Learning & Loans

Conclusion: Low ability males initiated the most objects from memory: 36 objects in total. High ability male and female groups each remembered 31 objects. Low ability females only initiated 23 objects overall.

This finding raises a number of related questions. What does low ability mean in the context of learning from objects? Or do loans actually stimulate the learning of this group?

Key: A "user" is a school that already uses the loan service. A "non-user" is a school that does not currently use the loan service.

Loan list:
HH11 Victorians 0922
HH251 Schools 1132/1222
HH302 Victorian doll 0933
HH130 Schools in the past

· Student B1: Male: Low Ability: Y5: Initiated 2 objects
My object was an iron - I remember that now. It was black and charcoal. My friend was looking at something which looked like a doorbell.

· Student B2: Male: High Ability: Y4: Initiated 2 objects, commented on 1
We had objects for the Egyptians too - the topic after the Victorians. We had a bell that they used to ring for people to keep time. Everyone (in the class) kept on ringing it. There was a jug made out of clay. The iron was really heavy and didn't have a wire.

· Student B3: Female: Low Ability: Y4: Initiated 1 object
We had stone things from Egypt after the Victorians. We had to touch a clog and we filled in a sheet about what you could do with it, what it looked like, and what it is.

· Student B4: Female: High Ability: Y5: Initiated 3 objects, commented on 1
Me and "another student" had to study a Victorian clog too - there were 2 clogs. There was a really fragile purse that was just sewn. We had to keep it in the bag it was in. The Egyptian objects were stone carvings of the Pharaoh and a bowl broken into tiny pieces.

Further comments unrelated to main object descriptions:
· Student B3: Female: Low Ability: Y4: Initiated 1 object
I remember the big stone with the Egyptian writing carved on it the most. It was in glass. The wood had Egyptian writing on it like the mummy cases.

· Student B4: Female: Higher Ability: Y5: Initiated 1 object, commented on 1
The one that stands out the most from the Egyptian objects was a little carving of stone in the shape of tomb Pharaohs - but plain not painted. It stood about 11 - 12 cms. high. There was a piece of wood with something like hieroglyphs on it. I was amazed at how long they had survived for.

Loan list:
H225 The seaside holiday 1134
H229A Edwardian bathing costumes 1134
NZ68C Barn owl 1422
NZ69A Little owl 1432

· Student C1: Male: Low Ability: Y3: Initiated 3 objects (binoculars, spade, bucket), commented on 3 (costumes, owls, sunglasses)
We were drawing. I saw a binoculars and a spade.
(of sunglasses) But they didn't have the nose bit there (shows me with hands).
There was a bucket which had pictures on the side. The colours were blue and yellow because of sand and sky…and some people making sand castles.
The teacher said "Student C1" and "another student" came from the seaside (in 2 costumes).
(of 2 owls) Do you mean the ones that everyone said was alive?

· Student C2: Male: High Ability: Y3: Initiated 4 objects (buoy, sunglasses, 2 suits) commented on 3 (bucket, 2 owls)
The seaside in the olden days… We drew the things on the table. There were loads of different things that were used at the seaside and we had to see what it did and find out if it was old or not and how old it was. So we had this glass buoys and we felt this was very old because nowadays there isn't any glass buoys. They make them more out of plastic or maybe foamy.
I think I remember these sunglasses. They had a green lens and they didn't have something the same as they I have nowadays, I think it was something to do with the nose.
The bucket wasn't plastic so we knew it was quite old because plastic is modern and only discovered quite a few years ago now. The bucket had pictures of people on it. And they had people going to buy ice creams. And me and "another student" got these suits and we had to dress up in them as if we were in the olden days and they had blue and white stripes and it was a bathing costume. We were just pretending, pretending we were from the olden days at the seaside.
Do you remember those boxes with those plastic owls in and everyone pretended they were Snowy that was in that book? Everybody kept saying "Look, that bird's alive, it's in a cage!" But everyone knew they were just joking.

