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Inclusive museum and its impact on learning of special needs children
Author(s) -
Deng Liya
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
proceedings of the association for information science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.193
H-Index - 14
ISSN - 2373-9231
DOI - 10.1002/pra2.2015.1450520100110
Subject(s) - socialization , special needs , task (project management) , psychology , cultural heritage , scale (ratio) , learning environment , value (mathematics) , developmental psychology , pedagogy , computer science , geography , engineering , cartography , systems engineering , archaeology , machine learning , psychiatry
This study investigates the effect of learning in museums, an informal environment different from the traditional classroom, on children with special needs. The purpose of the project is to examine how the museum experience influences learning and socialization of children with developmental disorders. The author aimed to quantify and understand the value and impact of the museum experience through a mixed methods study design. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a standardized scale, observations, parental surveys, and pre‐ and post‐activity task evaluations. The results revealed a positive impact of the museum learning on knowledge acquisition and socialization demonstrated by increases in the total number of the participants’ information sharing and communication behaviors. The study contributes to improving our understanding of information and cultural needs of children with disabilities in an unconventional learning environment. It also raises public awareness of museums’ capacity to serve increasingly diverse user communities and provide wider access to cultural heritage.