Page 57 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 6(2) (2018)

ia universitatis ships, to explore, and stimulating curiosity,
ar e wor ksheets death? wor ds in museum education 57 interest and fantasy.
– It is appropriate to employ as many different
skills as possible, that is not only verbal skil-
ls but, for example, drawing, mathematic
or linguistic skills, and employ evenly the
cognitive (rational, intellectual), affective
(emotional, attitudinal) as well as psycho-
motor (sensual, motional) skills.
– Well-considered and balanced changing of
various types of activities and skills.
– Thoroughly considered technical criteria of
worksheets, that is a properly chosen format
of the paper, its quality, suitable size and ea-
sily legible script, as well as well-understan-
dable graphic design, can significantly in-
crease the functionality and effectiveness of
worksheets.
– Information on the temporary or perma-
nent exhibition for which the worksheets
are designed, and on the target group of visi-
tors for whom they are intended. Workshe-
ets, just as any other printed materials pu-
blished by the museum, also are advertising
materials, therefore they should contain the
logo of the institution, name and contact, as
well as the name of the author of workshe-
ets.
– If the worksheets are intended for pupils to
supplement the school teaching, they shou-
ld observe the educational standards, that is
currently the Framework Educational Pro-
grammes, and meet the needs of schools in re-
lation to present-day curriculum.
Evaluation of worksheets
Worksheets should regularly be evaluated.
Checking out their effectiveness is important
for the museum visit itself, for a good response
to the worksheets in museum visitors, and for
those who create the worksheets (was I success-
ful?, what does work?, what does not work and
why?, what has to be changed? what, on the con-
trary, should be maintained?, what was difficult
for the visitors?, what, on the contrary, was too
easy?, etc.) and for the museum institution itself
(what is the effect of worksheets?, does it pay off
to invest time and manpower to create them?,
etc.).
If you assess individual worksheets, it is nec-
essary to focus on the pedagogical intent and
goals which you wanted to achieve, and find
out whether the visitors acquired the intended
knowledge and information through the medi-
um of the activities offered. Further, whether the
tasks were appropriate for them and sufficiently
interesting. It is also necessary to observe wheth-
er the worksheets do not attract too much at-
tention or do not incite to fill them in without
a thorough examination and working with the
exhibition, or whether at all the visitors use the
worksheets. Their disinterest can attest to insuf-
ficient motivation or inappropriate or incompre-
hensible instructions. Also to blame might be,
for example, a chaotic or little attractive graph-
ic design or an improperly chosen unsuitable for-
mat or material of the worksheets. The bench-
mark of success can also be the extent of filling
in these materials by visitors or, for example,
their verbal comments in a conversation with
museum pedagogue.
A suitable tool for elimination of possible
weaknesses is the pilot testing of the worksheets
in practice, directly in the given temporary or
permanent exhibition, on a group of visitors, for
example an agreed school class, a hobby group or
a group of companioned parents with children,
etc. In ideal case, this pilot group is the same as
the target group of visitors, both in age and as-
sumed skills, and in number. This pilot testing
provides a different view of the tasks and activi-
ties, helps to reveal weak points and make possi-
ble corrections. It also enables to verify the prac-
tical details, e.g. whether there is enough space
for everybody to examine the selected objects,
where are possible collision points and wheth-
er the supposed time necessary for filling in the
worksheets at least roughly corresponds to real
time – it usually turns out that working with
worksheets goes faster in smaller groups.