This article summarizes methods and key findings of a study conducted as part of the planning for a proposed museum on The Southeastern Native Americans. Researchers assessed visitor interest in Native American exhibitions, the general public's knowledge, interests, and misconceptions about Native Americans, and potential audiences for the museum.
This is a brief abstract of Donald Thompson's Master's Thesis at Jacksonville State University. Thompson studied over 5600 visitor groups at the Birmingham Zoo as they passed throu the entrance of the Predator House and studied visitor responses to interpretive signs of varied lengths, type sizes and proximities.
This is a brief abstract of Ted W. Finlay's Master's Thesis at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Finlay's research evaluated the effects of background settings on the perceptions of animals.
This is a brief abstract of Pete Conroy's Master's Thesis at the University of Georgia. Through his research, Conroy identified and described two components of museum education: the audiences who use museums and key activities necessary for effective museum education.
This is a brief abstract of G. Donald Adams's Master's Thesis at Boston University. Adam discusses findings from a study of the importance of word-of-mouth in making people aware of museums and influencing them to visit.
This article summates findings from research at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle that evaluated and compared visitor behavior in the gardens, main galleries and two temporary exhibits.
This is a brief abstract of Rosalyn Rubenstein's 1984 Master's Thesis at Toronto University. Rubenstein discusses exhibit design as a problem-solving process which influences the quality of the visitor experience.
In this brief article, Ruth Freeman summarizes a report of ongoing evaluation efforts of the effectiveness of the Discovery Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum.
In this article, Jacksonville State University researchers define and analyze the "immersion" visitor experience. The researchers present preliminary findings from a study that attempted to explore some of the dimensions of this visitor experience of immersion. Subjects in this study were 241 visitors to the Anniston Museum of Natural History in Anniston, Alabama.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Stephen BitgoodElizabeth EllingsenDonald Patterson
In this article, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee researchers Dawn D' Amico and Wendy Pokorny discuss findings from their study that investigated the impact of a museum visit on preconceived notions of scientific explanation. D' Amico and Pokorny found that visitors' preconceptions were unlikely to change as a result of viewing exhibits.
In this article, Richard Schulhof of The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University discusses findings from a study at the North Carolina Botanical Garden that assessed to what extent visitors appreciate and explore the native habitat exhibit environment, and, more importantly, identify the factors influencing their response to it. This study utilized exit interviews, unobtrusive observation of visitors and visitor-employed photography to analyze visitor response.
In this article, Albert Ndayitwayeko, AFGRAD Fellow at the University of Florida, and John J. Koran, Jr., Professor and Curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History, analyze the informal education field in the Republic of Burundi, a small country located in Central Africa. This discussion focuses on natural history museums and zoos, their exhibits and visitor behavior, which may serve as a valuable and less expensive adjunct to formal learning.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Albert NdayitwayekoJohn J. Koran, Jr.