Skype Supervisor Meeting Notes 21.3.12

• Framework for thesis
• Double check word length
• How to engage with kids in museums > still a developing field (but not included in education in museums > we already know how kids learn, etc. re: pedagogy)
• Curator/Museum journals
• 3 x institutions as case studies > compare and contrast
  • Similar size but different locations?
  • Small vs. big institutes?
  • Fine art institutions only
    • Different approaches to education > different philosophies for teaching
  • Teaching programs
• Ethics approval process
  • Interviews: phone, physical, etc.
  • “ANU ethics form”
  • Questions, identity protection, etc.
• Develop a paragraph proposal of what I will be looking at and start to build up a reference database
  • Flesh out a more defined topic structure
  • Literature review > what hasbeen done; developed re: background information > previous dialogues and when people started getting interested in children’s education in museums (look at old annual reports, etc. also); changing emphasis; changing (children’s) visitor numbers
    • Looking at everything > stuff can be ditched!
• Regular weekly/monthly contact
  • Regroup on 18.4.12
• Receive email later today with meeting recap

Follow up email from supervisor:

• Following on from our call – some tasks:
• Literature review – I suggest you focus on this at present, looking at any material you can find about children and art galleries. Perhaps focus on UK, maybe some US approaches, and Australia/NZ. Check annual reports from Australian major institutions for info on education and children
• Have a good look at the major gallery websites in Australia, with a view of deciding how many and which ones you will focus on in more detail. In some ways this doesn’t matter too much – you may decide on a more general ‘thesis’ highlighting the  role of children’s education in galleries, or look at one in detail and compare with others. Think also about your actual ‘thesis’ (argument) will be – this will become clearer as you do the literature review – what question/argument do you want to answer or present?

Daily Notes 16 March 2012

Notes from supervisor:

• The general idea is very good
• Would probably consider just using 2 case studies
• Starting point – children’s education and museums – literature search
• If you plan on talking to the education staff at any institutions will need an ethics approval – good to start this now

Today’s literature search terms:

• “children’s education and museums”
• “children’s education and galleries”

Databases consulted (accessed via ANU):

• Wiley Online Library
• JSTOR
• Project Muse
• Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson Online)

Notes for remembering later:

• Formal, informal, and non-formal education
• “Museums AND education”
• Mendeley Tip: Notes and Annotations
• Literature search/review matrix
• Bunch of article refs in OneNote folder