This report evaluates the nanotechnology-related presentations delivered at the Museum of Science, Boston, in an effort to more effectively educate the public. Interview questions used in this study are included in the appendix of this report.
This front-end study was conducted to gauge the visiting public’s interpretation of scientific images of the nanoscale. The interview questions used during this study are included in the appendix of this report.
The 2010 Delivery and Reach study documented the delivery of nano education activities at NISE Network partner institutions and estimated the public reach of those activities. Surveys used in this study are included in the appendix of this report.
Summative evaluation of four programs created by the NISE Network. The survey instrument used in this study is included in the appendix of this report.
The Nanoawareness Study is designed to answer the question "What, if any, impact do NISE Net activities delivered at Tier 1 and Tier 2 institutions have on the nanoawareness of the public audiences that experience those activities?" The Nanoawareness Study was initially conducted in Year 3 and then replicated in Year 4 with some methodological changes and a different sample of participants. The following report describes the Nanoawareness Study findings from Year 4 in comparison to findings from Year 3. This appendix of this report includes the online survey instrument used in the study.
In this article, Wendy Pollock, ASTC's Director of Research, Publications, and Exhibitions, and J. Shipley Newlin, Program Director for Physical Sciences at the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM), discuss "Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life," an exhibit produced by a partnership between ASTC, SMM, and the Music Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The unique design approach incorporated sound experiences for a wider range of users, including visitors who are blind or have low vision, as well as created an overall sound environment that was meaningful and
This article explores the particular challenges and opportunities for science centers in working on a relationship between the Western science paradigm and traditional knowledge systems. Included are key principles to keep in mind when promoting science, while still respecting traditional cultural values and individuals' cultural identities.
In this article, Katherine I. Goodall, Director for Institutional Advancement at ASTC, describes the challenges and opportunities science centers face in these difficult economic times. This article provides a high-level overview of the complex subject of financial viability, and includes descriptions of private and public funding trends, earned income, increasing value for visitors, and key lessons learned.
In this article, Jane Clark Chermayeff recalls a trip to Angkor, the UNESCO World Heritage site in northwest Cambodia and home to two archaeological sites being conserved by the World Monuments Fund. Chermayeff shares her experience in Angkor as she and a team of conservators attempted to deal with the challenge of dealing with hordes of visitors each day and importance of communication and interpretation as an aid toward site conservation. Included are five recommendations for facing similar challenges in heritage preservation.
This article offers new research to the discussion about the role of museums in the context of changing society. The authors hoped to add to the community discourse by sharing how they promoted and recognized visitor action in their museums. The article examines the Social Diffusion of Ideas by John Fraser, the COURAGE project by Tom Hanchett, and Time's Running Out - Act Now by Jon Deuel and Jenny Sayre Ramberg.
Earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, lightning, tornadoes, and other natural phenomena occur regularly as an on-going part of the natural environment of our planet. There is a clear need to increase public awareness and knowledge of these natural forces and their impact on human existence. Educating the public about effective, and often simple, strategies for protection, mitigation, and recovery based on the latest scientific knowledge, and encouraging them to personally take action, is critical to reducing human suffering, loss of life, and destruction of property from these deadly
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Bruce W. HallMuseum of Science and Industry
This report summarizes a summative evaluation of Amazing Feats of Aging, an exhibition developed by staff at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon. Patricia McNamara, an independent evaluator, designed this study to document the exhibition's impact on visitors at two locations: its permanent installation at OMSI itself and at the installation of the exhibit's traveling version at the Lafayette Museum of Natural History (LMNH) in Lafayette, Louisiana. Data collection strategies included visitor interviews, self-administered questionnaires and unobtrusive
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Patricia McNamaraOregon Museum of Science and Industry