Museum Buzz

What does it take to lead a professional learning organization during a time of seismic, sector-wide change ? In this season finale of Museum Buzz , host Emily Kotecki sits down with Rachel Tranter, Director of the Group for Education in Museums (GEM) . Recorded as a post-conference reflection following GEM's annual gathering at Bletchley Park, Rachel shares her guiding philosophy on inclusive lea...

Maths communicator and museum learning consultant Thomas Briggs touches on two distinct areas in museum education: digital technology and mathematics. And while they may seem unrelated, Briggs says that incorporating digital and uncovering the math story in every collection begins with the same questions: "what's the story that we want to tell? What is the interesting, intriguing thing that we thi...

Museum educators have long been at the heart of institutional change driving the shift toward more open, reflective, and audience-centered museums . Digital innovation is no different . In this episode, cultural producer Holiday Donaldson explores why learning professionals are a critical voice in creating meaningful digital experiences.  Holiday discusses why asking "the obivous" questions is an...

Shannen Johnson, Engagement Manager at the Group for Education in Museums (GEM), explores how learning teams are wrestling with complex topics like AI and environmental sustainability, upskilling and burnout, all while emphasizing how educators can navigate these changes while remaining true to their institutions' missions, collection, and audiences. This episode was recorded in collaboration with...

Chris Unitt, founder of One Further, sits down to explore the realities of digital disruption, the value of fast, low-stakes prototyping, and the rise of "vibe coding." Most importantly, Chris breaks down why museum educators possess critical skill sets needed to be the true digital innovators of the cultural sector. This episode was recorded in collaboration with the Group for Education in Museum...

Aron Ambrosiani, curator of digital collections at the Swedish Museum of Architecture and Design and PhD candidate, takes one headline — "Swedish museums experience drop in visits, but record digital reach" — and unpacks what it really means. The numbers are big: 130% increase on Wikimedia platforms, 23% increase in website visits, and 10 % increase on Instagram. But Aron digs beneath the surface...

Sarah Van Haastert, Global Director of Strategic Partnerships at AVI-SPL offers a beautifully layered take on digital learning in museums. As she puts it, digital learning is both "a drop and the ocean": a small spark of curiosity that surprises visitors in the gallery, and the vast infrastructure behind the scenes that makes it all possible. In a place where visitors come to be social, learn, and...

Chris Evans, founder of the design consulting firm Drummin Hands, designs in-gallery digital experiences across museums, national parks, and cultural institutions. With a background rooted in interpretation and storytelling, Chris believes the best technology is invisible. Or, as he puts it, the "magic happening in the background." He shares how he helps organizations of all sizes start with the s...

Pauliina Kinanen, Training Specialist, with the Finnish Museums Association pulls back the curtain on what digital learning looks like when the average number of staff in a Finnish museum is nine. These small teams are finding big ways to innovate by trusting the power of their own stories, building the right partnerships, and experimenting with digital tools on their own terms. This conversation...

Zeina Dghaim, Training and Excellence Manager at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, knows what it takes to build digital learning experiences from the ground up. From advising on a fully digital museum for the Bahamas to shaping visitor experiences at one of the newest cultural institutions in the world, Zeina has a clear message for the sector: trust yourselves.  She challenges museums to st...

Frits Polman, CEO and founder of Guide-ID , is the first guest this season to go deep on how AI is reshaping the digital learning experience in museums. His platform uses AI to generate audio content tailored to each visitor's language and learning level making personalized engagement possible for museums of any size and budget. But Frits also makes a compelling case for why audio itself matters m...

Katya Provornaya from the Group for Education in Museums (GEM) shares how museum educators across the United Kingdom are the driving force behind making digital tools actually work for audiences — from rural schools and home-educated children to underrepresented communities. She discusses how GEM is leading sector-wide research and upskilling efforts, and why the most intentional digital learning...

