JOINT ATTENTION: “FAMILY LEARNING TALK” IN MUSEUMS
Joint attention—when people are focused on the same object or subject in their surroundings—is a critical component of language and communication learning for infants and children. Museums, specifically, offer visitors opportunities for free choice learning, but can also be very stimulating, with multiple options competing for visitors’ attention. However, there is no research addressing the role that joint attention can play in family learning talk in museums. In this study, the authors examined parent-child dyads in a natural history museum with two interventions to explore if increased joint attention leads to more family learning talk, and subsequently more learning. They used observations, voice recordings, and interviews with quantitative analysis to answer two research questions: how much families notice objects and engage in joint attention and the degree of learning talk about the objects. The authors describe family learning talk as conversation that surpasses simple naming and pointing out of objects, by making connections, comparisons, and explanations, or connecting the object to previous experiences. In order to better understand family learning talk and learning within museums, the authors designed two interventions on joint attention in natural history diorama displays, involving 7 dioramas (featuring fish and birds) at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 54 parent-child dyads, who were new to the museum, participated in the study. All the children were between the ages of 5 and 8. For the first intervention, the authors had half of the families view the dioramas in a dark room with a flashlight (controlled by the child) while the other half viewed the dioramas in a fully lit room. The flashlight was intended to enable the child to clearly indicate what object she or he was looking at to facilitate joint attention between child …show more content…
They found that 71% of learning talk came after an instance of joint attention. Furthermore by analyzing the family talk and joint attention in the self-illuminated and control groups, the authors found that although joint attention can enable learning talk, it is actually neither necessary nor sufficient for learning talk to occur. Finally to understand the impact of the self-illuminated intervention, the authors conducted a stepwise regression, and found that the self-illuminated intervention was successful in increasing learning talk through joint attention.
Overall, the authors found that creating an exhibit where the visitor illuminates the dioramas with a flashlight is a direct way to increase joint attention, and as a result, increase family learning talk. Contrary to the authors’ hypothesis, the signage prompts did not have the same effect, perhaps because the load of noticing, reading, and using the prompts was too high for the families. Although this study is limited by the sample size and does not include pre- and post-testing, the results can be useful for designing museum exhibits to facilitate …show more content…
Furthermore, family learning talk is associated with deeper learning and engagement in museums. Facilitating joint attention in museums, through a darkened exhibit and a flashlight for children, can enable museums to foster deeper learning in their visitors. Although increasing joint attention does not always lead to family learning talk, family learning talk is almost always preceded by joint learning. By narrowing the field of focus (with light), museums can help their visitors engage in joint attention and therefore promote more leaning talk and deeper
Joint attention—when people are focused on the same object or subject in their surroundings—is a critical component of language and communication learning for infants and children. Museums, specifically, offer visitors opportunities for free choice learning, but can also be very stimulating, with multiple options competing for visitors’ attention. However, there is no research addressing the role that joint attention can play in family learning talk in museums. In this study, the authors examined parent-child dyads in a natural history museum with two interventions to explore if increased joint attention leads to more family learning talk, and subsequently more learning. They used observations, voice recordings, and interviews with quantitative analysis to answer two research questions: how much families notice objects and engage in joint attention and the degree of learning talk about the objects. The authors describe family learning talk as conversation that surpasses simple naming and pointing out of objects, by making connections, comparisons, and explanations, or connecting the object to previous experiences. In order to better understand family learning talk and learning within museums, the authors designed two interventions on joint attention in natural history diorama displays, involving 7 dioramas (featuring fish and birds) at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 54 parent-child dyads, who were new to the museum, participated in the study. All the children were between the ages of 5 and 8. For the first intervention, the authors had half of the families view the dioramas in a dark room with a flashlight (controlled by the child) while the other half viewed the dioramas in a fully lit room. The flashlight was intended to enable the child to clearly indicate what object she or he was looking at to facilitate joint attention between child …show more content…
They found that 71% of learning talk came after an instance of joint attention. Furthermore by analyzing the family talk and joint attention in the self-illuminated and control groups, the authors found that although joint attention can enable learning talk, it is actually neither necessary nor sufficient for learning talk to occur. Finally to understand the impact of the self-illuminated intervention, the authors conducted a stepwise regression, and found that the self-illuminated intervention was successful in increasing learning talk through joint attention.
Overall, the authors found that creating an exhibit where the visitor illuminates the dioramas with a flashlight is a direct way to increase joint attention, and as a result, increase family learning talk. Contrary to the authors’ hypothesis, the signage prompts did not have the same effect, perhaps because the load of noticing, reading, and using the prompts was too high for the families. Although this study is limited by the sample size and does not include pre- and post-testing, the results can be useful for designing museum exhibits to facilitate …show more content…
Furthermore, family learning talk is associated with deeper learning and engagement in museums. Facilitating joint attention in museums, through a darkened exhibit and a flashlight for children, can enable museums to foster deeper learning in their visitors. Although increasing joint attention does not always lead to family learning talk, family learning talk is almost always preceded by joint learning. By narrowing the field of focus (with light), museums can help their visitors engage in joint attention and therefore promote more leaning talk and deeper