Publications

The Museum education and Research Laboratory publishes the online international journal Museumedu. For published volumes, relevant information and author guidelines please visit the Online International Journal

Members of the Laboratory have written books and edited collective volumes on education, especially relating to museums, culture, history and the arts, with the aim to widen and enhance relevant theoretical investigation and research, dialogue and practices, learning processes and experiences.

Monographs

Venieri, F. 2020. Museum theatre: New approaches in interpretation (in greek) Athens: Kaleidoskopoio

Museum theater is a visitor-centered interpretation strategy, a form of public history and applied theater that has been used in heritage interpretation since the late 19th century. It is a new narrative form in Greek museology and museum education.This book presents its history, functions as well as the issues that arise. It examines the theatrical phenomenon in the light of current requirements in museum interpretation, outlines the dialogue around the tools of public engagement, the perception of the theatrical phenomenon and the relevant research results and offers an overview of its applications and functions in Greek museums. Finally, it includes an analysis of the of planning, implementing and evaluating process focusing on the museum theater performance entitled "A visit to the" Exhibition of the Monuments of the Sacred Struggle ", April 1884" (National Historical Museum of Athens).

Kouseri, G. 2019. Historical thinking in school and museum: From research to education approaches.

 The focus of the book is the study of historical thinking in school and the museum environment. The book was designed with the aim of discussing the contemporary views of historical education at a theoretical and research level but also the creative connection of these views with corresponding practices that are considered fruitful for historical education. Therefore, the book is addressed to scientists and teachers. It is addressed to scientists, since the theoretical and methodological choices of research on historical thinking in school and the museum environment contribute to the enrichment of the field of historical education. For teachers, however, it is a useful tool, as it includes also educational activities for the utilization of material residues as testimonies of the past. These are activities that are based on books’ theoretical and research example but also on the parallel research interest that is developing nowadays internationally for historical education.

Nikonanou, N., 2010. Museum education: From Theory To Practice (Mousiopedagogiki: Apo tin Theoria stin Praxi), Patakis, Athens (in Greek) [ISBN 978-960-16-3466-1]

The aim of this study is to contribute to the discussion on the educational role of museums examining the elements that compose the profile of museum education in Europe and Greece. The author analyses the historical background of the emergence and evolution of museum-education, as a process of transition from the traditional museum-temple to the museum as a place of learning. Contemporary theories are also examined, in order to describe the function of the museum today as a place of experience, entertainment, inspiration and creativity. Case studies from the Greek experience are analyzed, in order to discuss issues of design and implementation of museum-educational activities, connecting theory to practice.

Nakou, I. 2009. Museums, Histories and History. Athens: Nissos.

Nakou, I. (2009). Museums, Histories and History. Athens: Nissos. (ISBN 978-960-8392-68-7)

 

The book explores the interrelations between History and Museums, in the context of the multiple uses of History in the public sphere, and the implications of the educational role of museums in the shaping of historical literacy and relevant historical ideas and performances. It refers to current museological issues, to issues relating to Material Culture Theory, Oral History and the complicated relations between Memory and History, public histories and History, as a special disciplinary way of understanding "reality".

Nakou, I. (2001). Museums: We all, objects and culture. Athens: Nissos. (ISBN960-86931-6-0)

Nakou, I. (2001). Museums: We all, objects and culture. Athens: Nissos.

The book offers an introduction to Contemporary Museology, to Museum Education and to the cultural dimentions of objects, on the basis of Material Culture Theory. It explores the historical character of objects' interpretation and their typologies, the historical construction of museums and the polysemy of museum objects and museum spaces, and discusses both the theoretical background and current trends of educational practices in museum environments.

Nakou, I. (2000). Children and History: Historical thinking, knowledge and interpretation. Athens: Metaixmio.

Nakou, I. (2000). Children and History: Historical thinking, knowledge and interpretation. Athens: Metaixmio.
(ISBN 960-375-128-6)

The educational aims and methods, the learning processes and outcomes of school history education are matters that appeal the interest of many societies now-adays, because, among other things, they relate to new trends of History as a discipline and the complex and trasiitional processes of contemporary reality. On this basis, the book aims to enhance both the disciplinary and the social dialogue over the importance of history education, by discussing the results of a longitudinary research in children's historical thinking within a museum environment.

