Skip to main content
COMMUNITY:
Mass Media Article

Dwell on This

September 30, 2015 | Exhibitions
A collective mass of youthful exuberance pulses through our science centers and museums on any given day. As I visit our ASTC-member institutions around the world, I find it extremely rewarding to watch all that energy being transformed into focused, intense contemplation of specific topics or experiences. I have always been fascinated by the concept of “dwell time” in our science centers and museums. Dwell time usually refers simply to the period of time visitors spend in an exhibition or at a specific exhibit or activity. This time period can be extended in ways that are not entirely productive, of course. Activities may be difficult to execute, exhibits challenging to understand. But our experience tells us that these conditions are just as likely to reduce dwell time because they do not successfully engage inquisitive minds. So I like to think of the concept of dwell time a bit more broadly, as something I might call “cognitive dwell time”: the period of time that a visitor remains truly mentally engaged with an experience.

TEAM MEMBERS

  • REVISE logo
    Author
    Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)
  • Citation

    ISSN : 1528-820X
    Publication Name: ASTC Dimensions
    Volume: 17
    Number: 5
    Page Number: 5
    Resource Type: Reference Materials
    Discipline: General STEM
    Audience: General Public | Museum/ISE Professionals
    Environment Type: Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits

    If you would like to edit a resource, please email us to submit your request.