In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood and Sherri Lankford discuss museum orientation and circulation, including conceptual orientation and wayfinding. The authors analyze previsit orientation, lobby orientation, during-visit orientation, and exiting orientation.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood and Amy Cota discuss the importance of orientation and circulation within exhibits. The authors outline a list of selected principles of visitor orientation and circulation that pertain specifically to an exhibition space, rather than to the entire facility.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Stephen Bitgood provides a list of guidelines for creating and placing orientation signage. According to the author, this list offers a starting point for someone who wishes to construct a checklist.
In this brief article, VSA President Ridgeley Williams reflects on the past VSA conference in Minnesota and discusses the value of professional development workshops at VSA conferences.
This article features Arlene Benefield's interview with Beverly Serrell. Serrell, an expert on labels. Serrell discusses her work while on sabbatical, focusing on the development of labels and the role of labels in the exhibit development process, explains the 51% Solution, and other thoughts on visitor studies work.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Arlene BenefieldVisitor Studies AssociationBeverly Serrell
In this article, Harris H. Shettel provides a critique of the 51% Solution, describing some of his concerns in detail. Shettel presents counterarguments to Beverly Serrell's support of the approach.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Harris H. ShettelVisitor Studies Association
This article is a summary of a 1994 paper entitled, "Looking Back at Summative Evaluation" by Jeff Hayward and Ross Loomis, and refers to the discussion they led at the 1994 Visitor Studies Conference in Raleigh, NC. The discussion served to provide a meta-analysis of summative evaluation.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Jeff HaywordRoss LoomisVisitor Studies Association
In this article, Beverly Serrell of Serrell & Associates proposes a type of standardized summative evaluation that sets criteria for determining the success of an exhibition. Serrell outlines her support of the "51% Solution."
In this article, Stephen Bitgood and Arlene Benefield, both of the Center for Social Design at Jacksonville State University, present a critical appraisal of "The Heart Exhibition" which was set to undergo changes at the Franklin Institute of Science. This critical appraisal differs from an objective evaluation in that it is based on the opinions of the visitor experts (Bitgood and Benefield). The authors provide analysis and recommendations for each element of the exhibition.
In this article, Stephen Bitgood, of Jacksonville State University, discusses summative evaluation and explains what comprises an effective summative evaluation. Specifically, Bitgood presents criteria for summative evaluation measurement stystems.
In 1984, to begin addressing the issue of long-term learning in museums, [the authors] initiated a series of museum recollection studies. At the time, it seemed critical to understand memories of museums more broadly, to investigate their components, saliency, and persistence, both soon after the experience and long after. [They] began with a series of open-ended, ethnographic-style interviews, conducting the first 11 over a period fo two years. These early interviews proved so interesting and useful that [they] have continued to build on this line of research, as have many others. What does
This study investigated variables that influence the utilization of museums by African Americans. A sample of 333 African Americans from six Eastern U.S. communities were interviewed at home about their leisure activities; particularly, their use of museum-like settings. Key variables that influenced museum visits were income, education, the community in which individuals lived, childhood experiences and participation in church-related activities. Although SES, cultural differences and latent racism impacted present-day African American use/non-use of museums, historic patterns of museum use
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Institute for Learning InnovationJohn H Falk