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Modern Museum Education

Modern Museum Education

By: Rachel E Gibson
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Rachel Gibson is a museum education researcher, consultant, and former frontline educator helping museum professionals create engaging, sustainable programs for children and families. On the Modern Museum Education Podcast, she explores topics like family learning, audience engagement, museum strategy, program design, intergenerational learning, and the real-world challenges museum educators face every day. Part conference session and part coffee shop chat, each episode blends research-backed insights with practical strategies you can actually use—whether you're planning field trips, designing family programs, leading education teams, or trying to keep your creativity alive in a stretched-thin museum world. If you believe museum education matters deeply—and that your work isn’t childish just because you work with children—you’re in the right place. Discover more at modernmuseumeducation.com!Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
Episodes
  • Episode 23: Is Play in Museums OK?

    Episode 23: Is Play in Museums OK?
    May 20 2026
    Is play in museums ok, or is it a complete distraction from serious learning? In this episode of the Modern Museum Education Podcast, we tackle the deep tension many museum educators feel when incorporating play into their programming. It’s easy to doubt your work when colleagues or the public brush off creative family programs as "just fun," but I’m here to tell you that play and learning aren't mutually exclusive. We dive into the concept of childism to uncover why society views play as frivolous and how adult-centric expectations shape the public's view of museum exhibits. By placing solid research behind our practice, we can confidently confront these normative assumptions. You will discover how play motivates personal learning, learn how Harvard's Pedagogy of Play framework supports autonomy, and explore how to apply Keller’s ARCS model of learning to your programs. Whether you call it choice-based learning, embodied engagement, or play, it’s exactly what our visitors need to thrive.Ready to implement these playful strategies without getting bogged down in academia? Come join the conversation in our free Telegram community, the Engagement Lab (modernmuseumeducation.com/lab), or check out my professional workshop services to train your staff on handling play in your space. Head over to ModernMuseumEducation.com for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode!For the full show notes and resources mentioned in this episode, head to modernmuseumeducation.com/23 Resources Mentioned in Today's EpisodeJoin the Engagement Lab: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/labFind out how to partner with Rachel to improve your museum programs You can find all the books I recommend on this podcast on my Bookshop.org Podcast Recommendations & Resources ListAcademic Articles Referenced:Harvard’s Project Zero: The Pedagogy of PlayMardell, B., Ryan, J., Krechevsky, M., Baker, M., Schulz, T. S., & LiuConstant, Y. (2023). A pedagogy of play: Supporting playful learning in classrooms and schools. Project Zero. https://pz.harvard.edu/resources/pedagogy-of-play-book https://pz.harvard.edu/projects/pedagogy-play The ARCS Model of LearningKeller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ARCS model of instructional design. Journal of Instructional Development, 10(3), 2–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02905780 What is play?Sutton-Smith, B. (1997). The ambiguity of play. Harvard University Press.What is childism?Wall, J. (2019). From childhood studies to childism: Reconstructing the scholarly and social imaginations. Children’s Geographies, 20(3), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2019.1668912Related Episodes and Blog PostsEpisode 22: Designing Programs for Kids and Adults Episode 21: Fostering Family Engagement Ways I Can Help YouCustom Made Museum Education Program Materials: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/museum-ready-materialsMuseum Education Professional Development: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/frontline-focus-workshops Museum Education Program Evaluation & Design: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/full-program-designConnect with RachelEmail: rachel@modernmuseumeducation.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelegibson/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/modernmuseumedWebsite: www.modernmuseumeducation.com
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    26 mins
  • Episode 22: How to Design Museum Programs for Kids and Adults

    Episode 22: How to Design Museum Programs for Kids and Adults
    May 20 2026

    Have you ever watched families in your museum and noticed that one person is totally engaged while someone else is completely checked out? In this episode of the Modern Museum Education Podcast, we’re breaking down exactly how to design museum programs that work for kids and adults at the same time.

    We are moving way beyond just slapping a coloring sheet on a side table with a powerful program design shift that helps you create true collaborative family learning experiences, even if you are working with a tight, scrappy museum budget and zero dedicated children's spaces.

