In my undergraduate thesis I will attempt to illuminate certain questions concerning communication between the museum institution and its visitors. Furthermore, I will address the question of education within the museum, my primary interest being the adjustments made when presenting certain museum artefacts to a specific target group. In order for the museum institution to successfully fulfill its educational function, it is of utmost importance that it turns its attention to applying successful communication methods in concern to its visitors. The question, or rather problem, of successful communication between the institution and its visitors, is especially evident within the gallery institutions. Unlike other museum institutions, galleries, even today, still implement a rather hermetic practice in their exhibitions. In my undergraduate thesis I will therefore shed some light on specific communication issues within the gallery institution. I will also address ways for museum workers to combat problems with miscommunication, that may occur due to the specific nature of the gallery’s collections. Museum educators are primarily the ones that create educational programmes within museums, which in turn enables efficient and flowing communication with museum visitors. Consequently, in order for the museum institution to run efficiently and to fulfill the vocation of the museum institution as part of the educational system, the role of the museum educator is of great importance. Guided tours of museum exhibitions are the most direct way of communication within the museum institution. Guided tours offer the chance to optimize the transmission of a message in concern to a certain target group or individual. The objective of this undergraduate thesis is therefore to address the questions of the specific nature of museum communication (specifically within galleries) though communication theories. In addition, I will present some key points in optimizing the most direct form of communicating within a museum aka. guided museum tours. What is the main objective of museum education and how can we optimize each individual's educational experience? The presented topic is crucial for further exploration and development of the museum’s approach towards its selected target audiences. Subsequently resulting in the refinement of the quality of transmission of desired information and the improvement of the museum visitor’s experience.
|