ERIC Number: EJ888367
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-8650
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Raising the Bar: Aiming for Public Value
Munley, Mary Ellen
Journal of Museum Education, v35 n1 p21-31 Spr 2010
Striving to provide public good and maximize public value strike many as highly abstract and idealistic ideas. Written in the form of an interview, this article, written from the perspective of a practitioner, addresses some of the pragmatic issues that arise when trying to conceptualize approaches to museum offerings and demonstrate their effectiveness. The Holocaust Museum's evaluation of its "Bringing the Lessons Home" program provides an example of how rigorous attention to program conceptualization, design and evaluation can produce convincing evidence of social change and public value. Being able to demonstrate public value is not a matter of the impossibility of crafting programs and measuring their impact; it is more a matter of desire, will and investment. It is possible to strive for and demonstrate the public value of museums. (Contains 13 notes.)
Descriptors: Museums, Public Opinion, World History, Program Effectiveness, Social Change, Program Evaluation, Program Design, Institutional Mission, Nonschool Educational Programs, Institutional Administration, Accountability
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: District of Columbia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A