In this article, Robert Eisenberger, professor of psychology at the University of Delaware, reviews two fundamental philosophical conceptions of motivation that influence contemporary views, show how these world views are embedded in current motivational theory, and consider how recent motivational findings can be applied to museum visitors. Then Eisenberger provides a visitor questionnaire that may be helpful in finding ways to increase visitor motivation.
This article discusses the methodology, key findings, and implications of a 1998-1999 evaluation conducted by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum of its educational programming for school groups. The evaluation examined the impact of the school programs as well as guided future programming decisions.
This paper discusses the "Scences de Silence/Scenes of Silence" exhibition designed to enable hearing people to gain access to the world of the deaf. This paper describes the exhibition and evaluation findings which examined the project's impact on visitors and deaf guides.
This paper discusses two evaluations conducted by the National Museum of American History for two prototype exhibits: "Commerce and Conflict: The English in Virginia, 1625" and "Kiva, Cross, and Crown at Pecos Pueblo." Each exhibit was an experimental archaeological exhibit and was a prototype for a larger exhibit, "American Encounters 1492-1992." In particular, this paper focuses on data that implies objects have power, and that the power of the objects is created by those who look at them. The author discusses the the power of the objects from a male and female perspective.
This paper describes a front-end evaluation carried out as part of the planning for the "Early China" galleries at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Ontario. The evaluation examined visitors' "reading" of - the interpretations drawn from personal knowledge and a lifetime's experience. Insight into the way visitors interpreted typical artifacts for themselves gave guidance in determining the extent and kind of interpretation we should provide in the gallery. Furthermore, information about the extent to which visitors can already link artifacts to categories and concepts provides a
Gateway National Recreation Area (Gateway), a unit of the National Park Service, and Brooklyn College are creating a citizen science field observation program called "Sentinels of Shoreline Change."The project will develop collaborative learning communities around monitoring the resilience of Jamaica Bay, an urban estuary. Participants will provide scientists and resource managers with measures of the bay's resilience to human activities and climate change. The project focuses on 7-12 grade pre-service and in-service teachers, and Brooklyn College undergraduate students, while fostering collaboration between faculty, rangers and staff from the partner institutions and the general public. Gateway is responsible for managing the vast array of cultural and natural resources in Jamaica Bay for the public benefit. They have a history of teacher professional development and collaborations with formal education partners that emphasize authentic science research within the park. Brooklyn College is an urban, public liberal arts college with a diverse student population. It has competitive NCATE certified science teacher education programs; a strong collaborative working relationship between the Earth and environmental sciences and science education departments; and a history of successful place-based science education projects. Science Education for New Engagements and Civic Responsibilities (SENCER) is the funding source for this project which is subcontracted under an NSF grant.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Brooklyn College, CUNYJennifer AdamsBrett BrancoDan Meharg
In this article, the author offers explanations for what is characterized as startling disconnect between the scientific consensus around climate change and the lack of a social consensus. The author brings attention to this disconnect by offering some explanations for what may be contributing factors to a limited public discourse on science topics such as a lack of training and/or support for scientists communicating about their research. Twelve "Rules of Engagement" are proposed in order to to begin a conversation about how scholars can effectively and appropriately communicate about their
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University of MichiganAndrew Hoffman
This paper discusses how numerous methods and theories from sociological and anthropological research are applicable and useful in museum settings. These concepts can provide clues to new approaches to audience development and exhibit design. This paper relates to papers written by Dr. Adrian Aveni and Dr. Jeffrey Bonner featured earlier in this issue of "Visitor Studies."
This paper begins with a discussion of what is meant by the "anthropological perspective" and then demonstrates how the unique viewpoint of anthropology can cause evaluators to rethink what is interpreted in the museum context and on how it is interpreted. Secondly, this paper presents an example of how the subject matter of anthropology can inform museology. Finally, this paper briefly examines how anthropological research methods can expand the repertoire of msuuem researchers.
This paper focuses on the group context of visitor behavior. It includes an introduction of a simple model of behavior that describes how human behavior is influenced by group memberships, which is central to thinking in sociology and compatible to thinking in psychology and anthropology. Suggestions on how this model can be applied to visitor studies are also described.
This paper discusses four years of visitor evaluation the Anniston Museum of Natural History. It includes an overview of the evaluation program including the collaboration between the museum and the Psychology Institute at Jacksonville State University, varying views of evaluation design, and recent research projects and findings.
This paper presents research methodology and findings of a formative evaluation of floor maps in the new ancient Near East galleries at the Royal Ontario Museum. The evaluation aimed to determine effectiveness of these signs as well as the most suitable placement, quantity, and type of sign used to orient visitors.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Christine LockettDanielle Boyer-TarloJanet Emonson