Museums often talk about going beyond the walls to reach audiences—but what if the museum has no walls at all? After the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art closed its doors in 2024, it has engaged more audiences than ever through "trans-mediated experiences" spanning exhibitions, digital platforms, and partnerships.  Kimon Keramidas, Head of Digital Content and Strategy at the Rubin, demonstrates how t...

Museums don't run without people. Yet workforce development remains underfunded and undervalued despite being critical to everything museums do. It cultivates community, increases retention, leads to employee happiness, and it's a way to future-proof the sector.  Tamsin Russell, Workforce Development Lead at the Museums Association, creates multiple opportunities for its 13,000 members to grow. In...

Social enterprise—using business strategies to achieve social goals—is common in the nonprofit world but newer to museums. Ian Ellard, Head of the V&A Academy at the Victoria and Albert Museum, sees an opportunity for museums to break free of old models with this approach. We dive deep into what social enterprise actually means, what it looks like in a museum context, and explore the nuances of us...

Evaluating online learning often flummoxes museum educators, but it doesn't have to. Jeanine Ancelet, Principal at Audience Focus, helps bust that myth with smart, doable strategies for making evaluation meaningful and manageable. Hear practical tips for measuring on-demand resources, interpreting YouTube metrics, and designing inclusive evaluations across ages. And, find out why you might already...

"How much social impact do we get for a dollar?" That's the question Katy Scott, Director of Education Program Strategy at Monterey Bay Aquarium, is asking as her team explores what social impact actually means in practice, especially when it comes to online learning. Social impact has become a buzzword in museums, but Katy shares how her team is defining it through the intersection of environment...

Are we stuck in a doom loop of bland, poorly designed online learning, especially as AI plays a larger role in developing digital content? Mark Otter, CEO and Founder of Participate, shares why communities of practice, grounded in peer-to-peer learning and shared purpose, may be our best way out. We dig into how these communities fuel meaningful engagement and powerful learning. Plus, what does a...

Dr. Lauren Vargas focuses a lot of her work with institutions on the strategy and design of their digital ecosystem -- including how to engage and build communities. This was increasingly important with the pivot to digital programs in the pandemic and our conversation explores best practices for engaging and empathizing with that community; how to remain relevant and grow; and how to create a com...

Sina Bahram, President of Prime Access Consulting, provides insight into how to approach accessibility when designing a distance learning program. From platform providers to the learner experience, we dive into best practices, practical tips, and more.  But most importantly, he advises, " start small and [don't] be overwhelmed by all of the things...c heck your websites for some accessibility best...

Kristin Smith, Project Manager at the North Carolina Museum of Art, shares her experience of creating an online course for educators about social emotional learning (SEL), including the structure of the course; the benefits and challenges of teaching this content online; and why museums have a responsibility to create ways for visitors to learn about SEL. 

Emily is joined by a special co-host to breakdown the big take aways from season two. Season Two interviewed museum leaders from around the world about how different departments interpreted the word 'Distance' in the COVID-era.

Esme Ward, Director of the Manchester Museum, is setting out to create the most inclusive, imaginative, and caring museum in the world. In this conversation, we zero in on her efforts to care for her staff, audiences, and collections through embarking on a journey of repatriation. " God knows I'm passionate about museums, but you know, I do worry that we over rely on that passion."

In this conversation, I speak with the four program co-chairs of the Museum Computer Network (MCN)conference about how they approached planning their virtual conference, what they're worried about, and whether conferences in the future will be more or less virtual. MCN in November spans two weeks. Other virtual conferences are four weeks. One day. Live. Hybrid. Asynchronous. Conferences are experi...

Reopening is more than creating safe physical spaces for visitors and staff. It can be an opportunity to "reorient the place of museums" in society and how they engage with issues of white supremacy, white fragility, and social justice. Waqas Jawaid and Andy Chen, Co-Creators of Isometric Studio in Brooklyn, NY, created a Reopening Toolkit for Museums that included a preface called "A Lens Toward...