Broadening the museum as a place of learning

The pandemic has fundamentally tested the relationship between museums and their audiences. This also applies for the long-standing connection with schools: If up till then museums had been established places of learning outside of schools, they were suddenly no longer available. Conversely, a vacuum opened up in museums, with the otherwise relatively steady stream of school groups staying at home. These exceptional circumstances have given rise to a wealth of new digital opportunities, specifically for schools. Based partly on existing and proven methods, and partly on entirely new ideas, museums have developed digital teaching and learning tools, educational (online) games, downloadable teaching materials, apps, podcasts and videos, live tours, and online workshops for pupils and teachers. By looking at selected projects, we would like to raise the following questions concerning this development: What formats have been created, and what remains after the experimental phase? What content, perspectives, and interactions are coming to the fore? Are there hybrid solutions, and are they desirable? Who is responsible for creating digital formats, and how does this change the way museums engage with their audiences? What role shifts can be observed, and what forms of transprofessional work are emerging—also beyond the institutions of museums and schools? We will examine specific digital formats as well as consider the preconditions for their development and the changed dynamics of the relationship between pupils, teachers, and museums.