ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the implications of this view for developing cost-effective learning experiences in museums. It suggests an alternative way of conceptualizing generic learning outcomes based on taxonomy of learning experiences already widely known in HE, thus providing a link between formal and informal learning theories. The chapter illustrates how this taxonomy can be used to inform the design and formative testing of prototype museum learning activities. Around half of the museums in the United Kingdom (UK) were using a Generic Learning Outcomes (GLOs) based evaluation framework within two years of its launch. A well-formulated learning outcome should be measurable and to achieve that it needs to be both specific and objective. However, while learning outcomes are widely accepted in university education as a rational basis for effective learning design, it is at first more difficult to see how they might apply in museum education.
