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This is in response to the last comment, wondering whether the effectiveness
of human-intervention has been compared to stand-alone interactives etc. To
me, this is apples and oranges. Both kinds of experiences have an important
place, but here I will just make a few comments about the importance of
people in learning.
To point out some basic psych 101, social modeling is fundamental to human
learning. We learn by watching others and are also motivated by wanting to
emulate others. This is a key idea in Albert Bandura's work on social
modeling. Vygotsky is also relevant here.
Theater has long been a fundamental form of human expression, passing on
culture, etc etc. It has also been used very effectively in museum settings,
ranging for re-enactors to theatrical productions.
Dynamic presentations by people works very well. Boring lectures don't. So
the question isn't so much, does it work in general, but what kinds of human
interventions, presentations really work well in an interactive museum.
In another venue, social modeling is used very effectively in social
marketing and education entertainment, where educational messages (e.g., disease of
the week on ER, literacy campaigns on radio or telenovelas) are integrated
into entertainment media. People take action because they are influenced by
the actions of the fictional characters or situations on the shows.
Bob
Robert L. Russell, Ph.D.
Learning Experience Design
(202) 997-5539
[log in to unmask]
Interim Executive Director & Science Advisor, Self-Reliance Foundation
Project Director, Celebra la Ciencia
_www.celebralaciencia.org_ (http://www.celebralaciencia.org/)
(202) 360-4117
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