Routledge Cognitive Development in Museum Settings: Relating Research and Practice

Researchers in cognitive development are gaining new insights into the ways in which children learn about the world. At the same time, there has been increased recognition of the important role that visits to informal learning institutions plays in supporting learning. Research and practice pursuits typically unfold independently and often with different goals and methods, making it difficult to make meaningful connections between laboratory research in cognitive development and practices in informal education. Recently, groundbreaking partnerships between researchers and practitioners have resulted in innovative strategies for linking findings in cognitive development together with goals critical to museum practitioners, such as exhibit evaluation and design. Cognitive Development in Museum Settings offers an account of ways in which researchers in cognitive development partner with museum practitioners. Each chapter describes a partnership between academic researchers and museum practitioners and details their collaboration, the important research that has resulted from their partnership, and the benefits and challenges of maintaining their relationship. This approach illustrates cutting-edge developmental science, but also considers how researcher-practitioner interactions affect research outcomes and provide insight to questions common to practitioners. In addition, each set of researchers and practitioners discusses issues brought up by the partnership by posing questions concerning research-practice partnerships and research evidence, considering whether and how cognitive development research conducted in museum settings aligns with larger disciplinary interests in that field, and examining to what extent museum practitioners benefit from applying research on the development of cognitive processes to their educational practices. Review ‘Sobel and Jipson’s book points the way to an exciting future for developmental psychologists who want to get out of the lab and into the world―or informal educators who want to understand the reasons why and how museums can be powerful settings for children’s learning and cognitive development. Part how-to manual, part reflection on the power of partnerships, these cases offer inventive and varied approaches to bringing research and practice together in mutually beneficial and sustainable ways. Although focusing specifically on museums, the book has insights relevant to any research and practice partnership in the informal learning world.’ – Kevin Crowley, Professor, University of Pittsburgh ‘This wonderful book is many things: a demonstration of how university researchers and museum practitioners can collaborate effectively, an examination of how informal learning institutions can support children's learning, a how-to for those who wish to establish such collaborations, and a review of the cutting-edge research on cognitive development that results from these partnerships. Altogether, this volume charts new ways of fostering and studying children's learning, and inspires by example.’ – Susan Gelman, Heinz Werner Distinguished University Professor, University of Michigan ‘This book provides authentic, groundbreaking models and compelling insights about navigating collaborations between cognitive researchers and museum educators that can drive new possibilities for both partners.’ – Marilee Jennings, Executive Director, Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, California About the Author David M. Sobel is a professor in the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences at Brown University. His research examines how children represent and learn causal knowledge and make inferences about their own and others’ mental states. Jennifer L. Jipson is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Child Development at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Her research investigates preschool children’s develo