The Summative Study of the Nano Mini-exhibition took place during the spring and summer of 2012. After being observed during their Mini-exhibition experience, 455 visitors across six different partner institutions participated in surveys and interviews with NISE Net evaluation team members. This report begins by describing the key findings of the study in detail, with additional information about study methods, instruments, and two exploratory sub-studies found in the Appendices.
The Touch the Sun exhibition showcases the stunning state-of-the-art imagery of the Sun captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and streamed to Chabot in near-real-time. Central to the exhibit is a fully interactive, 90-inch display presenting animations of the Sun's atmosphere in astounding detail. Additional exhibits give visitors hands-on experience with the forces of nature that shape the Sun's behavior. A Ferrofluid exhibit lets visitors explore the interaction between magnetic fields and magnetic material, as with the solar magnetic fields that affect plasma to form features like
COSI offers special event programming on a monthly basis designed to enhance the guest experience: primarily Science Day and Fun Day special events. Science Days are events that highlight science topics, especially those dealing with our specific areas of focus, and celebrations surrounding events with a science theme, such as Space and Stars Day. On the other hand, Fun Days are events that are appealing to guests and are simple to implement, such as appearances by local sports teams, celebrities, performance groups, etc. COSI would like to better understand the impact special events have in
Magnolia Consulting, LLC conducted a formative and summative evaluation to examine public perceptions of the utility and quality of two labs/exhibits within the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Natural World Investigate Lab, Biofuels and Science of Scent. Appendix includes survey.
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North Carolina State Museum of Natural ScienceMary Styers
Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG), a Cambridge-based research firm specializing in the evaluation of educational programs, conducted the summative evaluation of StarTalk. The overall focus was to examine how well the joint presentation of science and humor reaches a public audience, including an audience not typically exposed to informal science learning, and how well it engages and informs them, such that they are motivated to continue learning more. Primary evaluation research questions included: 1. To what extent does exposure to StarTalk lead to increased interest in and knowledge of
This report details a nine-month summative evaluation of the Underwater Dome Exhibit at the Seattle Aquarium. The study was undertaken to inform the Aquarium's development of short- term, cost-effective updates to improve visitor satisfaction and experience in the dome. The study sought to develop a baseline understanding of how visitors use and react to the exhibit, as well as to determine whether or not visitors understand that the dome represents the Puget Sound. Data was collected using observational and survey instruments (included in the appendix of this report).
Funded by NSF, Earth: The Operators’ Manual (ETOM) is a users’ guide to the present and future energy resources of our planet, providing “users” with the information, attitudes and tools to make wiser choices about powering homes, schools, businesses and communities. ETOM uses a hybrid model of science communication including video + in-person presentations + Web 2.0 social networking. Rockman et al evaluated project impact, working from front-end to summative stages to understand the reactions of media, online and on-site audiences using both qualitative and quantitative measures to look at
In October 2009, the Tennessee Aquarium began an ambitious program, Connecting Tennessee to the World Ocean (CTWO), funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. CTWO consists of several individual projects, all intended to increase the ocean literacy of Aquarium audiences and to promote their adoption of an ocean stewardship ethic. This evaluation report summarizes the extent to which the Aquarium accomplished these goals over the 3-year project period. The five project components and their key associated evaluation findings follow. 1. Classroom-based activities
A research study was conducted to help inform UC Davis's Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) about the greater Lake Tahoe area community's perceived value of the center and two 3D visualizations included as part of their guided tour of the center. Research questions focused on how various local groups perceived the center, how TERC can better engage locals and tourists alike, the potential for the current 3D visualizations (Lake Tahoe, Earthquakes) for impacting attitudes and behaviors about the Lake and how the Lake Tahoe 3D visualization impacted middle school students during a school
The final evaluation report for the Citizen Sky project highlights evaluative findings from three workshops, several live online events, participant interviews, and analysis of activity and project contributions through the citizensky.org website. Appendix includes survey questions.
This report discusses a front-end evaluation that aimed to determine what physical and perceptual barriers affect visitors’ use of the Henry Art Gallery, and how visitors currently interact with museum spaces and staff. These findings will support guest service training and changes in the museum’s physical infrastructure. This study utilized three main questions for exploring the visitor experience at the museum: 1) Are there barriers affecting visitors’ use of the Henry?; 2) What motivates visitors to use certain spaces at the Henry?; and 3) What experiences are visitors having with Henry