Family touch practices and learning experiences in the museum. (4th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jewitt, Carey; Price, Sara
• Is Part Of: Senses and society. Volume 14:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 221
• Page End: 235
• Publication Date: 2019-05-04
• Subjects: Touch -- museum -- learning -- family visitors -- case study -- interaction -- multimodal; Perception -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Art -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Art -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 302
• DOI: 10.1080/17458927.2019.1619316
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1745-8935

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates how family museum visitors crafted learning through interaction with one another and the touch objects of an exhibition. Through a case study of seven families' interaction, we show how families used touch to bring their interests and resources into dialogue with museum expectations and resources. Using a multimodal approach to analyze observational data, we generate a fine-grained account of differently configured family touch practices and ways of experiencing and knowing objects through their material, sensory tactile and affective qualities. We conclude by highlighting how our findings can inform the design of touch exhibits to support family learning, with attention to engagement, narrative creation, and embodied learning, and point to the paper's methodological contribution to the analysis of visitor situated real-time interaction and learning in museums.