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Remedial

Remedial/Summative Evaluation of the Sugar from the Sun Exhibition

September 1, 2008 | Exhibitions
Sugar from the Sun was managed by the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance (GPCA) and funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation. For this project, a 6,400 square foot living exhibition was built at Garfield Park Conservatory. This exhibition, comprised of five sections, depicted plants' production of sugar from water, air, and sunlight. The exhibition also featured a printed Exhibit Guide and hands-on activities. This study used a naturalistic inquiry methodology. The research question for this study was, As visitors engage with the immersive environments and interpretive messages in the Sugar from the Sun exhibition, in what ways and to what extent do their experiences contribute to achieving the project's goals? Most of the project's goals were achieved for most visitors. However, the goal related to visitors' understanding of the big idea was only partially achieved. Recommendations address issues with labels, Conservatory signage and maps, printed handouts, and educational programming, as well as the development process for future exhibitions. The appendix of this report includes observation and interview protocols.

TEAM MEMBERS

  • REVISE logo
    Evaluator
    Selinda Research Associates
  • Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance
    Contributor
  • Citation

    Funders

    NSF
    Funding Program: AISL
    Award Number: 0229733
    Funding Amount: 1652287
    Resource Type: Research and Evaluation Instruments | Interview Protocol | Observation Protocol | Evaluation Reports | Summative
    Discipline: Ecology, forestry, and agriculture | Education and learning science | Geoscience and geography | Life science
    Audience: General Public | Museum/ISE Professionals | Evaluators
    Environment Type: Exhibitions | Parks, Outdoor, and Garden Exhibits

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