· Student C3: Female: Low Ability: Y3: Initiated 2 objects (clothes, case), commented on 2 (camera, sunglasses)
There were clothes.
(About Edwardian materials) All they had was animal fur.
The camera wasn't like ours. It was square. And you had to look on the front bit - look like that and you could see out there (mimes). It was all squary and all rectangulary. And when you felt it was all hard.
(My prompt: Do you remember the sunglasses) Sunglasses, yeah. They were green.
They didn't have those black things there to hold them on. The thing there was plastic but the nose part was metal. There was a case which was all rusty. You slipped it off and opened it and there was another case in the middle.

· Student C4: Female: High Ability: Y3: Initiated 5 objects (buoy, bucket, spade, camera, case), commented on 3 (costumes, owl, sunglasses)
There was a glass buoy.
(About differences between Edwardian and contemporary swimming costumes) In those days they didn't have lots of materials.
The owl was brown with bits of white on the feathers. On TV there were these people who knew all about owls because they have one. I found out they can only move their eyes up and down that's why they go all the way round with their head. I looked at the eyes. We were talking about the owl.
I remember the bucket and spade. It was a big spade that went up to there (showed me with her hand). It was metal.
There was a camera. We looked in it. I could see in front of me what was beside me.
Oh, there was a case to put the camera in - it was brown. It was leather and sort of furry.
(Of the sunglasses) Oh Yeah, and they were very precious. The teacher said "Don't break them!" and we all looked through them and we don't not normally find glasses like that but my Mum's got sunglasses so sometimes you can.

Loan list:
HH238A The 1930's 1132
HH240A Costume of the 1930's 1224
HH97A WWII 1121
HH314 Evacuees: Boy 1233

· Student G1: Male: Low Ability: Y6: Initiated 8 objects (badges, gas masks, ration book, clothes, games, helmet, wooden box, music box), commented on 1 (leather box)
You (museum) brought in badges for us to identify, gas masks, ration book, some clothes, some games. We had that helmet as well and a whole box of stuff - like that big brown wooden box. Yeah, "another two students" were packing it away when it had to go back. That was like that music box because I kept fiddling with it in English. I accidentally turned it on. It went de de de de. The leather box was uncommon because they usually had cardboard boxes. The gas mask we had had a smashed face.

· Student G2: Male: High Ability: Y6: Initiated 5 objects (suitcases, cloth maps, crate, gas mask, leather box)
The things were in suitcases - one was brown. There were cloth maps. A crate. I think there was another gas mask. And they had a leather box for it as well.

· Student G3: Female: Low Ability: Y6: Initiated 4 objects (gas mask, powdered milk, milk cloth, flags), commented on 2 (hand grenade, puzzle)
There was a gas mask, the powdered thing - yes, powdered milk; that cloth that goes over the milk to keep it fresh with beads on it - I've forgotten what it's called.
(In response to Student G4's mention of a diary) Anne Frank.
(Of hand grenade) Yeah, we broke it apart and all that and looked at it inside and smelled it.
Oh, we had some flags which had the German sign on it.
(Of puzzle) Yeah, it was in a big frame and we weren't allowed to touch.

· Student G4: Female: Higher Ability: Y6: Initiated 5 objects (ration book, diary, identity book, hand grenade, puzzle), commented on 1 (powdered milk)
Powdered milk…a ration book.
We had a diary of someone a diary of someone. Someone who wrote the diary and I think it was a spy.
Oh, we had a book that identified someone.
I think it was a bomb we had - a hand grenade.
We had a puzzle I think, a jigsaw puzzle.

Further comments unrelated to main object descriptions:
· Student G1: Male: Low Ability: Y6: Initiated 6 objects (pen, pencil, 4 buttons)
Can I change my object? Can I do that wooden pen set? There was a pen, a pencil, like in a wooden case that you can see through the top because I was studying about that. It was a WWII thing - it came in a crate, actually - 1930s.
(Of the buttons) One was Welsh. I remember when we saw it, it said Princess of Wales on the back. There was a one about Wales. One from Belgium or something like that. That was it - Birmingham - what was I thinking of! (What parts of the army were they from?) Air Force… the Royal Navy.

