Interview with Margaret McColl

EMA continues interviewing experts in their field. For our current issue we have been speaking to Margaret McColl about her career, experiences, projects and role in EMA.

Your MSc in Museum Education was the first of its kind in Scotland. How do you see formal academic programmes like this shaping the next generation of museum professionals across Europe?
 
For many years, I have worked with a wonderful network of museum partners in Scotland and beyond and I never cease to be impressed by their expertise and creativity. In recent years, museums have faced unprecedented challenges in terms of funding and staffing as well as a need to address and redress the narratives they share while reflecting wisely and sensitively on the ethical viability of their collections.  The MSc Museum Education and the International Master of Education in Museums and Heritage that I also lead offer opportunities for students to research, discuss and implement effective, contemporary museum theories and practices. As their studies progress, students on these programmes gain deeper understandings of the complexity of museums and the breadth of reach that is possible through informed, innovative, collaborative practice. We explore everything from the evolution of museum education across the past 100 years to colonial legacies that shape collections to intellectual, social and cultural museum accessibility. Being a museum educator in the 21st century requires a myriad of skillsets, and it is our hope that students who graduate from our degrees will be ready to face any type of professional challenge, to work with anyone and to be passionate about what they do.

 
Given your work with both online and campus-based students, how can digital education support equitable access to museum training in underrepresented regions within the European museum landscape?
 
I believe that digital and hybrid learning models increase educational access for many reasons. Not everyone can move their lives hundreds or even thousands of miles to undertake full-time study. Work and personal commitments and limited financial resources can be barriers to learning. Hybrid and digital masters-level models offer people facing such challenges access to learning as well as opportunities to expand their professional networks and, ultimately, to increase their professional qualifications. However, high quality digital content and attractive, accessible platforms are needed to encourage remote participation and to sustain user engagement.
 
 
In your experience designing the MOOC The Museum as a Source for Learning, what have you learned about the role of online platforms in democratizing museum education across Europe?
 
Thousands of online learners have visited and undertaken The Museum as a Source for Learning MOOC. I think this may be due to it being a short but academically robust course that is easy to access and navigate independently. The MOOC presents information in the same way to everyone yet each person who visits will interpret and respond to the content in their own, unique way. Learners can feel they are part of a group, but they can pace their engagement with the MOOC according to their own availability, interests and needs. The MOOC offers a taster of how it feels to engage with a subject at master level without a long-term, intense commitment but conversely, it might also whet the user’s appetite for full time study.
 
How can interdisciplinary approaches in museum education help European museums respond to contemporary social challenges, such as migration, decolonization, or climate change?
 
I think interdisciplinarity is at the core of many professions today. As I mentioned earlier, museums are complex organisations where an individual object might be considered from multiple viewpoints and can mean so many different things to different people. An interdisciplinary approach to designing museum spaces, exhibitions, narratives, and programmes can increase cultural and social relevance for a much wider audience. For example, if a curator with a fine art background liaises with a scientist and a museum educator to agree the content of a label for a climate change exhibition, the multiple perspectives used to create the label should enhance its relevance to a wider reach of visitors. I’m a huge fan of museums working in collaboration with their communities to co-design exhibitions too. While this approach needs to be developed carefully, involving a museum’s community in decisions about exhibitions and exhibition design can an added richness to discussions about migration, decolonisation etc.
 
What role do you believe the European Museum Academy could play in supporting academic–museum partnerships that foster critical, inclusive, and future-facing education practices?
 
The European Museum Academy comprises a wonderful network of academic and practice-based experts who work across various sectors. The individuals within the network are involved in numerous European and international projects aimed at developing and enhancing museum policies, practices, and research. The collective expertise of EMA members is a rich source of knowledge, experience, and innovation that can be effectively utilized to support museum and academic partners today and in the future. EMA had a hugely important role in the design of the International Master of Education in Museums and Heritage (EDUMaH) and continue to be a key partner in the ongoing decision-making and development of the degree. The summer school that EMA designed and manage for EDUMaH offers a unique learning experience where students are mentored by EMA experts while undertaking a 2-week museum internship. The summer school has proved immensely popular with students who thrive and grow under the mentorship of the EMA experts in collaboration with the mentorship of the museum professionals where the internships are based. This summer school model is an excellent example of successful learning where theory and practice can be studied hand in hand for deep impact on the learner.