Collective Volumes

المتاحف‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ف‬ � ‫تعليمية‬ ‫تجارب‬ ‫إنشاء‬ ‫المشاركة‬ -‫االستفسار‬ -‫المناقشة‬ ‫بونيا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫وألكسندر‬ ‫نيكونانو‬ ‫ي‬ ‫نيك‬ ‫وان‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ك�‬ ‫وأالن‬ ‫بينيت‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ألكسندر‬ : ‫الحاالت‬ ‫بدارسة‬ ‫قام

This small book, published in Arabic and English, is the outcome of collaboration between Qatar Museums and UCL Qatar, one of the academic institutions supported by Qatar Foundation. It aims to provide an introduction to the methodologies and tools museums, but also educators of all levels of education can use in order to develop meaningful, exciting and engaging learning activities for school groups, as well as other visitor groups. All these methodologies, and many more, are used by museums in Qatar, as the case-studies, just a few out of many that could have been presented, eloquently demonstrate. The case-studies support the theoretical part of the book and showcase the group work of museum professionals in Qatar as they discuss projects that have been realized during the last few years by the teams of QM museums in collaboration with many other stakeholders. We hope that this booklet will initiate a dialogue about museum education in Qatar while sharing the expertise that is developed in the country beyond its borders.

Niki Nikonanou & Alexandra Bounia. 2020. Creating Learning Experiences in Museums: Discussing – Inquiring – Participating, UCL QATAR

This small book, published in Arabic and English, is the outcome of collaboration between Qatar Museums and UCL Qatar, one of the academic institutions supported by Qatar Foundation. It aims to provide an introduction to the methodologies and tools museums, but also educators of all levels of education can use in order to develop meaningful, exciting and engaging learning activities for school groups, as well as other visitor groups. All these methodologies, and many more, are used by museums in Qatar, as the case-studies, just a few out of many that could have been presented, eloquently demonstrate. The case-studies support the theoretical part of the book and showcase the group work of museum professionals in Qatar as they discuss projects that have been realized during the last few years by the teams of QM museums in collaboration with many other stakeholders. We hope that this booklet will initiate a dialogue about museum education in Qatar while sharing the expertise that is developed in the country beyond its borders.

https://www.academia.edu/44535321/Creating_Learning_Experiences_in_Museu...

Nakou, I. & Gazi, A. (Eds.) (2015). Oral History in Museums and Education. Athens: nissos.

The collective volume Oral History in Museums and Education was published in Greek by nissos publications in 2015. It was edited by Irene Nakou and Andromache Gazi.

Nikonanou, N. (ed.) 2015. Museum Learning and Experience in the 21st century, (Mouseiaki mathisi kai empiria ston 21o aiona), Hellenic Academic Ebooks, National Technical University of Athens, Athens

This edited volume aims in presenting an overview in different aspects of museum education today and discusses issues concerning learning and experience in museums in the 21st century. Theoretical approaches in museum education, learning theories, educational aims, methods and activities are presented in the first three chapters. The following four chapters focus on the different visitor groups  according to the circumstances of their contact with the museum such as school visits and leisure time activities (families, children, adults), include strategies of approaching marginalized groups and non visitors and issues of visitor surveys and evaluation processes in museums.  The museum space as an educational environment and the variety of media - material, printed and digital- which are used in museum-educational practice are at the core of the last three chapters of the volume.

http://hdl.handle.net/11419/712 

Bounia, A., Nikiforidou, A., Nikonanou, N., Matossian, A. D. 2012. Voices from the Museum: Survey Research in Europe's National Museums, Linköping University Electronic Press

This report presents visitor perspectives on what it means to be a national museum and relations between national museums and identities. Overall, visitors expect national museums to help them build national consciousness and collective identity, when it comes to nationals; and help them understand difference and similarity when it comes to non-nationals/visitors to the nation. The survey suggests that national museums, in order to “deserve” the name, need to present the complete story of the nation. In terms of identity, national identity is prioritized by most visitors as their primary identity. There are three categories of self-proclaimed “national identity”: a single national identity; a hybrid national identity (two or more heritage roots); and a trans-national identity, which places an emphasis on European, cosmopolitan ideals, universal humanity or the importance of the individual in determining identity. Often national identity is complemented with other identities: class, gender, education, origins of some sort. The findings suggest that national museums seem to be well located to express those ideas as well, since they provide historical models with which people can understand and identify themselves.

The report is produced within the three-year research programme, EuNaMus – European National Museums: Identity Politics, the Uses of the Past and the European Citizen, coordinated at Tema Q at Linköping University (www.eunamus.eu). EuNaMus explores the creation and power of the heritage created and presented at European national museums to the world, Europe and its states, as an unsurpassable institution in contemporary society. National museums are defined and explored as processes of institutionalized negotiations where material collections and displays make claims and are recognized as articulating and representing national values and realities. Questions asked in the project are why, by whom, when, with what material, with what result and future possibilities are these museums shaped.

