Faculty members have the capacity to create their own meaning and feel comfortable and enjoy making sense of the thematic arrangement of objects. Students, on the other hand, usually sought out interpretive devices, like text labels, for an explanation of how they were “supposed to feel.” Further, students did not perceive the thematic organization of the works of art as the interpretive device, whereas faculty did. While most faculty used the text labels to reinforce their own thinking and reassure them they were on the right track, most students used the text labels as their entry point to understanding and experiencing the exhibition.

Faculty and students had distinctly different experiences