Summative Evaluation of RACE Website

Introduction The American Anthropological Association contracted with Minda Borun, Museum Solutions, to conduct a summative evaluation of the website http://www.understandingrace.com/ developed by s2n Media in connection with the Race exhibit. The exhibit, created by the AAA and the Science Museum of Minnesota, will travel to museums around the country. The website complements the exhibit and also stands on its own as a rich resource on the subject of race and human variation. The summative evaluation is based on an online survey. The link was posted on the website and data was collected using Survey Monkey. There were a total of 121 responses between March 22 and May 10, 2007. Of these, 100 respondents completed all of the questions in the survey and are the basis of this report. Comments that, in the opinion of the evaluator, ought to be discussed are highlighted in bold SUMMARY Respondents span a broad age range from 12 to 60 years of age. Two thirds of respondents are female. The sample is well-educated, with 80% having a bachelor's degree or higher and 51% holding a graduate or professional degree. The most frequent users are white and African-American. Predictably, some people objected to the use of race categories to collect demographic information on use of the site. Two thirds of the users frequent websites seeking information several times per day. Three quarters of the users said that they found what they expected on the website. Indeed, many said that it was better than they expected. Some people did have specific issues. Almost everyone reported no difficulty with navigation. Users gave the site high marks particularly for images and overall design. People appreciated the variety in content and treatment, the clarity of the explanations, and the organization of the site. The content of the site also received very high scores. The most valued components of the site were A Girl Like Me (video), the history timeline, the quizzes, and the historical content in general. Suggestions for change were often requests for more content. Some people did have specific criticisms. Possible issues to consider are bolded. While less than half of the users said that the web site changed the way they think about race or human variation, those who did say their ideas were changed said that the site clarified their understanding, made them more aware, dispelled myths, enlightened them, and heightened their awareness of assumptions. Over two thirds of the users thought this website compared very well or excellently to others. An impressive 82% said they would visit the website again and eighty-eight percent will recommend the site to others.

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