· Student G2: Male: High Ability: Y6: Initiated 1 object (helmet), commented on 1 (Welsh button with dragon)
One (of the buttons) was from the Princess of Wales (Charlotte?). (The Welsh button) It had a dragon on it. The dragon one had 3 letters on it. They were made in Birmingham. There was one with the letters that were on the helmet. I think one of the letters was G.

Loan list:
AH13 Egyptian mummy case lid 0832
AH41 Egyptian jewellery 0913
AH58 Mummified cat

· Student H1: Male: Low Ability: Y5: Commented on 1 (lid)
(in reference to the sarcophagus lid) They put a golden face what they had to put over their real face.

· Student H2: Male: High Ability: Y5: Initiated 3 objects (cat, lid, necklaces)
Egypt was the topic. The mummified cat, the wooden person sort of thing and the necklaces.

· Student H3: Female: Low Ability: Y5: Initiated 2 objects (necklaces, bracelets)
There was these necklaces and bracelets as well.

· Student H4: Female: High Ability: Y5: Initiated 2 objects (cat, lid)
It was History, the Egyptians. There was this cat. This thing of Tutankhamun - it was like wood. Did they put it on their faces? (Me: Only?)…when they were dead.

Further comments unrelated to main object descriptions:
· Student H1: Male: Low Ability: Y5: Commented on 1 (necklaces)
The jewellery was rusty… circles as well. I think there was something carved out of it.

· Student H2: male: higher ability: Y5: More detail following initial description
The jewellery looked very, very old. The beads were in triangles like teeth.
One of our friends brought in a picture of Tutankhamun on their own paper.
The wooden lid looked like a dog sitting like that (mimes). It had lots of missing pieces of wood so we knew it was old. The lid was about this size (shows with hands).It was a lot darker brown than the cat. It was like stained wood. It was smooth with lots of cracks.

· Student H3: Female: Low Ability: Y5: Commented on 2 (cat, lid)
They wanted to believe in the after life and they had a lot of cats and they didn't really want to bury them. They wanted to keep them and mummify them.
The wooden thing looked like it was Tutankhamun's coffin. There were lots of different shapes and sizes (points to her face).

· Student H4: Female: High Ability: Y5: Commented on 1 (necklaces), more detail following initial description
(Of the stones used in the necklace) They were turquoise and blue.
( Of the sarcophagus) But it was just the head bit. It did have carving on it - it had like those bits on the beard and everything. The beard has lots of different patterns. The nose was a bit lumpy.

Loan list:
H150B Mail coach
H151A Stephenson's Rocket
H235A Travelling artefacts
H182A Spirit of St. Louis plane

· Student L1: Male: Low Ability: Y6: Initiated 3 objects (carriage, candleholder, toy), commented on 1 (aeroplane)
It feels like yesterday. (The aeroplane) That was one of the first ones. The person who flew it was something Louis. That little, the one that was, the little cart thing that was in Victorian thing - it was a horse and cart. (In reference to the smaller objects) A Victorian candleholder and there were loads more things that I can't remember…(of toy) it had a man on it.

· Student L2: High Ability: Y6: Initiated 3 objects (aeroplane, Rocket, pig) commented on 3 objects (carriage, candleholder, toy)
It doesn't feel like 7 months. The aeroplane I liked. And the HMS Rocket - it was a train. S. Louis or something. I liked the HMS Rocket. The Rocket wasn't actually a rocket though it was a train. It was a horse carriage and it had the royalty mark on it. There were a few objects little objects and they were wrapped up and we had to guess what they were. They were wrapped up in tissue paper. There was a pig…yeah, a Victorian candleholder. And there was a toy that they used in Victorian times by the teacher which we had to guess what they were: a Victorian candleholder and a toy that they used in Victorian times - yes, there was a horse with a man on it..

