This paper describes a complex process being undertaken by a major Canadian institution, the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature. The evaluation process is systematic, multi-faceted and demonstrates the fruitful interaction between evaluation and gallery development. The front-end phase is the focus of the paper. Discussion concentrates on the elements of the process which are unique to the Canadian experience, specifically the whole community aspect of this process (wherein input was from sources distant from the physical setting of the institution), and the mix of novel and "traditional"
This paper examines the summative evaluations of two exhibits at the Please Touch Museum: "Foodtastic Journey" and "Gateway to China". By contrasting and comparing the most and least engaging components of these two exhibits, a theoretical framework is being built for assessing the effectiveness of exhibits for young children.
This paper discusses the whole evaluation process and draws from a new communications evaluation program which covers live communication programs as well as exhibitions at Parks Canada, Quebec Region. This paper address the client's role and the evaluator's conduct: addressing a request, choosing a consultant, giving support, and applying results.
This paper presents an overview of evaluation efforts at the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, which consists of two major national museums--the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum. The authors explain how their "do-it-yourself" evaluation approach as a model for other museums with very limited resources.
In this paper, researchers from Colorado State University (CSU) discuss rising concern of public land managers, ranchers, and the general public about public lands grazing and the conflicts that arise between industry and recreation-seeking citizens. The authors present findings from a research project conducted under a cooperative agreement between the College of Natural Resources at CSU, the Grand Mesa/Uncompaghre National Forest, and the Rocky Mountain Forest Experiment Station. The first phase of this research was a visitor perception study conducted on the Big Cimarron Allotment in
In this paper, the Museum of New Mexico's Thomas J. Caperton discusses how public programs often threaten preservation efforts at historic sties. Caperton suggests that alternative methods of interpretation can be accomplished in a museum setting through experimental archaeology and other programming.
In this paper, Kathy McPherson outlines the process that was undertaken to evaluate the visitor services program at the Ontario Provincial Parks. The project included five steps: establishing criteria for ranking parks; developing three new levels of service for the delivery of the interpretive program; evaluating the name "visitor services," establishing operating standards for the program; and developing a visitor needs survey.
In this paper, researchers from Science Learning, Inc. discuss findings from an evaluation study that used interpretive carts to analyze visitor conversations. Researchers collected data using the "Rock Talk" cart to inform the redesign of the Geology, Gems & Minerals Hall at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
In this paper, evaluator Randi Korn presents findings from a front-end evaluation for a traveling exhibition about severe weather, developed through a collaboration among the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, National Museum of Natural History, St. Louis Science Center, and National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This article presents findings from the part of the evaluation that focused on differences between visitors to natural history museums and science centers, regarding demographic and group composition data as well as
This paper describes the evaluation questions that drove two front-end studies conducted by Randi Korn & Associates (RKA) that were not in art museums. This paper also addresses of exhibition development with significant implications for front-end evaluation in the context of the studies. Then, the discussion returns to exhibition development and evaluation in art museums. Following this more abstract examination of the topic is a discussion of two front-end studies conducted by RKA at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1996, looking at how the process worked there and what benefit the staff
In this paper, Janet Kamien, former director of exhibits at the Field Museum and principal developer on the "Life Over Time" exhibit, Eric Gyllenhaal, primary developer for the exhibit, and Jeff Hayward, director of People, Places & Design Research and visitor researcher and evaluation advisor for the exhibit, present reflections on the process of creating "Life Over Time" and exhibits in general. These reflections include "Voices of Doom" or predictions of disaster that swirl in the heads of designers and developers as they build exhibits.
In this paper, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Denver Museum of Natural History (DMNH), and Colorado State University, present findings from two studies that established a link between certain design features commonly found in museum environments and the state of psychological flow. Study one observed visitor behavior in a museum hall at DMNH before and after renovation. The study found that after the design changes, visitors attended more to the exhibits. Study two, a post-hoc survey analysis, investigated which design features in particular are responsible for