Revealing Bodies was an experimental exhibition that explored the messages and meanings found in biomedical and anatomical representations of human bodies. It further explored what happens when these images are removed from their original context and reinterpreted for other purposes such as arts, advertising and politics. The exhibition also examined how the culture and point of view of the original creator may have shaped the image and what happens to this intent with the iterations of time and societal change. The exhibition was approximately 4000 square feet. It was a mix of artworks
The Outdoor Exploratorium Project is a five-year project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF0104478), that aims to encourage and support visitors in noticing the subtleties of the outdoor environment. The study described here is one in a set of evaluation studies conducted for this project. It is a first look at what and how visitors notice in the area immediately outside the Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts. In particular, we look at visitors' experiences with a noticing toolkit, a set of simple tools we gave visitors to encourage them to explore the outdoors. The study 1)
A new exhibition at Liberty Science Center called "Infection Connection" will tell how our choices determine the impact that infectious diseases have on people around the world. A front-end evaluation was conducted to assess potential visitors' familiarity with the topic. This information will give exhibit developers ideas about how to connect with and build on visitors' interest in, understanding of and feelings about infectious diseases. This report will summarize the findings, which include the demographics of the 160 respondents; their definitions of "infectious diseases"; which diseases
Marvelous Molecules: The Secret of Life is a 3,500-square-foot exhibition installed on the lower exhibit floor of the New York Hall of Science (NYHoS) between Hidden Kingdoms and Realm of the Atom. The 27 exhibit elements are grouped in sections that feature molecules for sensing, moving, reproduction, defending, and other biological functions. The big idea of the exhibition is: Inside what appear to be very different living things, molecules interact in similar ways to make things happen. In Spring 2001, a summative evaluation of Marvelous Molecules was conducted by Serrell & Associates
In early 2004 Explorit Science Center (Explorit) contracted with Visitor Studies Services (VSS) to design and conduct an evaluation of Explorit's Health In Your World Project (HIYW). HIYW is a traveling, science-based health education program for children and adults in low-income communities. HIYW features interactive experiments designed to make learning about the human body, health, and healthy choices fun and accessible. The program serves students in grades K-6, and is designed to engage parents and involve them as an integral part of the learning process. The HIYW Project was developed in
This is a report from the supplemental summative evaluation of the exhibition, Genetics: Decoding Life at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. The evaluation was designed to measure visitors' attention to the main messages of the exhibition, visitors' thinking and attitudes about genetics, and whether visitors made connection among their genes, themselves, and their families. The evaluation was designed to establish findings that complemented and built upon a previous summative evaluation. Two types of exit interviews were used to gather qualitative and quantitative data. A total of
The John G. Shedd Aquarium opened an exhibition entitled Wild Reef: Sharks at Shedd in April 2003. Wild Reef immerses visitors in an Indo-Pacific ecosystem where they experience firsthand the connections among animals, habitats and people. This 2,800 square-foot exhibition spans nine rooms and contains one of the largest and most diverse collections of sharks in North America, along with the Midwest's largest public display of live corals. The primary message of Wild Reef is: Philippine coral reefs support an amazing abundance of life and anchor a delicate network of dependencies between
A three-pronged summative evaluation of the San Francisco Zoo's new African Savanna exhibit shows it to be very well received by visitors and successful at meeting key affective and cognitive goals. Visitors to this exhibit, especially those who attend a giraffe feeding, enthusiastically demonstrate admiration and wonder towards wildlife, emotional connections to the animals, and excitement at close and unusual viewing opportunities. Visitors care deeply about the quality of life for these animals and readily state that they feel the animals have a good home in this exhibit. Respondents are
RK&A conducted 56 timing and tracking observations of visitors, 20 exit interviews with visitors, an interview with the Cell Lab Program Manager, and interviews with 13 Lab Crew in the summer and fall of 2003. The Cell Lab succeeded in engaging visitors in enjoyable and educational activities. It also excelled in providing Lab Crew teens with valuable employment and life experiences. The concept and design of the Cell Lab - its level of interactivity, staffing, and resource allocation - offers visitors a unique experience. In some ways, the SMM was taking a risk by offering in-depth
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Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Science Museum of Minnesota
This report presents the findings of a summative evaluation of The Search for Life conducted by Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A), for The New York Hall of Science (NY Hall) in Queens, New York. The Search for Life was developed by NY Hall staff and funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA and NASA Astrobiology Institute, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with funds from the Office of the Mayor, Institute for Library Services, Anonymous and Wyeth. Data collection took place in October 2005.
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Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.New York Hall of Science
The Monarch Butterfly Larval Monitoring project is a collaborative Citizen Science Project in which informal science education (ISE) institutions participate in research to measure the distribution and abundance of monarch butterfly larvae throughout the US, addressing the lack of knowledge about the breeding phase of the annual cycle. This project seeks to create links among ISE institutions (nature centers, museums, state and national parks, and environmental learning centers) from across the US, and also between these institutions and university scientists, citizens, and K-12 educators. The
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Carol FreemanUniversity of Minnesota
In the Fall/Winter of 2002/3, RMC Research Corporation (RMC) conducted a summative evaluation of The Human Body film and outreach materials, including lobby exhibit, Teacher's Resource Guide, and Web site. These were the culminating activities in a series of studies conducted over the past three years related to The Human Body project, including formative evaluations of the film and each of the outreach components. These summative evaluations were designed to determine the overall effect on audiences of the finished products. This report contains sections relating to the major elements of The
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Alice ApleyMaryland Science CenterRalph AdlerWendy GrahamLaura Winn