This report summarizes the evaluation of the first 20 months of the National Science Foundation-funded tour of the Traveling Experiment Gallery. The Traveling Experiment Gallery is the touring version of Science Museum of Minnesota's successful core science hall, the Experiment Gallery. The evaluation of the Traveling Experiment Gallery was conducted using naturalistic inquiry methodology. Depth interviews were conducted with 28 staff and six volunteers at the five museums and science centers which have hosted the exhibition. The evaluators also spent almost 30 hours observing visitors, floor
Agents of Change is a $40 million initiative that will transform more than 25% of the Ontario Science Centre's public spaces over a three-year period. This will involve renewing key exhibit spaces, creating new approaches to visitor experiences, deepening and extending partnerships province-wide, and making significant architectural improvements to the science centre's building. Seven major new areas will feature content that explores the theme "Solving 21st Century Problems." Through the compelling experiences offered in these seven new spaces, young people will be exposed to the attitudes
Evaluation of the Space Command Exhibit began in October 2002 with a tracking and timing study. A random sample of 100 visitors to the exhibit was tracked and timed. A member of a visiting group was selected at random as the subject. Subjects were tracked from station to station and the time spent at each exhibit or panel was recorded. This gives a measure of the relative attracting and holding power of each exhibit station. After a subject completed a visit, a "sweep" count was made, which involved counting the number of people at each exhibit station. Sweeps give another measure of the
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Minda BorunFranklin Institute Science Museum
The San Francisco Zoo's new Lemur Forest Exhibit is successful on almost every measure of visitor experience, education and inspiration. A summative evaluation, consisting of pre- and post-visit testing, and a tracking and timing study confirms that cued visitors gain knowledge about lemur types, lemur behavior, lemurs' endangerment status, and lemurs' land of origin. Visitors also demonstrate enhanced appreciation for lemurs and emotional connection to them post-visit. While many pre-visit respondents are inclined to value protecting lemurs and their environment, post-visit responses that
This report presents findings from a summative evaluation of Electric Space, a traveling exhibition developed by the Space Science Institute, with major funding provided by the Informal Science Education Program of the National Science Foundation. This study is the third phase of evaluation conducted by Randi Korn & Associates in association with this project. After performing both front-end and formative evaluations during the exhibition development process, this summative study was conducted on the completed traveling version of Electric Space at two host sites. This final study was
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Space Science Institute
This report presents the findings of a summative evaluation of MarQuest, conducted by Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A), for the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado. MarsQuest is a traveling exhibition funded by the National Science Foundation and, as such, data collection took place at two venues: in July 2001 at the Park Place Mall in Tucson, Arizona (a temporary satellite site for the Tucson Children's Museum) and in March 2002 at the Hampton Air and Space Museum in Hampton, Virginia. The evaluation was undertaken to document the scope of the exhibition's impact and
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Space Science Institute
This report presents findings from an extensive summative evaluation of the Breaking Ground project (BG) conducted for both the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) and the Brooklyn Children's Museum (BCM). Breaking Ground is a collaborative project established between BBG and BCM. The products of the overall project include three exhibits (two at BBG and one at BCM) and a series of educational programs. Specifically, the project components are: the Amazing Plants exhibition and the Discovery Garden at BBG, the Plants & People exhibition at BCM, and Discovery Carts, along with the City Plant
This report presents and analyzes the findings from a front-end evaluation of Vicious Fishes and Other Riches, a National Science Foundation-funded traveling exhibition being developed by the Miami Museum of Science in Miami, Florida (MMS) in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minnesota (SMM). Front-end evaluation helps planners understand how visitors comprehend and think about themes, ideas, concepts, and objects that will be displayed in an exhibition. It seeks common ground between visitors and the exhibition. Findings from the study demonstrate visitors'
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Miami Museum of Science
This report presents findings from a summative evaluation of Go Figure! conducted by Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) for the Minnesota Children's Museum (MCM). Go Figure! is a traveling exhibition that is visiting both libraries and children's museums across the country. The exhibition was developed by the Minnesota Children's Museum in collaboration with the American Library Association through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and is intended to engage children two through seven years and their parents in exploring math through hands-on, book-based math
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Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Minnesota Children's Museum
The purpose of this summative evaluation was to document visitors' use and impressions of Vanishing Wildlife immediately upon viewing the exhibit and, again, several months after their visit. In addition, staff members wanted to determine if the exhibit motivates visitors to perform specific conservation actions once they leave the aquarium. By collecting data three different ways (through timing and tracking observations, on-site exit questionnaires, and telephone questionnaires), and then comparing the results with data from Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) exit surveys, the evaluators were able
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Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Monterey Bay Aquarium
This report presents the findings from a front-end evaluation for Stormy Weather, a major traveling exhibition on severe storms. This exhibition is being 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 (NOAA). The purpose of conducting a front-end evaluation is to better understand visitors' perceptions and their baseline knowledge regarding a particular subject--in this case, severe storms. The
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi KornSmithsonian InstitutionSusan Ades
This report presents and analyzes the findings from a front-end evaluation of an exhibition being developed by the Tech Museum of Innovation about the potential of the Internet. Front-end evaluation helps planners understand how visitors comprehend and think about themes, ideas, concepts, and activities that will be displayed in an exhibition. It seeks common ground between visitors and the exhibit. Findings demonstrate people's understanding of various concepts integral to the exhibition and will inform the Tech during the exhibition development process.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Tech Museum of Innovation