Ethel Villafranca

2x2-edited

Focus area

Ethel’s research is focused on how museum educators curate objects and spaces within a learning environment to facilitate students’ deep learning. She hopes to understand how school teachers can adapt this practice in their classroom pedagogy. The aim of her research is two-fold:

  • Investigate strategies for maximising features of the learning environment that facilitate students’ deep learning.
  • Explore possibility for transferring these strategies to classroom practice.

This short video provides an overview of the project in October 2019.

Background

Ethel Villafranca completed her master’s in Museology (major: education), on a Fulbright Scholarship, at the University of Florida and her bachelor’s in Philippine Arts (major: arts management), at the University of the Philippines. She has been involved in various aspects of museum/cultural work in the Philippines and the USA since 1998. Ethel is currently a recipient of the Melbourne International Research Scholarship and her research interests include museum education, visitor studies and evaluation, and pedagogy and space for schools.

Publications, Presentations, and Memberships

Publications

Villafranca, E. et. al (2018). Making museums work: A Zero In handbook. Manila, Philippines: Eugenio Lopez Foundation, Inc.

Villafranca, E. (2016). Micheltree, H., Cleveland, B, & Imms, W. (Eds.), Understanding affordances in museum education context: Proceedings of the Third Annual International Learning Environments Research Higher Degree Symposium (pp. 113-118). Victoria, Australia: The Learning Environments Applied Research Network.

Healy, S., Grant, G., Villafranca, E., & Yang, P. (2015). A theoretical orientation for evaluating the geographies of new generation learning environments: Proceedings of the Second Annual International Learning Environments Research Higher Degree Symposium (pp. 13-20). Victoria, Australia: The Learning Environments Applied Research Network.

Villafranca, E. (2014). Zero In: a guide to keeping your museum exciting and relevant. Manila, Philippines: Museo Pambata Foundation, Inc.

Villafranca, E. (2013). Guide to the national workshop on establishing community museums. Manila, Philippines: Museo Pambata Foundation, Inc.

Villafranca, E. (2004). Creating Good Education Programs for Children. In Touch Discover Explore! The Story of Museo Pambata: the making of the Philippine’s first children’s interactive museum. Manila, Philippines: Museo Pambata Foundation, Inc.

Other relevant information

Ethel remains active in museums in the Philippines. She has been conducting programs aimed at sharing expertise and resources in working towards developing more dynamic, engaging, and inviting cultural centers all over the Philippines. In 2013, she co-created and co-facilitated workshop modules for the UNESCO-Philippines funded Zero In National Workshop on Establishing Museums. Encouraged by the success of the first workshop, two more workshops were awarded funds and held in 2014 and 2015. Over 200 participants representing more than 100 museums/cultural institutions across the Philippines attended the workshops. The workshop modules were based on her master’s project-thesis on Creating Classroom Museums in the Philippines.

She is currently the Director for Learning and Integration of the Filipino Australian Students Council – Victoria (FASTCO) where she implements learning and wellness programs aimed at helping Filipino students in Victoria.

Presentations

Villafranca, E. (May, 2017). Understanding affordances in museum education context. Paper presented at the Museum Galleries Australia National Conference, Brisbane, Australia.

Villafranca, E. (August, 2016). Curating Learning-Museums intentionally manipulate space and objects to curate learning. EPoster presented the University of Melbourne Researcher@Library Week 2016 Eposter Competition, Melbourne, Australia.

Villafranca, E. (June, 2016). Understanding affordances in museum education context. Paper presented at the Third Annual International Learning Environments Research Higher Degree Symposium, Melbourne, Australia.

Healy, S., Grant, G., Villafranca, E., & Yang, P. (July, 2015). A theoretical orientation for evaluating the geographies of new generation learning environments. Paper presented at the Second Annual International Learning Environments Research Higher Degree Symposium, Melbourne, Australia.

2017 Eposter entry in The University of Melbourne Researcher Week competition, Museums intentionally manipulate space and objects to curate learning. How can school teachers adapt this practice in their classroom pedagogy?

Other relevant information

Ethel remains active in museums in the Philippines. She has been conducting programs aimed at sharing expertise and resources in working towards developing more dynamic, engaging, and inviting cultural centers all over the Philippines. In 2013, she co-created and co-facilitated workshop modules for the UNESCO-Philippines funded Zero In National Workshop on Establishing Museums. Encouraged by the success of the first workshop, two more workshops were awarded funds and held in 2014 and 2015. Over 200 participants representing more than 100 museums/cultural institutions across the Philippines attended the workshops. The workshop modules were based on her master’s project-thesis on Creating Classroom Museums in the Philippines.

She is currently the President of the Filipino Australian Students Council – Victoria (FASTCO, the first state-wide Filipino student organisation established in Australia. FASTCO aims to foster ties among students towards a shared sense of community.

Contact details

images evillafranca@student.unimelb.edu.au

twitter-shadow  @ethelee22