EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM DISPLAY DESIGN: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK BASED ON THE FOUR-QUADRANT THEORY

Abstract

Following the ICOM 2022 definition establishing Varied Experiences for Education as museums' core mission, the concept of educational experience remains ambiguous - particularly the boundary between education and entertainment. This paper constructs a conceptual framework to define educational experience in museum display design. Drawing on Pine and Gilmore's Four-Quadrant Theory, Dale’s Cone of Experience Theory, and synthesizing insights from museology, pedagogy, and cognitive psychology, the study distinguishes educational experience from entertainment, aesthetic, and escapist experiences. Through theoretical deduction, the paper proposes that an ideal museum educational experience is characterized by active participation and cognitive absorption. A comprehensive definitional framework is presented, covering definitional boundaries, core characteristics, the immersion-to-absorption transformation process, and design principles. This framework provides a theoretical foundation for evaluating and designing educational displays, particularly for small and medium-sized museums.

Keywords: Educational Experience, Museum Display Design, Four-Quadrant Theory, Cone of Experience