The course aims to give students an understanding of the core principles of Museology exposing them to an historical and critical overview on the evolution of museums and collecting. The use of examples will give students the basics necessary to grasp the whole picture of the technical and management practices that guarantee museums' attainment of purposes and correct functioning. Special attention is dedicated to those issues pertaining to safeguard, valorization, communication, museum didactics and use of ICT.

Program
The course includes an institutional introduction to museum history, starting with the first and best-known forms of collecting up to the birth of public museums, touching upon some Italian and international examples from the Eighteenth century to the present day.
The presentation and subsequent discussions regarding the functions of contemporary museums are based on the definition supplied by the Code of Professional Ethics of ICOM (2004) and the Italian Cultural Assets and Landscape Act (2004).
A range of issues pertaining to present day museums will be discussed taking into account the criteria of museum standards certification: museum design, organization, management, communication, educational services and the use of innovative techniques for the fruition of cultural assets. Further to these activities, the course is integrated by a session about new proposals for museum communication. 

Field experts will contribute to classes with lectures on specific topics, and study visits to some museums.

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Knowledge and comprehension ability

Knowledge and comprehension of the several aspects pertaining to the fundamental principles of museology and museography. 

Knowledge and comprehension of the museum and collecting evolution in their historic and theoretical framework.

Knowledge and comprehension of the technical and managing aspects that guarantee the museum operations and the fulfillment of its goals.

Applied knowledge and applied comprehension ability

Knowledge and comprehension of the fundamental aspects illustrated during the course.

Ability to elaborate and discuss the knowledge pertaining to the most important Italian and foreign museums presented.

Judgment autonomy

Ability to identify research tools and methods relevant to the contents of the course.

Ability to advance topics liable to further research and to carry research activities relevant to the course.

Communication skills 

Ability to interpret the contents and the results of the course.

Ability to illustrate the contents illustrated during the course using a suitable terminology. 

Learning skills

Ability to evaluate the museum institutions presented during the course in a critical and autonomous way.

Trace and find bibliographic sources needed to deepen studies and carry research.   

Use the research tools chosen in a correct way from a methodological point of view and master the acquired expertise pertaining material and immaterial heritage preservation, enhancement, managing and communication, and pertaining museum information technologies and didactics.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Study visits to Italian museums and collections.

Lectures on specific topics by field experts.

Teaching

Lectures on specific topics by field experts.

Study visits to Italian museums and collections.

Attendance

Students have to attend the addictional teaching lectures on specific topics by field experts 

Course books

L. Cataldo, M. Paraventi, Il Museo oggi. Linee guida per una museologia contemporanea, Milano, Hoepli, 2007.

M Teresa Fiorio, Il museo nella storia. Dallo studiolo alla raccolta pubblica, Milano, Pearson, 2018.

a text from the following list:

F. Antinucci, Comunicare nel Museo, Roma-Bari, Editori Laterza, 2004.

C. Rosati, Amico Museo. Per una museologia dell'accoglienza, Firenze, Edifir, 2016, pp. 37- 144.

Comunicare il museo oggi. Dalle scelte museologiche al digitale, a cura di L. Branchesi, V. Curzi, N. Mandarano, Atti del Convegno internazionale di studi, Roma, Università Sapienza, 18-19 febbraio 2016, Milano, Skira, 2016, Parte IV, Comunicare il museo a chi?, pp. 305- 422.

F. Veratelli, J. Habcy, Didattica della storia dell'arte, Milano, Mondadori Università, 2020.

A PowerPoint presentation integrating the indicated texts will be supplied at the end of the course, inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Assessment

Learning outcomes will be evaluated during an oral exam aiming at determining the understanding capabilities of the concepts discussed during the course and the ability to summarize and coordinate the answers, demonstrating to be endowed with appropriate expressive and communication abilities and the acquaintance with an adequate language. Evaluation criteria are based on a 4-level scale and will take into account the knowledge command degree, the answers articulation level, language suitability, critical and to-argue abilities. The exam grade will be expressed with a scale out of thirty (18/30).

Students are kindly requested to attend the opening of the exam session.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Attendance

Students have to attend the addictional teaching lectures on specific topics by field experts. 

Course books

L. Cataldo, M. Paraventi, Il Museo oggi. Linee guida per una museologia contemporanea, Milano, Hoepli, 2007.

M Teresa Fiorio, Il museo nella storia. Dallo studiolo alla raccolta pubblica, Milano, Pearson, 2018.

two texts from the following list:

F. Antinucci, Comunicare nel Museo, Roma-Bari, Editori Laterza, 2004.

C. Rosati, Amico Museo. Per una museologia dell'accoglienza, Firenze, Edifir, 2016, pp. 37- 144.

Comunicare il museo oggi. Dalle scelte museologiche al digitale, a cura di L. Branchesi, V. Curzi, N. Mandarano, Atti del Convegno internazionale di studi, Roma, Università Sapienza, 18-19 febbraio 2016, Milano, Skira, 2016, Parte IV, Comunicare il museo a chi?, pp. 305- 422.

F. Veratelli, J. Habcy, Didattica della storia dell'arte, Milano, Mondadori Università, 2020.

A PowerPoint presentation integrating the indicated texts will be supplied at the end of the course, inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Assessment

Learning outcomes will be evaluated during an oral exam aiming at determining the understanding capabilities of the concepts discussed during the course and the ability to summarize and coordinate the answers, demonstrating to be endowed with appropriate expressive and communication abilities and the acquaintance with an adequate language. Evaluation criteria are based on a 4-level scale and will take into account the knowledge command degree, the answers articulation level, language suitability, critical and to-argue abilities. The exam grade will be expressed with a scale out of thirty (18/30).

Students are kindly requested to attend the opening of the exam session.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Lectures in italian language. Non-attending students and students wishing to take exam in English have to contact the professor.