Abstract
This paper is based on a literature review of how asset (or resource) pedagogies have been applied in museum exhibitions, education programs, and technology. The museum field is not alone in trying to improve inclusion. In the field of education, researchers have found asset pedagogies – a series of teaching practices designed to access the cultures and identities of marginalized learners – to be successful in improving classroom achievement. A 2020 survey by the platform Culture Track found that the audiences of 653 cultural institutions in the US identified as 85% white. With this extreme level of inequity, increasing the relevance of museums to historically underserved audiences is essential to long-term sustainability. This research contributes to making museums more equitable by providing new pedagogical models for engaging audiences. In a systematic literature review, I analyze papers since 1990 that included at least one asset pedagogy as a grounding theory, method of analysis, or suggestion based on research findings. I use an inductive coding process to identify the key trends in applying these learning models. My results suggest that while some institutions have applied asset pedagogies, they have not been widely studied in the museum context. The papers suggest that these pedagogies can be successfully used as design models in museum programming and as methods of analysis for determining the effectiveness of designs. Asset pedagogies may help museums improve relevance to underrepresented audiences by providing more equitable learning experiences and potentially supporting decolonization.
Presenters
Kenna HernlyStudent, Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Asset Pedagogies, Resource Pedagogies, Museum Pedagogy, Education, Museums, Visitors, Diversity
