Three Types of Learning

When museums describe themselves as educational … are they?

Yes.

But.

There is a difference between “education” and “educational.”

Here is the landscape:

1. Formal Learning
The biggie. Schools, colleges, and universities. It follows a curriculum, includes assessment, and gives a credential. This is “education.” (And you don’t have a choice, at least for your first dozen-ish years in most of the developed world.)

2. Non-Formal Learning
Structured, but brief and voluntary. Things like workshops, community classes, and workplace training. These give you a skill, fast. You have to choose to do it, but then it’s organized for you.

3. Informal Learning
Our favorite here at MtM. Informal learning is a broad category that occurs through curiosity and everyday experience. Exploring a new hobby, talking with knowledgeable friends, subscribing to educational emails (*ahem*), listening to podcasts (*ahem*), and visiting museums (*ahem*) all fit this category. The learner decides whether to explore and how deep to go.

Museums are primarily places for informal learning. Museums are bad at delivering complete instruction. But they’re good at inspiring curiosity, changing perception, and encouraging lifelong learning.

Here's the thing:

There are three major categories of “learning.”

Of the three, informal learning, which is our favorite category at MtM, is definitely “educational” — but it’s not “education.”

Warmly,
Jonathan

- - - - - - - - - - - -

MtM Word of the Day:
Food & Beverage, or F&B. The management function that covers all visitor eating and drinking. F&B includes restaurants, cafés, concessions, catering, vending, menus, staffing, food safety, purchasing, inventory, pricing, service, seating, and earning revenue.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

P.S. An article I just read said that writing “Here’s the thing” is a classic “AI tell.” Wish they’d told me, I’ve been writing that line for four years.