government - docent web

Detailed Description:

DocentWeb � a community of practice for art museum tour guides.General group characteristics: Docents are museum volunteers who are trained to give tours at a museum. They tend to be middle aged or seniors, both men and women, with an interest, but not necessarily training, in art history. Prior to becoming a docent, they participated in a rigorous training program that may have lasted up to a year. The docent is responsible for all continuing education after the completion of the training program. Entry Behaviors and Prior Knowledge: Most docents have at least general computer knowledge. While some are retirees, they are typically retired professionals, and own a computer to keep in touch with friends and family. Their art history knowledge can vary widely, depending on their background and interests.Motivation: The process that a docent must follow in order to complete training results in fairly high attrition, and thus, those who complete the training tend to be highly motivated individuals. These individuals are intrinsically motivated to learn about art, and participate as a volunteer at the museum.

Learning Outcomes:

The learner will be able to:

Acquire deeper understanding of art, art movements, and the contexts in which they exist.
Collaborate on ideas related to the meaning or artwork or the work of artists.
Collaborate with others to socially negotiate important themes of an art exhibit.