Personal Learning Goals and Objectives

History has always held my attention, and this deep appreciation led me to study Archaeology and Art History at the University of Aberdeen, in Aberdeen, Scotland, for my undergraduate degree. Throughout this time in my life, I assisted in cataloguing an assemblage of Ice Age faunal remains, where I weighed, measured, and photographed each artifact within the designated assemblage, and found a passion for museums, recognizing them as intangible spaces that go beyond housing works of art to serve and educate their communities. After graduation, I interned at Fairfield Foundation, where I helped develop an exhibition proposal for Timberneck House, an 18th-century plantation house being renovated into a small museum and tourist lodging. This led me to pursue a Master of Arts in Museum Studies (MAMS) at the University of Oklahoma and an internship in the education department at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Throughout this program, I have developed a strong interest in curation, exhibition design, education, and visitor engagement.

The personal learning goals and objectives presented are based on the MAMS Program Goals Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes, AAM Collection Stewardship Standards, AAM Core Standards for Museums, AAMD Standards and Practices, UNESCO 1970, NAGPRA, and ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums.

Goal 1: Develop effective stewardship skills in collections management and curation. 

Learning Goal: Advance my knowledge and understanding in collections management and museum curation that incorporate ethical stewardship, object care and handling, visitor engagement, and exhibition planning to create inclusive and diverse spaces for meaningful visitor experiences.

• Objective 1: Strengthen knowledge of collections care, object handling, documentation, and the preservation of objects through coursework, including learning conservation principles, ethical standards to ensure objects are protected, proper storage and handling procedures, and collections development policies (MST 5183 Collections Management).

• Objective 2: Expand curatorial and exhibition planning skills by gaining experience in curatorial research and exhibition development, including developing an exhibition concept and theme, writing labels, and designing an inclusive, diverse exhibition that engages all audiences (MST 5700 Exhibit Development).

• Objective 3: Enhance skills related to collections management software, digital archiving, and open access (MST 5073 Technology for Museum Professionals). Focusing on the implementation of improving documentation related to provenance research (MST 5143 Research Methods), and repatriation awareness that aids in promoting institutional accessibility to the public (MST 5423 Controversy and the World of the Museum), as well as ethical governance, transparency, and accountability within museum collections (MST 5113 The World of the Museum).

Goal 2: Enhance skills and expertise in exhibition planning, design, and development.

Learning Goal: Learn the skills to create visually gripping exhibits that are diverse and inclusive, engage visitors, incorporate interactive and immersive elements, and communicate meaningful narratives and storytelling, as well as determine what is controversial in the museum.

• Objective 1: Develop skills in exhibit design that incorporate spatial planning to create exhibition layouts that guide visitors and enhance storytelling, while also being accessible to all audiences through analyzing existing museum exhibitions and designing an exhibit on Omeka (MST 5700 Exhibit Development). This includes understanding audience engagement, creating exhibition floor plans, identifying key exhibition design concepts that enhance the visitor experience (e.g., lighting and space), and becoming familiar with digital software (MST 5333 Introduction to Museum Interpretation).

• Objective 2: Examine the integration of multimedia technologies in an exhibition to create an immersive environment, including innovative display strategies that make the exhibition visually compelling for audiences and further enhance the visitor experience through engagement and education (MST 5073 Technology for Museum Professionals).

• Objective 3: Enhance professional expertise in designing exhibitions that reflect the needs of communities, creating diverse and inclusive spaces that are accessible, including interactive elements to engage audiences in learning new interpretations, and foster meaningful visitor experiences (MST 5173 Museums, Cultures, and Communities). This includes identifying controversies in the museum and how to improve and prevent them (MST 5423 Controversy and the World of the Museum).

Goal 3: Develop valuable skills that incorporate hands-on experience into the operations and function of a museum.

Learning Goal: Co-facilitate alongside the Carter community staff in programs such as after-school care programs, homeschool programs, and the Cook Children’s program. As well as creating a resource for the community teaching team that applies all that I have learned, such as a lesson plan and PowerPoint presentation.

• Objective 1: Expand valuable knowledge of public engagement, programming, and the development of strong community relationships through education, communication, and interactive interpretation through observation and assisting community education staff for several community education programs, based on the museum’s collection (MST 5163 Museum Management and Leadership).

• Objective 2: Explore through real-life application, accessible tools, and resources that can be applied in the future that incorporate visitor-centric design and interpretive strategies. These concepts have been encountered throughout the MAMS coursework (MST 5173 Museums, Cultures, and Communities).

• Objective 3: Participating in community team meetings, observation, assisting, and co-facilitating alongside community education staff (MST 5920 Internship in Museum Studies).

Goal 4: Cultivate skills in authentic and accurate museum interpretation strategies. 

Learning Goal: Foster the skills for visitors to enhance engagement by developing authentic and accurate museum interpretations, along with meaningful connections between audiences and a museum collection that is inclusive, diverse, transparent, and accountable.

• Objective 1: Integrate tools from coursework and projects that utilize interactive displays and multimedia technologies to create visitor-centric experiences that further facilitate community collaboration and foster deep, meaningful, and emotional connections with the exhibition for Timberneck House (MST 5073 Technology for Museum Professionals, MST 5700 Exhibit Development).

• Objective 2: Expand knowledge of interpretive writing skills and key theories and methodologies in provenance and digital access, thereby developing ethical interdisciplinary research skills that promote accountability, transparency, authenticity, and accurate museum interpretation (MST 5143 Research Methods, MST 5113 The World of the Museum).

• Objective 3: Study inclusive, community-driven interpretation practices that showcase marginalized and underrepresented communities in exhibition narratives from community members, descendant groups, and scholars (MST 5173 Museums, Cultures, and Communities, MST 5333 Introduction to Museum Interpretation).