Learning Online: Museum websites for SOSE

Information communication technologies are having a profound impact on the kinds of programs museums offer for viewers in the wider community as well as for school students. Increasingly, museums allocate considerable resources to the development of programs designed for student learning in SaSE as well as other learning areas. The programs are diverse and vary in quality. This paper examines a small selection of museum websites in light of their value for children's and young people's learning. The authors suggest that designing useful websites with value as catalysts for deep thinking about social issues involves more than technical (ICT) expertise. They suggest that websites could be enhanced through a strong pedagogical orientation. There would appear to be a case for the development of sites by multidisciplinary teams as well as ongoing communication between the museum and school sectors - not excluding the voices of students themselves.