In this paper, evaluator Marilyn G. Hood of Hood Associates examines 70 years of audience research and what we know about frequent visitors versus occasional visitors. Hood recommends broadening evaluators' perspective of visitor research to include literature from the fields of sociology, leisure science, consumer behavior, and psychology.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Marilyn Hood
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In this VSA presidential address, Harris Shettel discusses the new VSA Mission Statement and some of the issues Shettel sees facing VSA as it begins its second full year of existence.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Harris Shettel
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
This paper presents a transcript from a panel discussion at a VSA program gathered to explore issues of concern related to the life of the "in-house evaluator." Three panelists, experience in-house evaluators, discuss their personal solutions to these issues and contradictions raised by this unique position, in the hope of helping professionals new to the task.
A paper inspired by the Summit on Assessment of Informal and Afterschool Science Learning organized by the National Research Council and the Program in Education, Afterschool, and Resiliency (PEAR) at Harvard University. This paper reflects the many ideas that emerged during the Summit and the further work and discussions we have had since with leaders in the field. While this report does not include a transcript nor attribute particular ideas to individuals, it does attempt to share ideas and perspectives that were presented at the Summit. We intended to create a paper that would be most
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Ashima Shah
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
Roundable discussions at the 2010 ISE Summit focused on the following topics: Intrinsic Motivation, Defining Goals and ""Educate to Innovate"", ISE Evaluation and Research, Sparking the Imagination, Teacher Professional Development in K-8 Schools, Avatar Effect, Art and Science, Diversity, NASA Education and Public Outreach, and Cosmic Serpent. This report synthesizes main discussion pointsof each topic.
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Catherine McEver
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
Museums are shifting from being object and collection centered, towards a focus on space, affect and audience by producing multi-dimensional spatial non-lineal experiences. Interactivity is used unquestionably to verify this shift. Through the findings of a case study the ‘High Arctic’, a temporary exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, the paper will discuss how the museum interprets and practices the notion of interactivity. Through examining the multiplicity of museum with the focus being on process, the possibility of opening and creating new models of experience can be evaluated
For the past twenty years there has been a slow trickle of research disseminated through a variety of channels on the natureand use of computer interactives within museum and gallery environments. This research has yet to be consolidated into arobust and coherent evidence base for considering and understanding the continued investment in such interactives byinstitutions.Simultaneously however, the technology has changed almost beyond recognition from early kiosk-based computer exhibitsfeaturing mostly film and audio content, through to the newer generation of multi-touch interfaces being
This paper demonstrates a pressure-sensitive depth sorting technique that extends standard two-dimensional (2D) manipulation techniques, particularly those used with multitouch or multi-point controls. Then analyzes the combination of this layering operation with a page-folding metaphor for more fluid interaction in applications requiring 2D sorting and layout.
Though many tabletop applications allow users to interact with the application using complex multi-touch gestures, automated tool support for testing such gestures is limited. As a result, gesture-based interactions with an application are often tested manually, which is an expensive and error prone process. In this paper, we present TouchToolkit, a tool designed to help developers automate their testing of gestures by incorporating recorded gestures into unit tests. The design of TouchToolkit was informed by a small interview study conducted to explore the challenges software developers face
DATE:
TEAM MEMBERS:
Shahedul Huq KhandkarS. M. SohanJonathan SillitoFrank Maurer
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
Open Exhibits held a Design Summit bringing together 30 professionals from the field to help guide future development. The Design Summit was convened in Corrales, New Mexico near the design studios of Ideum, the principal organization of Open Exhibits. It was held March 9th to 11th of 2011. Attendees came from large and small science centers, planetariums, zoos, local museums, and several other open source software initiatives. They were educators, evaluators, designers, researchers, software engineers, and museum professionals. Participants engaged in a combination of short presentations
The Maker Movement is inspiring thousands of young people across the nation to tinker with and tackle problems involving design, engineering and programming. This report from the third Making Meaning Symposium takes a critical look at describing and documenting learning that takes place when young people make. The symposium brought together nearly 150 makers, funders, educational researchers, educators from K–12 and informal settings, museum and community based leaders, and policymakers. The aim of this national symposium was to craft a strategy for documenting the variety of learning and