Listening in on Museum Conversations

We all know that learning takes place in museums, but what does that really mean? Who learns what, and how do they learn it? The authors set out to investigate these questions through the conversations of museum visitors. The model they developed from their research owes much to sociocultural theory, and they challenge others to think about certain specific features of the museum experience in order to understand and define learning. They advocate an expanded concept of learning for both museums and more formal schooling environments.