Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.
Non-UMass Amherst users, please click the view more button below to purchase a copy of this dissertation from Proquest.
(Some titles may also be available free of charge in our Open Access Dissertation Collection, so please check there first.)
The effectiveness of slide versus gallery presentations on adults' understanding of subject matter and artistic style in an art museum setting
Abstract
Research by educators in lifelong learning experiences is one of the most important fields in American education today. Even though adults are usually self-directed and will acquire knowledge or will learn skills to solve immediate problems, they usually need a facilitator and a variety of learning experiences to meet their needs and abilities. One of the learning experiences adults will be seeking is through art museums. Consequently, museums need to focus on how to make museum education more significant for adults by teaching them how to learn in museums. The goal of this exploratory study was to analyze any interesting variables in the effectiveness of three dissimilar treatments, using different interpretive techniques and symbol systems, on adults' understanding of the subject matter, content and style of landscapes. This study was developed around a specific exhibition, "A Return to Arcadia: Nineteenth Century Berkshire County Landscapes." In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the three different learning experiences through different symbol systems, eighty-seven adults were divided into three groups. One group was given a straight, formal slide lecture on the exhibition. The second group participated in an informal gallery presentation in the exhibition. The methodology for this presentation was the discussion/inquiry method. The third group was given a double exposure to the exhibition. The slide lecture was presented as orientation before the participants were exposed to the landscapes in the gallery with the discussion/inquiry method. Each of the three groups was given a post slide test, open-ended questions to answer, and an interview immediately after its particular treatment. The findings from the slide post-test, open-ended questions and interviews seem to indicate that art presented in different symbol systems, environments and interpretive techniques does convey different meaning and concepts. The implication of this exploratory study is that definitive research, using the scientific and naturalistic paradigms, should be completed to investigate the significance of the findings from this study.
Subject Area
Art education|Curriculum development|Continuing education
Recommended Citation
Hickey, Maureen Johnson, "The effectiveness of slide versus gallery presentations on adults' understanding of subject matter and artistic style in an art museum setting" (1991). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9132866.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9132866