The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), with major funding from the National Science Foundation, developed the Animal Secrets exhibition for children ages 3-8 and their families. The exhibition seeks to provide families with an opportunity to discover nature from an animal's point of view as they explore immersive, naturalistic environments including a meadow, stream, woodland, cave, and naturalists' tent. The exhibit's "big idea" is for visitors to develop a sense of wonder about nature by exploring the secret world of animals. Evaluation instruments and surveys are included in the
Evaluates students' knowledge of three fields of science (earth, physical, and life), three elements of knowing and doing science (conceptual understanding, scientific investigation, and practical reasoning), and two overarching domains in science (the nature of science and themes-systems, models, and patterns-present in science).
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Nancy L. AllenJames E. CarlsonChristine A. Zelenak
Measures children's global attitudes and knowledge about environmental issues, such as animals, energy, pollution, recycling, water, and general issues.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Frank C. LeemingWilliam O. DwyerBruce A. Bracken
To evaluate the reasons for students in abandoning the science, engineering, and medical (SEM) pipeline while others choosing to continue. The influence of family and teachers on students’ goals in science, activities, and science identity is considered.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Pamela R. AschbacherErika LiEllen J. Roth
After completing the Biomimicry: Synthetic Gecko Tape activity, surveys were distributed to fourteen visitors. The survey was designed to elicit information regarding the degree of visitor interest, enjoyment, and ease in understanding the activity. Responding visitors for this activity actually participated in a week-long program; some of their responses reflect their participation in numerous activities.
This formative evaluation looks at the second version of a poster created to help visitors visualize the nanoscale structures in a butterfly wing. This version includes annotations to call out the different structures of the butterfly wing and reflects changes made to better align the illustration with scientific content.
This formative evaluation was conducted to see how the addition of an interactive media piece enhanced visitors' understanding of Nasturtium, a life sciences exhibit that demonstrates the water repelling properties of nasturtium leaves. The media piece allows the visitor to view leaf structures at progressively higher magnifications to better illustrate their scale and function. The interview questions used in this study are included in the appendix of this report.
This report documents two formative evaluations on an interactive media piece that allows its users to zoom in from a human hand to an atom. This zoom uses a spiral to connote zooming and is a departure from a more conventional zoom in which each successive image is a magnification of a portion of the preceding image. Interview protocols are included in the appendix of this report.
The Science Museum of Minnesota surveyed 30 museum visitors after they used the Changing Colors exhibit. This formative testing of the exhibit assessed its ability to teach about nanoscale structures and the uses of nanophenomena to create new products.
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 describes the goals and methodology of the Field Museum in Chicago's Calumet Environmental Education Program (CEEP) in the Calumet region of southeast Chicago. The program engages students grades 4-12 in science by letting them apply what they have learned to real-life community conservation issues. Evaluation highlights and lessons learned are also included.
This article features three critiques of the exhibition "MN150" at the Minnesota History Center, part of the celebration of the Sesquicentennial of the State of Minnesota. Roger Barrett, Exhibit Designer at the Science Museum of Minnesota, Liza Pryor, Project Leader in the Exhibits Department at the Science Museum of Minnesota, and Jeanne Vergeront, Principal of Vergeront Museum Planning, each provide an assessment of the exhibition.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Roger BarrettLiza PryerJeanne W. Vergeront