Article grew out of a demonstration video and discussion that Philip and Danielle Rice, Associate Director for Program at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, presented at the 1999 National Docent Symposium. Both long-time art museum educators who have thought deeply about learning from art objects in the museum setting, Danielle and Philip present their approaches toward museum education, and question each other about their respective theories. Philip’s approach, which is based on the research findings of Abigail Housen, has resulted in the development of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), a question-based learning method. Danielle’s approach, based on her many years of art-historical and theoretical learning, and practice teaching in museum galleries, respects the learning processes of museum visitors, but assumes the importance to museum education of strategically-chosen facts about the work of art at hand.
