In this message from the President of VSA, Ross J. Loomis introduces this issue of "Visitor Studies Today!" and discusses a few relevant topics including student involvement in visitor studies and VSA housekeeping items (conference, committee nominations).
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Ross Loomis
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In this article, Ellen Giusti, exhibition evaluator at AMNH and the AAM Committee on Audience Research and Evaluation (CARE) Chair, discusses proceedings from the 1999 Annual AAM National Program Committee Meeting in Cleveland as well as plans for next meeting and updates on AAM organizational issues.
In this note from the editor of "Visitor Studies Today!", Kris Morrissey introduces the issue with an update on the annual VSA conference. Morrissey also discusses two new columns in the issue: one on thoughts and experiences with the processes or products of evaluation and one on technology.
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