Becoming a Learning Organization

Abstract

When staff at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) opened their newest visitor-experience space, Q?rius (pronounced curious), in 2013, they intended to create an innovative science-learning space that would provide visitors with hands-on access to the museum’s world-renowned natural history collections, skill-building experiences, and personal encounters with science experts. Over the years since Q?rius opened, education staff noticed changes in how their colleagues from different departments were working together and suspected that in some contexts the organization was operating differently. In 2018, RK&A studied institutional-level changes at NMNH as a result of Q?rius, and, more broadly, helped staff and leadership understand the ways in which NMNH is a “learning organization” and where there is room for development. In this article we explore the concept of a learning organization, present key takeaways of the NMNH study and how they have been applied in practice, and for those who wish for their organization to grow into a learning organization, provide essential concepts to help them think through how they might pursue such work in their museum.