MSU Museum CoLab Studio CoLaborators

Case Study

learning design, leadership and management, strategic vision

Driving Question

How might we prepare college students to engage in interdisciplinary conversations around complex, global challenges?

Context

Since 2018, I have designed and managed the MSU Museum’s CoLaborator program. CoLaborators are an interdisciplinary team of undergraduate and graduate students dedicated to fostering discussions, creativity, and learning within MSU Museum exhibitions and outreach programs. Their primary role focuses on conversing with visitors in the galleries around the themes and subjects of the exhibition, generating dialogue and reflection around the themes and concepts within the exhibition.

The CoLaborator program is an essential component of the MSU Museum CoLab Studio’s exhibition experiences, but it is also very much an intentionally designed learning experience for students. The objectives of the CoLaborator program focus on cultivating transdisciplinary mindsets, enhancing science communication skills, and nurturing critical thinking, project management, and problem-solving abilities.

Process

I primarily leverage the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) model of instructional design while designing training experiences for the CoLaborator program. The initial training is complemented by weekly professional development sessions and team meetings, where we focus on checking in with each other, developing and practicing our facilitation skills, and learning more about the sub themes within an exhibition. Professional development sessions consist of a mix of conversations with guest speakers, reflections on articles and podcasts relevant to the season, and practicing facilitation techniques.

At the beginning of each season, I am rigorous about gathering initial input from students and analyzing their responses, asking them to reflect consistently on questions such as:

What are your personal goals for this season?
What are you feeling most confident in?
What are you feeling most uncertain about?
What is going well as a team? What needs improvement? What are practices we should keep the same?

Their responses to these questions help me design the training based on where each cohort of students feels they are at and what they are interested in learning. While there are some learning objectives that remain consistent from year to year, I constantly iterate and add new learning objectives and modules to align with our exhibition themes and each cohort’s current abilities. Training modules include facilitation techniques, digital communication, and content-specific modules related to the exhibition themes, such as climate change, surveillance, or the impact of AI on democratic institutions.

I work with each of our exhibitors to develop and facilitate exhibitor talks, where students meet the creators behind each work and learn about their exhibit, the exhibitors themselves, and about the concepts of the piece. Throughout the implementation of these training modules, I check in with students on their learning and what they still have questions about. I routinely host mid-season team reflections to help evaluate the effectiveness of the training and identify areas where I might need to complete more professional development sessions to help students succeed in their roles.

Results

The CoLaborator program is continuously showcased as one of the strongest examples of the MSU Museum’s contributions to student success. CoLaborators report increased confidence in their communication skills, expanded interest in careers in museums and informal learning environments, and a stronger sense of their own interests and self-confidence as a result of their experiences as a CoLaborator.

“Being a CoLaborator inspired me to pursue a minor in Museum Studies, beginning at the start of my Junior year. My life-changing experiences at the MSU Museum (CoLaborator, Game Designer, Leadership for Change intern, WKAR exhibitor) have all accumulated to result in my pursuit of future opportunities in non-formal learning settings (museums, libraries, gardens, zoos, etc.). I love the freedom for out-of-box thinking when it comes to experience and interaction in a museum setting. It connects so well to my studies as an XA/P2W student, encouraging me to think about both the physical and digital elements that can enhance and support visitor learning. I have the MSU Museum (and of course Caroline) to thank for entirely shaping my perception about what is possible with my degree.”

CoLaborator Alumni, 2023

Learn More About the CoLaborator's Impact

A Third Place: CoLaborator program offering place and space for student success (Featured in Michigan State University’s Student Success Newsletter)

Creating Conversations: Inside MSU Museum’s CoLaborator Program (Featured in ArtsMSU)