Experiential Learning and the Evolution of Museums: Teaching Students the Art of Digital Storytelling
The world of museum studies exists at a unique intersection of archaeology, anthropology, and computer science. Katherine Burton-Jones, faculty leader and Director of the Museum Studies Program at the Harvard Extension School, describes this field as a "crazy little world of objects, stories, and technology". Her journey into this space began at age 13 with an interest in archaeology, which later evolved into a career focused on giving cultural institutions the tools they need to engage modern learners.
From archive management to learner-centric design
Museums have used technology for over 50 years, beginning with mainframe systems designed to organize collection data. Burton-Jones and her colleague Paul Marty documented this progression through oral histories in their book, The Invisible History of Museum Computing. Over these five decades, the focus has shifted from internal data management to becoming more "user-centric or visitor-centric".
This evolution has changed how museum leadership views technology. Modern directors and C-suite teams are increasingly "data aware" and understand that technology is a key skill in curation and installations. Teaching the next generation of museum curators requires a balance of conceptual understanding and hands-on technical skills. Burton-Jones emphasizes that while specific software may change, being "data aware" is a foundational requirement. In a recent course, her students worked to analyze exhibition data pulled through museum APIs.
Through this data organization, students were able to ground their assumptions in facts. One student used data to prove that "when a female director is in charge of the museum, the exhibitions are more inclusive". Modern toolkits drive analysis that can be used drive strategic storytelling and power inclusive, experiential exhibits.
How digital storytelling increases accessibility
One of the most powerful ways technology impacts learning in museums is through the contextualization of history. While older exhibits relied on linear progression, modern technology allows for interactive timelines. Burton-Jones cites the Metropolitan Museum’s "timeline of art history" as a prime example of providing multiple access points through maps, visual collections, and thematic essays.
These digital tools allow for:
- Interdependency: Showing how different historical events interacted and led to one another.
- Community involvement: Bringing in the cultures that created objects to help determine terminology and stories.
- Accessibility: Transitioning from "scholarly" language to terminology that is accessible to the general public.
The sandbox of everyday objects
The process of learning to curate a museum is, in many ways, a masterclass in the art of teaching and connecting with the curious.
The Museum of Everyday Objects project serves as a sandbox for digital storytelling and virtual environment exploration. It started as a final assignment where students took on the roles of curator and donor for personal items. The goal was to take an ordinary item (like a first camera or a walking stick) and tell a story that makes it "extraordinary".
Digital media design students used tools such as Unity, Blender, and 11 Labs to render virtual environments for these objects. The significance of these objects often lies in the historical context they represent.
- Historical layers: One donor shared a lowenbraun poster from the 1967 Oktoberfest that contained traces of blood from a period of racial unrest.
- Personal connection: Another donated a stuffed animal representing the challenges of maintaining mental health as a child.
By bridging the gap between a database of artifacts and the deep stories of human experience, curators use technology to help make learning accessible, human-centered, and experiential.
Immersive learning through AI and AR
As museums look beyond 2026, the conversation has turned to the ethical use of artificial intelligence. While there aren't yet many formal articles on the subject, institutions are exploring how to leverage large language models to provide deeper object stories.
One current project, the "Living Museum," allows visitors to "chat" with a collection. This type of interaction relies on "getting our language correct in telling the bot what to do". By training bots effectively, museums can give objects a "different life" through immersive experiences or augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Ultimately, the future of museums involves broadening the view of what these institutions can be outside of brick and mortar structures. Katherine Burton-Jones believes that by remaining open to technology and focusing on inclusive storytelling, museums can "put a welcome sign on the door" for everyone.
Check out the full conversation on the Educast3000 podcast.
