This study was commissioned to provide systematic feedback regarding visitor experience of the Low-Carb Craze exhibits (about nutrition and dieting) in Current Science Central. The principal issues to be investigated were about the interpretive experience: are visitors getting the idea that this is about current science information?; do visitors perceive the information to be recent?; are they learning any new information or not? To address these issues, an evaluation strategy was developed that focused on people's perceptions of the content and reactions to the activities; specifically
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Jeff HaywardScience Museum of MinnesotaJolene Hart
Nanoscale science and engineering study and create materials and devices on the molecular scale. The Nanobiotechnology Center, a National Science Foundation supported Science and Technology Center, collaborated with Ithaca, New York's Sciencenter, a hands-on museum, and Painted Universe, Inc. an exhibition design-and-fabrication team, to create It's a NanoWorld, a 3,000 square-foot, hands-on traveling exhibition. Edu, Inc., an external evaluation group, led front-end research and formative evaluation to guide and refine development of the exhibition. Summative evaluation investigated visitors'
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Douglas SpencerCornell UniversityVictoria AngelottiSciencenter
Evidence from the data collected on the Midwest Wild Weather Project indicates that the teachers are very excited about its potential for increasing their students' science literacy and understanding of the scientific process, as well as increasing their knowledge of the weather and exciting them about science in general. Students are very focused, enthusiastic and excited when interacting with the exhibits and universally pleased with their exploration and explainer experiences. MWW is also effectively reaching the intended underserved and underrepresented students across the nine sites are
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Gregory AloiaSciTech Hands On Museum
In 2005, WGBH began production of a new television series for children called FETCH. FETCH is a competition-based game/reality show for 6-10 year-old children that includes both animation and live action footage. The show is hosted by a cartoon dog named Ruff Ruffman. FETCH is scheduled to begin airing on PBS in May of 2006. In December 2005, WGBH contracted Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG), a research firm specializing in the evaluation of educational programs, materials, and services, to conduct an early summative evaluation of the series. Because Season One was still in production, a
The Fresno Metropolitan Museum (FFM) contracted with Wendy Meluch of Visitor Studies Services to design and conduct an evaluation of its Inquiry Workshop (workshop) which took place in April of 2005. All workshop participants completed Pre- and Post-workshop Surveys (13 and 12 respectively). Nine teachers also participated in a follow-up focus group in June of 2005. By all measures, the Fresno Metropolitan Museum's Inquiry Workshop is resounding success for participating teachers. They become energized about teaching and credit the workshop with making them better teachers across the board
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Wendy MeluchFresno Metropolitan Museum
With support from the National Science Foundation and Best Buy, Twin Cities Public Television has produced a science series for children. Entitled "DragonflyTV," the series presents real kids engaged in real science to promote the process of science inquiry in viewers. This formative evaluation gathered feedback from 5th and 6th graders in response to three 28 minute videos, presented one per week. The following were the general research goals: To evaluate change in student ability to design an experiment To measure change in interest in doing one's own science investigation To determine
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Barbara FlaggTwin Cities Public Television
In the Spring of 2003, Rockman et al conducted an evaluation that was designed to explore children's viewing behavior, outcomes of viewing, the impact of the program's structural features, viewers' content preferences, and factors that motivate greater participation by viewers. Nearly six hundred children and twenty-five adults in three major U.S. cities participated in this study. Evaluation activities included: Five sets of student surveys: one administered prior to viewing episodes of DragonflyTV, one following each of the three programs viewed as part of the evaluation, and one
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Rockman, et. al.Twin Cities Public TelevisionJennifer Borland
In 2005, WGBH began production of a new science television series for children called FETCH. FETCH is a competition-based game/reality show for 6-10 year old children that consists of both animation and live action footage. The show is hosted by a cartoon dog named Ruff Ruffman. Each week Ruff assigns competitors from a cast of real kids to leave the studio and go out into the world and complete challenges. There are typically two challenges assigned in each show. One challenge per episode requires its contestants to learn about and understand science concepts and to use scientific process
This report presents findings from the 2004-06 Teaching Literacy Through Art research study of the Learning Through Art program (LTA) conducted by Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A), for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, New York. The Guggenheim Museum received a three-year Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination grant from the U.S. Department of Education to study the impact of the LTA program on students in the New York City public school system. This is the final report of the study, and it synthesizes data from both the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years. The
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Explore It! Science Investigations in Out-of-School Programs, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was a collaboration among the Center for Science Education at the Education Development Center (EDC), six science and children museums, after-school centers across the United States, and the National Institute for Out-of-School Time (NIOST). The project primary goals were to develop and implement hands-on, inquiry-based units of activities for out-of-school programs for children ages 8-12 and to develop a support structure for after-school or out-of-school programs with science
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Patricia CampbellEducation Development CenterRosa Carson
Design It! Building Design Challenges in After School Programs, funded by the National Science Foundation, is a collaboration between the Education Development Center (EDC), the National Institute for Out-of-School Time (NIOST) and science centers/museums and after school programs located in community-based organizations (CBOs) in six cities. The project's primary goal was to improve the quality of programming in after school programs by establishing long term relationships between science centers/museums and after school programs and developing, incorporating and institutionalizing hands-on
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Patricia CampbellEducation Development CenterLesley PerlmanEarl Hadley
This report presents the findings from a front-end evaluation of 1, 2, 3 Ready? Set. Go!, conducted by Randi Korn & Associates (RK&A) for the Minnesota Children's Museum. 1, 2, 3 Ready? Set. Go! is a traveling exhibition that will visit both libraries and children's museums across the country. The exhibition is being developed by the Minnesota Children's Museum in collaboration with the American Library Association to engage children 2 through 7 years and their parents in exploring math through hands-on, book-based math activities.