    What you’ll discover:

    • A breakdown of the nine principles of intergenerational collaborative learning.
    • The secret to “layering content” so different age groups get different information at the exact same time.
    • Easy "object-to-self" prompts you can use on guided tours tomorrow to get families talking.

    Stop stressing over a lack of space and start building programs that activate the entire group. Head over to modernmuseumeducation.com to grab the full show notes, explore our budget-friendly museum-ready materials, or join the conversation in our free Telegram community, the Engagement Lab!

    For the full show notes and resources mentioned in this episode, head to modernmuseumeducation.com/how-to-design-museum-programs-for-kids-and-adults.


    Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode

    • Join the Engagement Lab: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/lab
    • Find out how to partner with Rachel to improve your museum programs
    • Research Referenced:
      • The U.S.S. Constitution Museum’s Engage Families Project https://engagefamilies.org/
    • You can find all the books I recommend on this podcast on my Bookshop.org Podcast Recommendations & Resources List

    Related Episodes and Blog Posts

    • Episode 21: How to Foster Family Engagement in Museums
    • Episode 6: Finding What’s Personal in a Museum

    Ways I Can Help You

    • Custom Made Museum Education Program Materials: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/museum-ready-materials
    • Museum Education Professional Development: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/frontline-focus-workshops
    • Museum Education Program Evaluation & Design: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/full-program-design

    Connect with Rachel

    • Email: rachel@modernmuseumeducation.com
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelegibson/
    • Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/modernmuseumed
    • Website: www.modernmuseumeducation.com
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    16 mins
  • Episode 21: How to Foster Family Engagement in Museums

    Episode 21: How to Foster Family Engagement in Museums
    May 18 2026

    Ever wonder why families actually walk through your museum’s doors? In this episode of the Modern Museum Education Podcast, I dive into the core frameworks of how to foster family engagement in museums. By understanding that parents and caregivers use museums to excel in their roles as parents, museum educators can shift their design focus toward intentional and meaningful intergenerational connection.

    Listeners will learn how to identify the three primary family visitor motivations, how to successfully scaffold gallery experiences to make grownups feel like the experts, and how to leverage key threshold moments at the start and end of a visit. I also break down actionable strategies like utilizing inquiry-based dialogue games to foster natural, collaborative family learning without burning out your staff.

    For the full show notes and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to modernmuseumeducation.com to access the show notes, learn about custom museum-ready materials, or join the Engagement Lab.

    Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode

    • Join the Engagement Lab: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/lab
    • Find out how to partner with Rachel to improve your museum programs
    • You can find all the books I recommend on this podcast on my Bookshop.org Podcast Recommendations & Resources List, including the ones mentioned in this episode:
      • The Value of Museums: Enhancing Societal Well-Being (2022)
      • Identity and the Museum Visitor Experience (2009)
    • Academic Articles Referenced:
      • Analyzing family group decisions to visit museums (Taiwan)
        • Wu, K.-L., Holmes, K., & Tribe, J. (2010). ‘Where do you want to go today?’ An analysis of family group decisions to visit museums. Journal of Marketing Management, 26(7–8), 706–726. https://doi.org/10.1080/02672571003780007
      • Study on the National Day of Families (Italy)
        • Borrione, P., Friel, M., & Segre, G. (2021). “Kids, today we’re going to the museum!” Discriminating factors in museum visiting for families with children in Italy. International Journal of Arts Management, 23(3), 21–31. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48650702
      • How to play the Juicy Question Game (and more on family learning)
        • Gutwill, J. P., & Allen, S. (2010). Facilitating family group inquiry at science museum exhibits. Science Education, 94(4), 710–742. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20387

    Related Episodes and Blog Posts

    • Episode 5: The Social Context of a Museum Visit
    • Episode 22: How to Design Museum Programs That Work for Kids and Adults

    Ways I Can Help You

    • Custom Made Museum Education Program Materials: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/museum-ready-materials
    • Museum Education Professional Development: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/frontline-focus-workshops
    • Museum Education Program Evaluation & Design: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/full-program-design

    Connect with Rachel

    • Email: rachel@modernmuseumeducation.com
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelegibson/
    • Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/modernmuseumed
    • Website: www.modernmuseumeducation.com
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
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