There are many lenses through which we can measure the value of a museum experience.
There is the satisfaction factor: Did visitors have a good time? Were they engaged? Do they want to return?
There are learning outcomes: Did visitors learn something new? How much did they learn? How did their experience compare to other types of learning experiences?
And there is also meaning-making: Did respondents have a meaningful experience? A memorable one? A connective experience that made them want more?
While all three of these lenses (and many others) are important, meaning-making is
In this article, Michael John Gorman, founding director of Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, examines the recent emergence of many museum exhibits that meld art and science together to foster creative exploration of science rather than instruction. As an exemplar, Gorman discusses the design of Science Gallery, their "INFECTIOUS" project, and lessons learned.
In this article, science center and museum professionals from around the world share ways that they are engaging visitors in hands-on innovation. Work from the following organizations are discussed: Exploratorium, Discovery Center of Idaho, Lawrence Hall of Science, Iridescent, Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Ideum, Discovery Place, Ontario Science Centre, Bootheel Youth Museum, Science Centre Singapore, Children's Museum of Phoenix, Discovery Museums (Acton, MA), Discovery Center of Springfield, Missouri, Museum of Science, Boston, Questacon--The National Science and Technology
This article describes how science centers and museums can better engage ethnic-specific communities that, overall, historically do not visit these institutions. Cecilia Garibay, principal of the Garibay Group, summarizes her research in this area, specifically focusing on Latino families in the United States and shares several key values that influence Latino parents' leisure choices. Examples of how leading institutions have used these findings are included and highlight ways museums can use research to better engage diverse communities.
In this article, Paul Orselli, president and chief instigator at Paul Orselli Workshop (POW!), discusses the impact of "internal capacity" or a museum's ability to handle core functions like exhibit development, design, and fabrication with its own resources. Orselli explains the value of internal capacity for individual museums and for the broader museum field.
This article describes the mission, approach and success of the New Jersey Academy of Aquatic Sciences' Community and Urban Science Enrichment Program (CAUSE). Through the CAUSE program, local high school students receive training in marine science and biology, and work as mentors for younger students and as educators. This article also points out that an enrichment program to increase visitorship from underrepresented youth is not enough; science centers must utilize Positive Youth Development (PYD) strategies to "lay the foundation" toward individual learning. Key findings from project
In this article, Jim Spadaccini, director of Ideum (Corrales, NM), highlights nine free or nearly free internet-based opportunities for museums. Spadaccini provides a brief description, benefits, participants, tips, and costs associated with each web software or service. Examples include blogging, RSS feeds, and photo sharing.
In this article, Paul Tatter and Kristin Leigh of Explora (Albuquerque, NM), describe museum membership as "a sense of belonging." Tatter and Leigh argue that museum membership should be conceived as a nurtured relationship not as a commodity. Four commitments--participation, trust, acceptance, and respect--guide museum practices including membership and serve to enhance museum visitation and engagement.
In this article, Emily O'Hara, education associate and marking assistant, and Beth Krusi, director of marketing and communications, both at the Montshire Museum of Science (Norwich, Vermont), share their perspective on the importance of repeat visitation. O'Hara and Krusi describe how they use evaluation to refine new and existing exhibits to encourage repeat visitation.
In this article, twelve museum and exhibit directors of leading institutions in the world share their exhibition philosophy. These individuals describe how they develop exhibits to meet content and learning objectives, how they design exhibits thoughtfully to meet these goals and how they evaluate the success of the exhibits. Museums featured include the Finnish Science Centre (Vantaa), The Wild Center (Tupper Lake, NY), Sciencenter (Ithaca, NY), INSPIRIA Science Center (Norway), Explora (Albuquerque, NM), Montshire Museum of Science (Norwich, Vermont), Phaeno (Germany), CuriOdyssey (San Mateo
This article describes the research effort of ASTC and Reach Advisors to explore the motivations and engagement levels of visitors to science museums. The team discovered surprising and telling information about mothers who visit with their children. This article explores the survey methodology, key findings including helpful terms to describe four types of visitors, and conclusions with recommendations.
In this article, Carlos Plaza, exhibit developer and bilingual communications specialist at the Miami Science Museum, summarizes the museum's general guidelines and strategies for writing and designing bilingual exhibitions. These guidelines address label hierarchy, personnel (translators and editors), interpretation vs. translation, regional variation, and layout and design.