現代科學博物館的本質

The Nature of Contemporary Science Museums

于瑞珍

《科技博物》 1卷2期 (1997/03) Pp. 4-15

https://doi.org/10.6432/TMR.199703.0004

並列摘要

Two reasons for increasingly popularity of contemporary science museums in modern society: (1) the development of science and technology are rapid, and technological innovations become more complex; (2) more people are seeking learning opportunities beyond schools (Orchiston & Bhathal, 1984). Technological complexity have already made many people think that science is incomprehensible and technology is frightening. However, the impact of technology on our lives and society is too obvious to ignore the existence of technology. Unfortunately, the response of formal education to societal needs is always slow. On the other hand, science museums as informal learning places with rich collections, interactive exhibits, and interesting activities begin to play an important role in promoting technological literacy for all citizen.
Societal needs for Technological Literacy
The 20th century has been characterized by unparalleled changes in terms of rate and scale. The rapid development of technology has undoubtedly been a major factor of these changes. The impacts of technology on human being can be found in every aspect of life. For example, agricultural productivity has increased through the use of machines and fertilizers. The success of modern genetics has helped to increase the natural variability within plant species. Plastics can be designed to have a wide variety of properties for different uses, from automobile and space vehicle parts, to food packaging and fabrics, to artificial hip joints (”Science for All American,” 1989).
As Baird (1986) points out, technology has brought a great many benefits for people, but it also bears with it great responsibility and a measure of risk. Nuclear energy, for example, offers tremendous potential for power generation and beneficial applications, but how can we assure that it will be used safely and its waste products disposed of properly? How do we guarantee the safety of those who handle nuclear materials? It is clear that scientific and technological literacy must increase for the whole population.
Technology is truly global in its impact, and educators are gaining wider recognition in countries around the world as people realize the value of improving technological literacy of the general public. Although people are becoming aware of the need for technological literacy, schools have not always been effective in applying formal education to offer good instruction in science and technology. Rigid teaching methods have often stifled the natural curiosity of young students toward science and technology, and schools are too frequently lacking in the facilities needed to teach science and technology. This limited opportunities to learn from personal experience and observation. This is where informal education comes in, to support and supplement formal education where necessary.
The Nature
A museum is basically a treasure house for communicating information about technology in many different way. Silverstone (1992) described it as a unique medium. Like other media it offers entertainment while communicating information and building interest among the public. On the other hand, it is different from other media in that it offers a setting-the building in which it is located-as well as stimulating graphics and text for the viewer. The museum building provides space for the display of instruments and materials used in science and technology, and it can even give people a chance to literally get their hands on technology and experience it, read about it and get to know it first-hand.
If collections are the heart of museums, education is the spirit. Museums offer a totally different learning environment from schools, one which can stimulate the imagination and broaden the powers of observation (”Museums for a New Century”, 1984). A good science and technology museum should teach more than just science and technology. The learning experience in a museum should stimulate the intellectual interest of everyone from young to old. In other words, it should arouse or rearouse curiosity among museum goers (Kimche, 1978). A visit to a museum should leave people feeling that they have learned something, and it should also instill in them a hunger to go out and learn still more about science and technology. Wellington (1970) emphasizes the interactive nature of science displays and their value for learning in the affective domain. This includes heightening a person's interest in and enthusiasm for learning, something that formal educational processes cannot always achieve.
Science and technology museums have rich educational resources for the public and schools alike. In recent years some museums have tried to become educational resources for the public, pouring a great deal of effort into the planning of their displays. They have put as much content as possible into the displays themselves while adding on related activities such as lectures, demonstrations, participatory events, performances, audio-visual materials and the like to attract crowds of people. They prepare colorful, attractive materials including brochures, guidebooks and other academic or general publications so that visitors will understand what the museum is about and will want to visit more often. These efforts to meet the needs of visitors of various ages and to reach out to them have won a great deal of praise for museums.
In short, a museum is an educational center which can do more than other ”media” and formal educational venues to inspire an interest in science and technology among the public. It can bring new kinds of entertainment and education into the lives of any individual.
The Characteristics
Although science and technology museums vary from place to place (Danilov, 1984), they all show four similar characteristics:
1. A broad emphasis on physics, life sciences, engineering, mathematics, industry and health.
The Museum of Science and Technology in Chicago is one of the oldest and most respected museums of its kind in the United States. The displays found there cover everything from basic science to biology, earth resources, energy, communications, transportation technology and other topics. Ontario Science Center in Canada features a wide variety of special displays such as foods and nutrition, earth sciences, the human body, energy and the environment. In addition, early in this decade many museums began featuring a wider range of environmentally oriented displays in response to a growing concern for more awareness and protection of the world around us.
2. Primarily contemporary rather than historic in nature
Traditional science museums present a closer look at the achievements that have been made in the past through science and technology. A good example is the Deutsches Museum in Munich with its permanent exhibits on the history of science. On the other hand, contemporary science museums concentrate on more recent discoveries and breakthroughs in science and technology, with everything from interactive displays to special programs and activities for visitors.
3. Basically participatory, making extensive use of constructed exhibits instead of artifacts.
Today many institutions stay away from use of the word ”museum” in their name, believing that it has a stodgy ”hands-off” image with its collection orientation. Instead, they see themselves as lively, informal educational tools and frequently have creative names like Discovery Center, Exploratorium, Hall of Science, Imaginarium, and science and technology centers (Danilov, 1990).
4. Public and education oriented, and eager to entertain as well as enlighten.
Contemporary museums exist to instill and nurture an interest in science and technology among the general public. They emphasize participation, entertainment and discovery in their exhibitions and activities, an approach which will appeal to a wide variety of visitors. These museums also reorganize the needs of those who have completed their formal schooling and want some sort of ongoing education through non-formal means. These people often call for less specialized topics and lighter approaches in displays. This factor has been a key factor in the widespread popularity of contemporary science museums.
The future
Contemporary science museums, especially those called science centers, try to distance themselves from traditional science museums. They viewed traditional museums as ”past”, and science centers as ”present.” This effort has been somewhat unsuccessful because changes in science are so rapid that the present become the past immediately. Besides, It is difficult to show the present without reference to the past. Therefore, many contemporary science museums have been slowly adding sections of historical background, and displays of older artifacts keep creeping in.
Science Centrum, a new concept, was first addressed by Orchiston and Bhathal (1984) in their discussion of the roles of museums in society and their responsibility for education in science and technology. When the public is aware of the importance of science and technology they will be eager to learn more about science and its history, and how science is a part of the everyday lives of people.
If museums have a responsibility to meet this type of need, it may be necessary to change the way that many of them operate. In short, somewhere between the poles of ”contemporary” and traditional' museums lies a world of possibilities for science and technology museums aligned more with the Science Centrum approach-museums where visitors can learn about science in a more rounded way. This is where the future lies for science and technology museums.