| Abstract: | Evaluation of instructional materials, environments, and programs is an undertaking that is difficult to design and initiate due to its complexities. This paper seeks to offer guidance by presenting techniques that are gaining recognition within qualitative research. This is an area of study that characterizes learning by examining the products that learners create in response to instruction. These products are often referred to as “student work.” By using protocols that facilitate a study of student work, museums can learn much about their own attempts to meet their educational missions, in addition to getting to know their audiences better. This paper offers a brief overview of published resources for examining student work along with ideas for implementing them in museum settings, and outlines the procedures for using two specific protocols. |
