module_1

The Museum Competence Area

Abstract

As competences in contemporary cultural institutions is key in modern-day heritage management theoretical approaches and applications, this 20-hour 5-unit module examines custom competences emerging as vital in the museum environment and various ways to identify, address and achieve them in this traditional but progressively challenging cultural arena. To this end, the module explores the historic background of museums, current and potential understandings and their socioeconomic role (unit 1), offers a coherent guide on the role of European institutions in museum management (unit 2), addresses five key competences concerning resource management in the museum entrepreneurial environment (unit 3), discusses the importance of cultural leadership and strategic planning in the same context (unit 4) and sums it all up in a comprehensive recap session (unit 5). Case studies derive from the European museum context with further references to museums and cultural heritage institutions all over the world.

Key points for discussion and reflection throughout the course

The historical background of the museum in Europe
The current museum context in Europe
Museum’s societal roles and their potential in the future
European institutions and their role in the museum universe
Key competences concerning the mobilization of resources in the entrepreneurial museum environment (EntreComp).
The paramount role of strategic planning, common mishaps and how to address them in museums.
The omnipresent need for cultural leadership in the museum context and ways to trace and reframe the roles of stakeholders.

Duration

20 hours (4+4+4+4+4): Unit 1 = 4 hours, Unit 2 = 4 hours, Unit 3 = 4 hours, Unit 4 = 4 hours, Unit 5 = 4 hours

learning outcomes

By the end of the module, learners will be able to:

Have a rounded understanding of the history of museums.
Recognize and evaluate current challenges and opportunities in the museum environment.
Understand the meaning, roles and purposes of the European institutions surrounding museums.
Develop ideas and proposals, substantiated with knowledge, for resources’ mobilization in the entrepreneurial museum environment (EntreComp).
Understand and apply strategic planning methods in the museum context.
Evaluate existing cultural leadership roles and develop their potential.

Structure

Abstract
Duration
Learning Outcomes
Key points
Structure
Writers
Resources
Case studies from Europe and the rest of the world

Unit 1: Introducing the museum
– Abstract
– Learning Outcomes
– Activities
– Self-assessment
Unit 2: European organisations and their roles in the museum universe
– Abstract
– Learning Outcomes
– Activities
– Self-assessment
Unit 3: Dealing with the ‘Resources’ (EntreComp)
– Abstract
– Learning Outcomes
– Activities
– Self-assessment
Unit 4: Cultural Leadership & Strategic Planning in a museum
– Abstract
– Learning Outcomes
– Activities
– Self-assessment
Unit 5: Recap: Competences in the museum environment
– Abstract
– Learning Outcomes
– Activities
– Self-assessment

Tutors

Prof. Georgios Papaioannou
Prof. Anne Hertzog
Dr Dorothea Papathanasiou-Zurt
Dr Aldo di Russo
Dr Stylianos Lekakis
Dr Maria Shehade

Resources

Case Studies from Europe and the international context

units

unit_1: Introducing the museum

Abstract

This introductory 5-hour unit focuses on the discussion of museum’s history from its origins until today. It aims to examine the contemporary issues surrounding this prominent cultural institution, as developed through the years. It also offers a coherent understanding of current challenges and emerging opportunities as we deal with more hybrid, diverse and plural agendas that envelop the museums and reposition their purposes in the society.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of unit 1, learners will be able to:

Understand the museum in its historical perspective.
Debate the meaning of the museum and its contemporary definition(s).
Elaborate on the roles of the museum in the contemporary society.
Examine the future museum challenges and concepts to overcome them.
Argue on the key points via posts, short reports and comments on each other’s work.

Activities

Study, Reflect, Comment & Share

0. Preparation:
– Check the key points mentioned in the introduction.
– Get ready to use some of the resources offered in the introduction.
– Activities in this unit relate to reading, producing and sharing. Be creative, resourceful, critical and communicative!

1. Museum history
Watch resource no. 7 (6 minutes) and resource no. 3 (21 minutes), take notes with the key points in mind and prepare a timeline with 3 to 20 points, indicating defining moments for ‘the museum’, the most prominent cultural institution today. Offer your timeline in a tweet (254-character comment) and comment on two of your colleagues’ tweets #museumhistory #Pact4Skills. If you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

2. Defining the museum now
Read resource nº 2 and reflect on the currently adopted museum definition by ICOM: resource no.1. Compare and contrast with two previous definitions, provided below (ICOM 1990 & ICOM 2007). Take note of the different words and concepts appearing in each definition. If we were to write an essay for that museum definition development, what would that be? Offer title in a tweet (254-character comment) #museumdefinition #Pact4Skills. f you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

– A museum is a non-profit-making, permanent institution, in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education, and enjoyment material evidence of people and their environment (ICOM 1990)

– A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment (ICOM 2007).

