The purpose of this study was to investigate a museum exhibition design assumption that visitors develop conceptual understanding of a science topic after utilizing a cluster of conceptually related exhibits which lack explicit concept labeling; also investigated was whether visitor concept development could be enhanced through the addition of explicit labeling about the intended conceptual messages. Two very different clusters of exhibits were selected for investigation: how transportation in Los Angeles affects air pollution (“Transportation”) and the conception and early development of
Marino et al. (2010) recently published a critique of a three-year National Science Foundation—funded investigation of the impact of zoo and aquarium visits on the public's understanding of animals and their attitudes toward conservation (Falk, Heimlich, & Bronnenkant, 2008; Falk, Reinhard, Vernon, Bronnenkant, Deans, & Heimlich, 2007; Heimlich, Bronnenkant, Witgert, & Falk, 2004). This critique of that critique will show that Marino et al. seriously misrepresent both the intent of the research and the methods used. The methods used by Falk and his colleagues were consistent with current
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of the Evolution Wall and Research Highlight exhibit in conveying the main topics of the exhibit: biodiversity and the research of Burke curators. Evaluation Questions: 1.What is the nature of Evolution Wall and Research Highlight use by visitors? What draws their attention? 2.Do visitors understand that the exhibit is about evolution and biodiversity? 3.To what extent are visitors aware that Burke curators are involved with and conduct current research? Key Findings: 1.The Evolution Wall and the photos were the most interesting components of exhibit for
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Ari EinbinderAmy DygertDylan HighBurke Natural History Museum
Dinosaurs Alive is a global adventure of science and discovery featuring the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period and those of the Cretaceous "reincarnated" life-sized for the giant IMAX screen. Audiences will journey with some of the world's preeminent paleontologists as they uncover evidence that the descendants of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us. From the exotic, trackless expanses and sand dunes of Mongolia's Gobi Desert to the dramatic sandstone buttes of New Mexico, the film follows American Museum of Natural History paleontologists as they explore some of the greatest
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Alice Apley, Ph.D.Kim StreitburgerJenny ScalaMaryland Science Center
Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG) conducted front-end evaluation of New Earth Explorers, a four-part science documentary series developed by Earth Images Foundation. The project's goal was to create a series that would target prime time PBS viewers with an aim to present information about earth science and relevant current research in a way that is engaging for viewers. In addition to the series, the project intended to develop related outreach with the intent of increasing STEM learning and promoting an understanding and appreciation of the earth sciences as an interesting field and
Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG) conducted a summative evaluation of the second season of NOVA scienceNOW, the PBS series that explores cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation in real time. (GRG also served as the external evaluator for NOVA scienceNOW during Season One). In addition to the television series, WGBH-TV developed a companion website, a series of high school classroom activities, and a Science Cafe outreach initiative, designed to discuss, in non-academic environments, the latest developments in science. The Season Two evaluation included: 1) a viewer study
Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG) conducted a summative evaluation of the first season of NOVA scienceNOW, the PBS series that explores cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation in real time. The evaluation included two primary components: 1) an evaluation of the television series, and 2) an evaluation of the outreach, which consisted of a companion website and a series of Science Cafes hosted around the country. GRG's evaluation was designed to assess the project's effectiveness in meeting its overall goal of engaging a variety of audiences more deeply with scientific research in
Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG) conducted front-end evaluation and Alpha testing for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics of EarthScope Panorama, an interactive Earth science game for middle school youth. The front-end evaluation focused on the prospective content, format, and platform of the game, with the broad goal of assessing four different game prototypes in a population of middle school students. The specific objectives of the evaluation were to document and assess what students already know about EarthScope-related themes and content, what geoscience questions they have
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Marianne E. McPhersonLaura HousemanIrene F GoodmanHarvard-Smithsonian Center for AstrophysicsSmithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
FETCH, a children's television series produced by WGBH since 2005, is a competition-based game/reality show for 6-10 year-old children that includes both animation and live action footage. Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG), a research firm specializing in the evaluation of educational programs, materials, and services, served as the external evaluator for the FETCH series in Season Two. GRG's evaluation focused on the science and engineering challenges presented in the show, and assessed the influence of the series on children's understanding of science and engineering concepts and processes
The findings from this evaluation indicate that compared to the typical children's Web site, parents consider the PEEP Web site to be more educational and easier for children to navigate on their own. Children were very engaged by the Interactive Games, and demonstrated proficiency with regard to comprehension and site navigation. Further, parents rated the Anywhere Science Activities very positively, particularly noting that the activities gave parents excellent ideas for how to turn everyday situations into science explorations with their children.
This external evaluation of the PEEP Explorer's Guide found the Guide effective in meeting its goals. Teachers who used the Guide were extremely satisfied with its content, materials, and usability. They reported the Guide was highly appealing to children, and they used materials from the Guide to forge home-school connections. Teachers found the Guide made useful links between science, literacy, and language. Pre-post comparisons demonstrated that, while teachers were engaged in similar instructional practices before and after using the Guide, the Guide alleviated the challenges of teaching
In this Summative Evaluation, Goodman Research Group, Inc. found that PEEP effectively models science inquiry skills, including predicting, observing, and problem solving. Children who were exposed to PEEP interacted with materials in ways that were significantly more grounded in science inquiry than children who were not. By a margin of 71% to 22%, for example, children who watched PEEP were more likely to initiate a question to be explored. Children exposed to PEEP were also more likely to use problem-solving strategies (76% compared to 34%) and more likely to solve the problems they