Abstract

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Museum is a science communication arena for preschools (ages 5–6), primary and lower secondary schools (ages 7–15), and upper secondary schools (ages 16–19). Natural science and archaeology are areas where the NTNU Museum contributes with exhibitions. By examining the NTNU Museum’s one-hundred-year history, we identify four generations of exhibitions. While the first minimalistic exhibitions contained objects exhibited without context, the objects (e.g., taxidermied animals) are now designed in relation to a thematic message, such as conservation of a species’ habitat. The reach of the NTNU Museum may be examined through the dynamics of the visits from the three groups of students with respect to the exhibitions that are offered. From 1992 to 2016, the number of visitors from the three groups varied considerably from month to month and from year to year. There was, however, a correlation in the fluctuation of visits across the groups (Pearson’s correlation = 0.266, p = 0.000), indicating that all three groups responded positively to the same, new exhibitions, even if the exhibition was directed especially toward one group. Hence, overlapping curricula may allow at least primary, lower, and upper secondary groups to benefit the most from new exhibitions. Monthly attendance peaked in June and November overall, although a variant pattern emerges when attendance is categorized for the groups separately. We propose a paradigm shift toward the fifth-generation museum, where art and artistic become an integral part of outreach work to convey messages and enhance learning outcomes.