– A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.” (ICOM 2022)

3. Contemporary challenges and emerging opportunities
Rethinking the museum’s history and contemporary issues surrounding its existence and functions in society, one could come up with a list of challenges. After reading resource no.5 that will update you on the post-covid19 museum agenda, develop your own top 5 contemporary ‘challenges for the museum’ list. You can use the google ngram viewer (https://books.google.com/ngrams/) to check how well and since when your spotted ‘challenges’ have been covered by bibliography. Finally, try to match your challenges with “emerging professions” in the heritage context, as identified by P4S, Result 1. Offer your challenges and comments in a tweet (254-character comment) on two of your collegue’s tweets #museumhistory #Pact4Skills. f you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

» EMERGING HERITAGE PROFESSIONS. Click to learn more.

4. Museums in the future
Watch resource no. 6 on museums’ present and future.

Do you think that museums can be relevant in contemporary social agendas and pressing issues, providing information, perspective, trauma improvement and/or political standing? Check these two case studies:

https://historia-europa.ep.eu/en/welcome-house-european-history and
https://brokenships.com and comment accordingly with a 150 word blog post or social media post #museumfuture #Pact4Skills. If you prefer not to use social media, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

Self-Assessment Exercise 1 M/C

Go to https://forms.gle/rZSWYbpBW7Z6HUk3A

Self-Assessment Exercise 2 M/C

Go to https://forms.gle/AnWqWssn14PUNVGa9

unit_2: Looking out to the museum universe: Local, national and European levels

Abstract

This 5-hour unit focuses on the examination of the local, national and international context the museums are located. Through hands-on exercises it aims to locate a museum of your choice in the local context by examining their activities but also situate it in the broader context, by understanding their position in the national heritage scheme. Exploring the international context we can earmark and mobilise resources to “go beyond the walls of the museum”, and allow the development of joint actions through synergies and partnerships at all levels.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of unit 2, learners will be able to:

Understand the place of a museum at their local and national context.
Assess the universe of cultural agencies and institutions surrounding ‘the museum’ in Europe.
Acquire the necessary tools in order to expand the coverage, broaden and differentiate audiences.

Activities

Study, Reflect, Comment & Share

1. Local context
Go online and locate your ‘nearest museum’.

Go to their website and scan through their news/recent activities.

Select three of them.

Give them a relevant hashtag according to their scope and role: e.g. is it for #raisingawareness, #reseach, #promotion, #conservation or something else? Having in mind the “emerging heritage professions” as identified by P4S Result 1, could they be done better? What would you do differently? Offer your comments in a tweet (254-character comment) and comment on two of your colleagues’ tweets #museumcontext1 #Pact4Skills. If you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

2. National context
a. Zoom out of the local context into the national one but keep your ‘nearest museum’ in mind. Refer to the organisational chart of the heritage management body for your country (maybe a ministry of culture or a relevant council for culture/heritage). Does your ‘nearest museum’ feature in their organisational chart? Do they sit under the minister of culture or under a special directorship? Are there any other smaller organisations affiliated to it (e.g. for research)? Create an organisational chart featuring your ‘nearest museum’: this can be freehand or with the help of any free organizational chart maker software. Post it on a blog post or social media post #museumcontext2 #Pact4Skills. If you prefer not to use social media, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

3. International context
a. Watch resource no.8 and visit the webpage of the international NGO ICOM, (https://icom.museum/en/capacity-building/) and the Europeana aggregator for Museums MUSEU (http://www.museuhub.eu). Browse their “Training” section and identify training material that could be offered to your ‘nearest museum’ to develop their recent activities and build relevant capacity. Offer your comments in a tweet (254-character comment) and comment on two of your colleagues’ tweets #museumcontext3 #Pact4Skills. If you prefer not to use social media, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

Self-Assessment Exercise Y/N

Go to https://forms.gle/2NSpZYBvpUfLBjbb9

unit_3: Dealing with the ‘Resources’ (EntreComp)

Abstract

This 5-hour unit focuses on the discussion of the entrepreneurial mindset in the cultural heritage institutions universe, by specifically assessing our capacity to locate and mobilise personal resources. Through hands-on exercises it aims to unpack the entrepreneurial jargon bringing it closer to museum environments and their specific visions and needs.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of unit 3, learners will be able to:

Understand the concept of entrepreneurship and its blind spots
Assess the role of entrepreneurship in the cultural heritage institution context
Explore the Entrecomp reference framework developed by the European Commission to engage with the entrepreneurial mindset
Identify and address entrepreneurial cues in the museum environment

