Abstract

The work conducted in the Italian national museums aims to deepen the knowledge of the educational offerings and the way museum departments provide meaning making tools to the public. The hypothesis is that museums don't have a guideline to develop and improve educational offerings; consequently museum experiences cannot become part of a common heritage. To overcome this information, I pinpointed 25 museums with a working educational department and submitted a survey divided in 3 main sections regarding the institution (particularly the history of the educational department), the public (to figure out how inclusive the Italian museums are) and the educational tools (to observe the meaning making attitudes). After gathering data in this first phase, I selected three museums where I interviewed the educational department directors in order to deepen specific topics. The hypothesis has been confirmed, as most of the museums don’t follow a common criterion or a common educational methodology. By putting together the best practices, I tried to define the main elements that compose the museum experience. The result is a balance of interpretation, communication, and learning models requiring skills, knowledge, and motivation both in educators and visitors to start a real dialogue.