The Outdoor Exploratorium Project is a five-year project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF0104478), that aims to encourage and support visitors in noticing the subtleties of the outdoor environment. The study described here is one in a set of evaluation studies conducted for this project. It is a first look at what and how visitors notice in the area immediately outside the Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts. In particular, we look at visitors' experiences with a noticing toolkit, a set of simple tools we gave visitors to encourage them to explore the outdoors. The study 1)
In June 2002,the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Visitor Center (CLO-VC) opened in the new Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity. The CLO-VC is located in theSapsucker Woods Sanctuary of Ithaca,New York. Surrounded by trails for bird watchers of all levels,the CLO-VC contains exhibits designed to enhance knowledge of birds and bird biology,and encourage participation in its Citizen Science Program. Sapsucker Woods Pond and the Treman Bird Feeding Garden are visible through walls of windows in the Morgens Observatory part of the Visitor Center.The building,pond, garden,and trails
This summative evaluation of the University of Washington Botany Greenhouse K-12 Education Outreach Program analyzed the contents of 468 thank-you notes written by program participants using the National Science Foundation’s Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Informal Science Education Projects. Strong evidence was found for impacts in three STEM learning categories: Awareness, Knowledge or Understanding, Engagement or Interest, and Skills.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) contracted Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to conduct audience research for the Page Museum (the Page) and La Brea Tar Pits (Tar Pits) as part of an overall strategy to examine the site’s current state and determine plans for its future. How did we approach this study? We designed the study to examine and compare Page Museum visitors’ and non-visitors’ perceptions of the Tar Pits and Page Museum; the meaning they construct from their experience; and their knowledge of current scientific research happening at the site. We conducted
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Natural History Museum of Los AngelesStephanie DowneyEmily Craig