Interactive Learning Units on Museum Websites

ABSTRACTThough it is well known that museums should embrace digital learning, many museum websites have not fully utilized digital learning resources, especially in interactive ways. In fact, in a survey of 225 websites of selected U.S. cultural institutions that have informal science education at the heart of their operations, we found that just 5% of the websites offer interactive learning resources. Based on these findings, we present an overview of interactivity in digital learning and discuss the rationale for interactive learning units on museum websites: adding to museum online offerings, connecting formal and informal learning, motivating learning in bite-sized portions and repurposing content.