Available On-line: http://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:563949

Vemi, B. & Nakou, I. (Eds.) (2010). Museums and Education. Athens: Nissos.

Vemi, B. & Nakou, I. (Eds.) (2010). Museums and Education. Athens: Nissos. (ISBN 978-960-8392-81-6)

The volume was edited as a representative documentation of museum education in our country, as it has been realised so far by universities and museums. Its aim is to enhance the dialogue among all those institutions, groups and people who are involved in museum education, in terms of critical evaluation of the relevant educational, practical, theoretical and research work, in order to set a firm background for further development in the future. This volume, which is accompanied by a CD ROM with relevant visual material, aims to help all those who are interested in "working' in museum education, both during their studies and professionally.

Kanellopoulos, P. A. & Tsaftaridis, N. (Eds.) (2010). Art in Education - Education in Art: Exploring the creative role of Art in education. Athens: Nissos.

Kanellopoulos, P. A. & Tsaftaridis, N. (Eds.) (2010). Art in Education - Education in Art: Exploring the creative role of Art in Education. Athens: Nissos.
(ISBN 978-960-8392-87-8)

The volume explores the artistic praxis as a dynamic and always developing process of personal creation. This process relates to a tend of developing a personal perspective on the basis of materials, tools, methods, stances and ideas that have been produced by different art traditions.Visual arts, music, oral rarratives, drama and cinema are approached as art practices that ask for a new type of relation with children, on the basis of the assumption that the object of art is not but the exploration and the apotheossis of the freedom of human consciousness.

Nakou, I. & Barca, I. (επιμ.) 2010. Contemporary Public Debates over History Education. International Review of History Education Series. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Nakou, I. & Barca, I. (Eds.) (2010). Contemporary Public Debates over History Education. International Review of History Education Series. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
ISBN 978-1-61735-107-5 (pbk) / ISBN 978-1-61735-108-2

This collective book is the 6th volume in the International Review of History Education Series. It presents public debates on history education as they appear in 14 different areas of the world, in Asia, Europe, North and South America. By illuminating common trends, national peculiarities and differences, it further enriches our knowledge about crucial issues concerning public perspectives over history education in diverse parts of the world, opens new questions and issues to be investigated by all who insist that history education is very important, especially if it enables young people to orientate in the present and the future in historical terms.

Nikonanou, N., Kasvikis, K. (eds.) 2008. Educational Journeys in Time. Experiences and Interpretations of the Past (Ekpaideutika Taxidia sto Xrono. Empiries kai erminies tou parelthontos) Patakis, Athens (in Greek) [(ISBN: 978-960-16-3019-9]

This edited volume discusses issues concerning educational activities for children and teenagers in the sector of cultural heritage. The articles approach theoretically the concepts of interpretation and experience, as well as the different cultural media –exhibitions, programs, educational material, digital applications–, and present some Greek case studies. The authors are university professors and specialists working in cultural institutions (A. Andreou, St. Gotsis, E. Dimaraki, K. Kasvikis, K. Kotsakis, A. Bounia, I. Nakou, N. Nikonanou, Ch. Mavropoulou-Tsioumi, E.Pini, A. Tsitouri, E. Fourliga, T. Chatzinikolaou, St. Chryssoulaki), who attempt to provide a framework for discussion on museum-education in the 21st century.

Kokkinos, G. & Nakou, I. (Eds.) (2006). Approaching History Education in the Beginning of the 21st Century. Athens: Metaixmio.

Kokkinos, G. & Nakou, I. (Eds.) (2006). Approaching History Education in the Beginning of the 21st Century. Athens: Metaixmio.
(ISBN 960-375-860-4)

History education in early 21st century is focusing on learning processes rather than on teaching.  This assumption motivated the editing of this collective volume, which is consisted of two parts. Part A', "International Approaches", presents theoretical investigations, research questions and practical issues concerning history education in different countries in Europe and North and South America. Part B', "Approaches in Greece", refers to necessary reforms in school history education in Greece, in terms of contemporary theoretical and research explotations.

Anna Chronaki and Iben Maj Christiansen (eds.) 2005. Challenging Perspectives in Mathematics Communication. Information Age Publishing Inc. USA.

 

Anna Chronaki and Iben Maj Christiansen (Eds) (2005). Challenging Perspectives in Mathematics Communication. Information Age Publishing Inc. USA. ΙSBN-1-59311-151-7, HardcoverΙSBN-1-59311-152-5

The book discusses basic theoretical approaches to the conceptualisation and the enrichment of communication among students attending mathematics classes.