· Student L3: Female: Low ability: Y6: Initiated 2 objects (aeroplane, Rocket)
An aeroplane. I think it was a picture of a big like…(model) - it had big wheels and it had one seat at the front. It looked like a big tractor. It had big wheels. It was really high up. It was like a steam train.

· Student L4: Female: High Ability: Y6: Initiated 1 object (carriage), commented on 2 objects (aeroplane, Rocket)
A Post box, is it - something that said VR. There was a cart thing - with big big wheels on it and it had a little chair on the roof - was it a post thing? I liked the aeroplane best. The aeroplane had lots of details. It was really interesting. There was something special about this lady called something or other - I can't remember now. Did you send a train?

Further comments:
· Student L1: Male: Low Ability: Y6: More details
I remember Student L4 asked, "Are you ever going to come back?"; and you said, "I don't know". And she asked "What museum do you come from?" and you said the one in town. You said it was free. I came with my family and my brother and Student L2. I liked the Touch computer and the noughts and crosses.
The teacher asked us if we thought horsepower was used?. Me and Student L2 jumped up at the same time and said "Yes!".
The lanterns on the carriage were black. It looked like they were on. When it was RW it was in red. I remember Student L2 said he wished it was all yellow - they have all the colours except my favourite - mine and Student L4's favourites were there.
I told my Mum about what I learned that day. She was like tell me more. I never stopped until about 5 o'clock.

· Student L2: Male: High Ability: Y6: More details
I used to go when my aunts came to show them the computer room and that. Now I have to go (to the museum) because my Dad's got an exhibition there.
The teacher asked us about the wheels: "Why is a circle not a square?". And then we revised about the history of wheels and how they got bigger and smaller. Then I asked "Who invented the wheel?" and he said he didn't know.
(Of the lights) It made them fluorescent.
A week after we saw the box I brought my family in to the Box Room and asked to see the Rocket. I told them what I knew about it.

Loan list:
H201A Tram 1112
HH238 The 1930's 1132
HH240 Costume of 1930's 1224
HH313 Evacuees: Girl 1233

· Student M1: Male: Low Ability: Y6: Initiated 6 objects (fox, shoes, suitcase, dresses, cloche hat, sun hat)
There was a fox's skin…and shoes. There was a suitcase. There were some dresses. There was a cloche hat. And another one of those…The teacher wears one on sports day… a sun hat..

· Student M2: Male: High Ability: Y6: Initiated 3 objects (tram, tassels, doorbell), commented on 1 (clothes)
Tram…There was some clothes. There was some like spoons and objects. There was some tassels. Oh yeah, there was thing that hang over the door, there was one of those with writing on it, I think..

· Student M3: Female: Low Ability: Y6: Initiated 5 objects (fox, shoes, gloves, cap, handkerchief)
There were like a fox to put around your neck. And there was some shoes and gloves, wasn't there? And there was a cap as well. There was this funny…I can't remember what it's called, it's white - a ladies' handkerchief.

· Student M4: Female: High Ability: Y6: Initiated 3 objects (tram, suitcases, photographs), commented on 2 objects (clothes, gloves)
We got a lot of clothes. We got a model tram. And there were some suitcases with articles… and some gloves. I think there was some evacuation photographs.

Further comments unrelated to main object descriptions:
· Student M1: Male: Low Ability: Y6: Commented on 1 object (tram)
(Of the tram) There was a spiral staircase in the middle and at the back. And I think it said on the side of the tram is said "Trams Limited".

· Student M2: Male: High Ability: Y6: Commented on 1 object (dress)
I remember about the arm, it came up to the elbow. I can imagine if someone was wearing it, it would come out a bit and the actual dress wouldn't actually touch them. And also, the waist, the dress came out and the dress came down. It was tight around here and then the dress came round. And then there was this shape (shows scallops with fingers) going all the way up the dress like tubes. It was like half tubes (going down the dress).