Earth & Sky is a 90 second radio science series about environmental sciences, earth sciences and astronomy. Multimedia Research implemented a summative evaluation of the series, utilizing a survey mailed to respondents to a radio contest held just prior to the broadcast of Earth & Sky in eight commercial radio markets. A total of 152 surveys were returned (43% return rate). The survey is in the report Appendix. The series makes science accessible and interesting to the listening audience and generates excitement about science. The programs were perceived as affecting listeners'
Suitable for planners, educationalists and environmentalists, this book introduces the theory and the practice of children's participation, and its importance for developing democracy and sustainable communities.
In this paper, researchers at the Brookfield Zoo present a case study in evaluating a technology project involving partnerships between museums and formal education. THe focus is on the multiple-method design, which was required in order to work with all participants, from funders to educators, to teachers and students. A set of tools, from traditional surveys through teacher-led performance assessments, was used to measure student learning, teacher satisfaction, and effective implementation of technology and museum content into quality Web pages. The authors share their experiences to help
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TEAM MEMBERS:
H. Elizabeth Stuart PerryCarol D. Saunders
In this paper, researchers from the Smithsonian's Institutional Studies Office discuss a study of the "Ocean Planet" exhibition presented at the National Museum of Natural History (April 1995-April 1996). The purpose of this study was to measure the degree to which the exhibition's message was communicated to visitors and the extent to which the exhibition goals were realized.
In this paper, Kathryn Nelson of the University of Washington discusses her efforts to study visitor response to naturalistic exhibits. Nelson shares evaluation methods and findings of Northern Trail exhibit at the Woodland Park Zoological Gardens. The purpose of the study was to assess how well visitors responded to the exhibit's attractiveness, enjoyment potential, and animal well-being as well as evaluate whether visitors felt they learned facts or attitudes during their visit and their overall impressions of the exhibit.
In this article, Kristine Westerberg discusses the Shedd Aquarium's new initiative for audience research and development and shares some preliminary findings from their initial efforts.
In this article, Carol D. Saunders and H. Elizabeth Stuart Perry of the Brookfield Zoo provide findings from the summative evaluation of "The Swamp." This immersive wetlands exhibit was designed to encourage people to appreciate the benefits of ecosystems and features animals and plants of a cypress swamp and of an Illinois riverine wetland.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Carol SaundersH. Elizabeth Stuart Perry
The purpose of this study was to investigate a museum exhibition design assumption that visitors develop conceptual understanding of a science topic after utilizing a cluster of conceptually related exhibits which lack explicit concept labeling; also investigated was whether visitor concept development could be enhanced through the addition of explicit labeling about the intended conceptual messages. Two very different clusters of exhibits were selected for investigation: how transportation in Los Angeles affects air pollution (“Transportation”) and the conception and early development of
Amphibians represent an important part of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the northeastern United States. The Northeast Temperate Network (NETN) monitors forest amphibian populations in order to track trends that may warn of ecosystem degredation and to direct conservation actions. Specifically, this monitoring program is designed to help scientists: 1. Determine changes in forest amphibian populations. 2. Establish and better understand correlations between forest amphibian population sizes and forest health. Salamander monitoring is attractive and appropriate for middle and high-school aged volunteers because activities take place in fall and spring when school is in session and because techniques are simple and straighforward.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
National Park ServiceBrian MitchellAdam Kozlowski
Bird Habitat Recognition invites property owners and schools in Pennsylvania to transform some property into bird habitat with native plants and then register the property with Audubon Pennsylvania. Improving our built landscapes for birds leads to sustainable alternatives to traditional landscape practices. Participants are encouraged to monitor birds and submit data to many Citizen Science programs and eBird. Registration is free; Durable yard signs are offered as a gift for donation to Audubon, or can be purchased outright.
Green City Data is an after-school community service project. Teams of secondary students are trained to inventory urban natural areas selected by regional resource planning agencies to supplement their own data collection efforts. Representatives from seven agencies and educational institutions initiated this project to support development of a system of greenspaces within the Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area. This consortium includes expertise in resource management, geography, biology, computer telecommunications, science education and community coordination. These and other community professionals tech students and volunteer team leaders (teachers or other adults) the basics of habitat identification and mapping in the context of regional planning. ***
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Gail WhitneyMichael HouckJames GillenJoseph PoracskyEllen Lanier-Phelps
Five small science museums will form "TEAMS (Traveling Exhibits at Museums of Science) Collaborative". The partners include the Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, VT; The Catawba Science Center, Hickory, NC; Sciencenter, Ithaca, NY; Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, IL; and the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Ann Arbor, MI. Each museum partner will develop a 1500 sq. ft. (140 m2) traveling exhibit that will include ten to fifteen interactive units and supporting graphics and will circulate to all members of the partnership. The exhibition topics are: AirPlay (Montshire Museum of Science, Dirt (Catawba Science Center), You Can Count On It (Sciencenter), Amusement Park Science (Discovery Center Museum), and Eureka Labs: Science from Head to Toe (Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum). Following the circulation among the consortium members, it is anticipated that the exhibits will circulate more broadly via the Association of Science-Technology Centers Traveling Exhibit's Program. In addition to developing these exhibits, the collaboration has an additional goals 1) focusing on the family audiences by working together to enhance the family science learning through the development of resources that can be used by families that are related to exhibition topics, 2) building institutional expertise in exhibit design, family programming, and evaluation; and 3) conducting research on family learning and sharing results with the field. Complementary materials and activities for teachers will also be developed for each exhibit.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
David GoudyCharles TrautmannSarah WolfMike SinclairJames FrenzaCynthia Yao