Activities

Study, Reflect, Comment & Share

1. Entrepeneurship 1.0

A standard definition for entrepreneurship is “the capacity to act upon opportunities and ideas, and transform them into value for others. The value that is created can be financial, cultural or social” (Definition proposed by the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship & Young Enterprise). Watch resources no.9 and no.10 and compile the single most important phrase that make sense in a cultural heritage institution. Go on the dedicated miro board and post a sticky note with your suggestion. If you cannot access the miro board, then email your sticky note to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

2. Resources

The European Commission has developed EntreComp: the European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework as a reference framework to explain what is meant by an entrepreneurial mindset. It defines three competence areas for the entrepreneurial mindset:

1. Resources

2. Ideas/opportunities and

3. Action. In this context, “resources” is a term that encompasses personal resources (namely, self-awareness and self-efficacy, motivation and perseverance), material resources (for instance, production means and financial resources) or non-material resources (for instance, specific knowledge, skills and attitudes). Read through resource no.11 and single out the most important resource that from your standpoint can make a difference in a cultural heritage institution entrepreneurial environment.

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC101581 ifna27939enn.pdf]

3. The museum entrepreneur

Read Resource nº14. Select a case study from the list or refer to your “nearest museum” explored in Unit2. Can you locate any entrepreneurial initiatives or directives relating to ‘resources’ in their mission and/or current projects? Offer your comments in a tweet (254-character comment) and comment on two of your colleagues’ tweets #museumentrepreneur #Pact4Skills.If you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

Self-Assessment Exercise T/F

Go to https://forms.gle/h9NHHuRwN5H4UDiW9

unit_4: Cultural Leadership & Strategic Planning in a museum

Abstract

This 5-hour unit focuses on cultural leadership and strategic planning, in the heritage context. It aims to examine the impact of these competences coming from the business world in the cultural institutions, attempting to overcome standard deficiencies especially in the museum, as identified in the P4S Result 1. It also offers practical tools to allow us explore insights and work on methodologies on two of the most important skills domains in the cultural management universe.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of unit 4, learners will be able to:

Understand the concept of cultural leadership as part of the entrepreneurial museum mindset .
Assess the gap between the business and museum context when working with cultural leadership tools.
Explore the concept of strategic planning and the consequent values it can bring in the museum context.
Identify and address these entrepreneurial competences in the emerging world of the future museum.

Activities

Study, Reflect, Comment & Share

1. Leadership for cultural heritage institutions

While leadership is often related to guiding a business to top in a competitive market, cultural leadership focuses on the creative edges that would come out of a values’ assessment in a cultural heritage institution creating an institution with a public face. Watch resource no.21 (11:59) and note 3 concepts that can apply to a museum context. Now watch Resource no.18 and try to reframe your initial notes. How can it become more relevant for a cultural heritage institution? Comment accordingly with a 150-word blog post or social media post #museumleadership #Pact4Skills. If you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

2. Strategic planning

Watch resource no.16 (3:57) and no.17 (9:31). Select a case study from the list or fall back to the “nearest museum from Unit2” and suggest the two most important strategic ends for it. Can you find any traces of them in their work already? Comment accordingly with a 150-word blog post or social media post #museumstrategy #Pact4Skills. If you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

Self-Assessment Exercise T/F

Go to https://forms.gle/4RAcBJcJAkQVCjM59

unit_5: Recap: Competences in the museum environment

Abstract

This final 5-hour brings together several central points of the MOOC module 1: the museum competence areas.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of unit 1, learners will be able to:

The history, political background and the present of museums in Europe
Museums’ connections, roles and potential in contemporary society
The mobilization of resources in the entrepreneurial museum environment (EntreComp).
Cultural leadership and Strategic planning in the museum of the future

Activities

Study, Reflect, Comment & Share

0. Preparation:

Watch resource no. 12 (21:12) that binds together many of the points we explored in this MOOC and get ready to confront 4 self-assessment exercises:

Self-Assessment Exercise 1

Watch resource no. 15 (4:37) and revisit your tweet #museumhistory #Pact4Skills from Unit1. Is there anything extra you are wishing to comment on?
Add it as comment to your original tweet #museumhistory #Pact4Skills. If you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

Self-Assessment Exercise 2

Read resource no. 20 on this new initiative of the European Union: The cultural heritage cloud. Revisit your tweets #museumcontext3 #Pact4Skills from Unit2. Is there anything extra you are wishing to comment on?
Add it as comment to your original tweet #museumhistory #Pact4Skills. If you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

Self-Assessment Exercise 3

Watch resource nº19 (15:30) that envelops the concepts of leadership and strategic planning: How would you describe the participatory museum and how would you see it happening?
Offer comments in a tweet (254-character comment) #museumfuture #Pact4Skills. If you do not have a tweet account, then email your comment to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy

Go to https://forms.gle/2D8MmqHW2gCDTwf47

When you finish all exercises, send an email to g.papaioannou@ouc.ac.cy and write that you have finished Module 1.

Then move to Module 2!!!!