The first phase of the evaluation, a front-end visitor study, assessing visitors' knowledge of and interest in space science and the cosmos, was conducted in May and June of 2000 at Boston's Museum of Science (MOS). The evaluation's second phase, a formative evaluation of the exhibition prototype, was completed in February of 2001 at the MOS. This summative report represents the third round of the evaluation process conducted by PERG, and is an evaluation of the current Cosmic Questions exhibition and related activities, based on data obtained by evaluators at two sites Boston's Museum of
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Joan KarpJudah LeblangSusan Baker CohenHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose (CDM) contracted Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to conduct a summative evaluation of the Mammoth Discovery! exhibition, one part of a comprehensive project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Mammoth Discovery! features the story of Lupe, fossilized mammoth bones found in San Jose and includes a full-size replica of Lupe and Lupe's actual skull, femur, and pelvis fossils. Through engagement with the exhibition, CDM intends for children and their caregivers to engage in scientific thinking, become aware that they are engaging in a
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Children's Discovery Museum
PERG conducted the formative and summative evaluations of Windows on Earth, a project led by the Center for Earth and Space Science Education (CESSE) at TERC. The project included numerous partners and contributors who focused on the development of the Windows on Earth software, exhibit and website, as well as four museums who participated in the development and evaluation process: Boston's Museum of Science, (MOS), the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, (A&S), the St. Louis Science Center (SLSC), and the Montshire Museum of Science (MM) in Vermont. The project also coordinated some programming
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Judah LeblangJoan KarpTERC IncJodi Sandler
In August 2009, the Program Evaluation and Research Group (PERG) at Lesley University contracted with the project's PI at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) to evaluate My Dome: Defining the Computational and Cognitive Potential of Real Time Interactive Simulations in an Immersive Dome Environment, an NSF funded grant. The project focuses on creating interactive experiences in immersive virtual environments, and builds off previous work the PI and co PIs have done in developing films and immersive experiences in domes and traveling domes. The project includes staff from the Carnegie Museum
In 2006 the Exhibits department conducted a summative evaluation of Ocean's Edge, the aquarium's original and permanent galleries. From 2002-2005 the original galleries underwent a renovation to bring the original exhibits and interpretation up-to-date and to add additional exhibits. This area covers approximately 10,000 square feet. Ocean's Edge is a dramatic transformation of the aquarium's original exhibit galleries. Rockwork and wharf pilings and touchable models transform galleries into the habitats they represent. Visitors can walk under a crashing wave or delve into multimedia exhibits
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Steven YalowitzJenny Sayre RambergJaci Tomulonis
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) contracted Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to conduct a hybrid evaluation that was both front-end evaluation and formative evaluation. NHMLAC created a full-size prototype of a portion of Nature Lab, an exhibition that prompts visitors to think about LA's urban nature and their connection to it, while highlighting the main idea that LA is a biodiversity hotspot. The prototype was installed in the space where the completed exhibition will live, and the evaluation explored visitors' responses to the proposed exhibition content and
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Ice Planet Earth (IPE) was a three-year NSF-Funded grant, with a focus on building awareness and understanding of polar processes and designed to coincide with the International Polar Year, which took place from March 2007-March 2009. A key feature of the IPE project was the development of 'Ice Worlds', a planetarium style film designed for both general audiences and for students/youth. IPE was a collaboration between the University of New Hampshire, and the following institutions: The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh; the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences; the Louisiana Art
The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans. From 2006 to 2008, Aquarium staff members and consultants conducted a series of qualitative and quantitative studies to assess the extent to which visiting the Aquarium engaged, inspired and empowered visitors to care about and for the oceans. The Inspiring Ocean Conservation (IOC) Project included four phases. During Phase I, the researchers consulted with Aquarium staff and conducted in-depth interviews with visitors to develop a logic model. The model outlined the conservation outcomes that could result from
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Cynthia VernonSteven YalowitzAva FergusonVictoria Macfarlane
In October 2009, the Tennessee Aquarium began an ambitious program, Connecting Tennessee to the World Ocean (CTWO), funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. CTWO consists of several individual projects, all intended to increase the ocean literacy of Aquarium audiences and to promote their adoption of an ocean stewardship ethic. This evaluation report summarizes the extent to which the Aquarium accomplished these goals over the 3-year project period. The five project components and their key associated evaluation findings follow. 1. Classroom-based activities
A multifaceted evaluation study was conducted of the 2,000-square-foot exhibit "Darkened Waters: Profile of an Oil Spill" between September 14 and October 12, 1991, at the Oakland Museum, Natural Sciences Department. "Darkened Waters" is the second generation of an exhibit originally conceived and built by the Pratt Museum in Homer, Alaska, to provide information and a forum for the environmental impact of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The exhibit will travel to the Smithsonian Institution in December 1991, and will be available to other institutions through the Association of Science
This summative evaluation of Ocean Bound! was conducted by Serrell & Associates for the Sciencenter in Ithaca, NY. The main message of the exhibition was: What we do on land not only affects the local environment, it affects the ocean as well. A healthy watershed means a healthier ocean. Four methods were used to collect data: unobtrusive tracking; pre-visit interviews; post-visit questionnaires; and a post-visit activity. Visitor comments and feedback showed strong evidence of understanding the exhibition's main concepts and included references to specific content from 7 of the 11 exhibits
In 2011, ORG received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning by redesigning and expanding the "Jonathan Bird's Blue World" website; adding components to enable teachers and students to search episodes for specific themes, locations, or scientific concepts; and enhancing the lesson plans to explicitly match the content standards for teaching science. One of the major grant objectives was to make the "Jonathan Bird's Blue World" website content widely accessible as an open source via an Internet