Responding to Change: Challenges for Professional Education in the Museum Sector

Abstract

This paper reflects on the changes confronting educators involved in museum professional development, drawing on the experience gained in working with a wide range of learners, instructors and content issues through the Cultural Resource Management Program at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Reflecting the society as a whole, professional education programs are called to respond to the needs of learners, and to institutional priorities for competency development and instructional design and delivery issues. Given the near-universal pressures on museums and educational institutions, it is hoped that these impressions and perspectives are of broad relevance to a range of academic and professional museum studies programs across Canada and beyond.

Preparing a new generation: thoughts on contemporary museum studies training

“…A. Davis 2011; J. Davis 2005, MAAA 2008. 13 Museum staff (including museum volunteer workers and board members) presently have few ways to advance their knowledge and skills other than short-term conferences and workshops, local informal networking, and Internet listservs and blogs.…”