module.

This module can be taken as a stand-alone credit-bearing module, or it can be used as a 'building block', via the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) regulations at Newcastle University, towards building a postgraduate qualification in Heritage Management and Tourism.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of this module a typical student will have:

Gained an understanding of various theories and models of communication, interpretation, and learning;

Gained an awareness of possible conflict between those responsible for the academic study of heritage, and those who control and those who have responsibility for its management and interpretation;

Gained an understanding of the variety and nature of different visitor/user groups who may require differing types and levels of communication and interpretation;

Gained an understanding of the variety of different non-visitor/non-user groups, and the approaches used to develop new audiences and outreach/'in-reach' programmes;

Gained an understanding of the value of, and how to, develop a communication and interpretation strategy and implementation plan;

Developed a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the components that need to be considered when curating and developing exhibitions;

Develop a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of what needs to be considered when writing text for exhibition labels and display panels;

Developed a comprehensive overview of the variety of other communication and interpretation vehicles and media (other than indoor exhibitions that the heritage, museum and art gallery sector uses to communicate with its varied visitors/users;

Gained an insight into the range of digital media and new technologies used in the sector for communication and interpretation;

Gained an insight into the range of 'live interpretation' used in the sector for communication and interpretation;

Gained an understanding of which of the communication approaches and media are best suited to certain contexts and when each can be used to maximum effect; and,

Gained insight into the techniques used in the evaluation of how visitors/users engage with different communication and interpretation facilities and vehicles and the difficulties associated with the gathering of this evaluation type of data and its analysis.

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of this module a typical student will have:

Developed the cognitive skills to reflectively engage with different sources of information and literature in heritage, museum, art gallery and tourism studies in relation to 'Communication and Interpretation' issues in a questioning and well-informed manner;

Developed the cognitive skills to critically examine and evaluate theories and practices in relation to actual examples and case studies in different geographical, economic, social, cultural and political contexts;

Developed the cognitive and practical skills of analysis and appraisal by relating the information acquired through the module to specific problem-solving tasks in their own country; and,

Gained relevant subject-specific theoretical and practical skills, i.e., developed the ability to apply the professional knowledge gained above in a real-life work context.

Further enhanced the key skills, as indicated in the Graduate Skills Framework below.

In addition, by the end of this module a typical student will have:

Developed skills in being able to understand the different visitors and users and be able to target communication programmes accordingly;

Developed the skills to prepare and implement a communication and interpretive strategy;

Developed the cognitive skills to use in making informed choices about the best approaches and media to use to communicate effectively with visitors and users;

Developed the skills to write appropriate text for displays, exhibition labels, online material and educational resources; and,

Gained an understanding of, and how to use, the various tools that can be employed to evaluate visitors/users engagement with communication and interpretation facilities, vehicles, media and materials.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The module will be divided into 8 Units, with 5 learning sessions in each(40 sessions in total). Each session will average out at three hours of expected work and should be able to be completed in one sitting on a single day. As the module will be delivered through an e-learning platform, students will learn through guided independant study.

The module will include:
• Reflective Learning Activities - based on online resources and activities to deliver the module aims and content and to facilitate the acquisition of the necessary knowledge and skills so that students can achieve the learning outcomes by ensuring that they engage with information, case studies and local examples;
• Skills Practice - based on online directed personal site and study visits, students will be expected to consider what they are learning against practical real-life contexts;
• Independent study - based on their own experiences, students will be expected to compare what they are learning in theory and practice with their understandings of the situations in their home country;
• Student-led Group Activity - based on the use of online discussion boards, students will be expected to engage with each other and share their learning experiences in relation to the learning outcomes, thereby enhancing group learning, critical debate, negotiation skills, and a certain amount of team work and the development of interpersonal skills;
• Assessment Preparation and Completion - based on four different online assignment activities to test what students are learning in theory and practice in relation to the learning outcomes along the way; and,
• Assessment Preparation and Completion - based on students completing and submitting one critical evaluation of a case study, they will be required to show that they have achieved a combination of the learning outcomes. In particular, through the critical evaluation, students will have an opportunity to show that they have developed an understanding of the module input and how it relates to work in practice.

All the teaching methods will require a high level of self-motivation, discipline, critical engagement and time management.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

This module is designed to introduce students to the need for effective communication and interpretation in a range of different areas in the heritage, museums and art gallery sector, and to provide them with some theories and basic tools to use in 'real life' situations. The two formative online computer assessment activities (total of 20% of the module mark), will help us and each student to monitor his/her understanding and progress as he/she works through the module. The final assignment (80% of the module mark), written in the form of an 3500-word evaluation of a case study, will test the knowledge and skills gained by asking the student to critically evaluate a heritage/museum/gallery aspect of communication and/or interpretation. This will be divided into two parts: 1) a critical evaluation of the approaches and media used in a particular case study context to communicate to visitors to a site, museum or gallery (either an outdoor experience OR an indoor exhibion or gallery); and, 2) the re-writing of a piece of interpretive text OR an exhibition label. The critical evaluation of the case study will allow students to make use of appropriate theory and analytical tools introduced in the module.

General Notes

N/A