博物館與終身學習社會之間的關係－以國立科學工藝博物館為例

The Museum's Role in Life-long Learning, as Seen at the National Science and Technology Museum (Synopsis)

蘇芳儀

《科技博物》 4卷1期 (2000/01) Pp. 76-87

https://doi.org/10.6432/TMR.200001.0076

摘要

「終身學習」雖然不是一個全新的觀念，但的確是要成為二十一世紀的全球公民所不可不知道的。「終身學習」其目的是希望大家在完成學校基礎課程後，再有進修的機會，期望建立一個概念：學習是一輩子的事，不單是九年或幾十年就可以完成的；而「推展終身教育，建立學習社會」是教育部在民國八十七年三月於「邁向學習社會」白皮書中明白揭櫫的理想與目標，期望三年有成，並且達到永續經營的願景。
本文主要闡述終身學習理念的興起及博物館如何協助民眾終身學習，並以國立科學工藝博物館為例，探討如何建立學習社會，更進一步瞭解政府推展終身學習的決心。

並列摘要

Although life-long education is a relatively new concept, in the 21st century it is certain to be an essential part of life for people everywhere around the world. ”Life-long learning” is the idea of ontinuing to study and learn even after one has finished higher levels of education, recognizing that learning is a process which goes on throughout life. Education is not something that can be completed in a decade or two, a fact which was affirmed in the Ministry of Education's 1998 white paper ”Moving toward an Education-oriented Society”. This paper called for the development of a strong system of life-long education and opportunities to learn within three years.
Although the role of the museum in society has varied over the years, it has always been an important part of educating the community around it. People have long known that the museum is a valuable teaching tool which has a unique relationship with the family as well as the school. The difference lies in the fact that visitors to a museum are largely on their own in choosing what they want to see and learn, unlike schools where the curriculum is largely predetermined. Now with the rise of ”life-long education”, the place of the museum in education will become even more important in the future.
The life-long education first originated in the 1920s. Even then the idea of life-long education was not entirely new: after all, Laotze encouraged people to ”study as long as you live”. But with the approach of a new century and all the challenges it will bring, this is a concept which our society cannot afford to overlook if we hope to keep pace with the advanced nations of the world.
Academics have offered many different takes on the concepts of ”life-long learning” and ”life-long education”, but the two ideas actually differ little in their meaning and their significance. During the 1970s many educational institutions seized on the idea of ongoing education to strengthen plans for educational opportunities and offer people step-by-step programs to continue the educational process throughout their lives. Then in the 1990s educators shifted the emphasis to life-long learning, encouraging individuals to fill their lives with meaningful studies. Generally speaking, most people find it easier to accept the idea of life-long learning than that of life-long education.
Life-long learning calls for each person to maintain a steady program of study at all times throughout life in order to meet the needs of the world around us. But we have all gone through various extended periods of formal education where the museum plays a secondary role to the school. And once one leaves school and gets involved in a society where information is growing exponentially, it is very important to find a place that offers opportunities to learn and grow outside the workplace. Thus the museum plays an enhanced role in the post- school scheme of life-long education. Life-long education means adults, and those of us who work in museums need to understand what motivates adults to continue to learn so that we can design and develop activities that will attract and educate the 'grown-up' public.
Huang Fu-shun has studied education in Taiwan and overseas and has six primary areas of motivations in adult and life-long education: (1) cognitive interest; (2) professional advancement; (3) social relations; (4) social welfare; (5) external expectations; and (6) escape/stimulation. This article uses these six factors to examine the relationship between the museum and life-long learning, and to look at the directions followed and achievements made by the National Science and Technology Museum in addressing this problem.
Primary, secondary and tertiary education are a fact of life in Taiwan today, but the concept of life-long education has yet to be widely accepted. This is a concept which is critical to the future of our nation, and we hope that government policies and incentives will serve to make more people aware of the need to continue studying throughout our lives. Life-long learning will help to improve our abilities in at least four major areas: (1) the search for new knowledge; (2) the study of information technology and computers; (3) abilities in foreign languages; and (4) the nurturing of our culture. It is imperative that we involve the museum in this process in a variety of roles to insure that our nation will be among the world leaders in life-long learning during the coming century.