In this article, researchers from Colorado State University discuss a research study at the Denver Art Museum. The study investigated how one survey of visitors to the museum was used to increase staff awareness of different levels of audience commitment, while at the same time yielding evaluation information about an Asian Art exhibit to guide planning of new interpretation materials.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Ross LoomisMarc FuscoRuth EdwardsMelora McDermott
In this article, Eileen Walker of the Royal Ontario Museum discusses the usefulness of front-end evaluation as the museum renovates all of its galleries. In particular, Walker outlines the front-end evaluation process of the museum's new European Galleries, which aimed at determining visitors' interests, prior knowledge, activities, and preferences in areas related to European Decorative Arts and to the display of such objects. The data informed and facilitated decision-making in the early stages of the gallery development project.
In this article, Minda Borun of the Franklin Institute Science Museum discusses the museum's eighteen month study to discover visitors' misconceptions about gravity and air pressure and to develop exhibits which help people restructure these concepts and achieve an understanding of the scientific explanation. The project is intended to establish a new model for the design of effective science museum exhibits.
In this article, D.D. Hilke of the Smithsonian Institution discusses strategies family visitors use in exploring exhibitions. Hilke cites evidence from studies which family groups through exhibition halls in a large natural history museum.
In this article, researchers at University of Florida present a report of a preliminary study that examined the effects of multispecies exhibits in zoological parks on visitor attention and possible interactions between factors identified as affecting visitor behavior. The study was carried out at the Jacksonville Zoo.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
John Scott FosterJohn J. Koran, Jr.Mary Lou KoranSteven StarkAnn BlackwoodHarriet Landers
In this article, Donald Thompson and Stephen Bitgood of Jacksonville State University discuss a study that examined three variables that influence the readability of exhibit signs and labels: label length, type size, and position (or proximity) of the label. Researchers studied subjects from 5,822 visitor groups in "The Predators" building at the Birmingham Zoo between August and December of 1987.
In this article, Marilyn G. Hood of Hood Associates discusses a visitor study of the Holden Arboretum in rural Mentor, Ohio. The year-long study helped arboretum staff and trustees learn how the institution might more effectively serve its audience, which they suspected differ from season to season.
In this article, C.G. Screven of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee discusses formative evaluations, including its value during the planning of new exhibits or renovation of old exhibits. Screven outlines misconceptions associated with pretesting alternative approaches during formative evaluation.
In this article, John H. Falk of Science Learning Inc. discusses the influence of recollection on learning in museums. Falk shares findings from a series of pilot ethnographic style interviews to better understand recollection and learning in museums.
In this article, John J. Koran, Jr., Mary Lou Koran, and John Scott Foster, of the University of Florida, discuss how individual differences in learning influence learning in informal settings. The authors present a model for researching this topic, elaborate on variables involved in this model, and suggest potential research areas for exploration.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
John J. Koran, Jr.Mary Lou KoranJohn Scott Foster
In this article, G. Donald Adams of the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village discusses the influence of positive word-of-mouth on motivating attendance at museums and other visitor attractions. Adams shares an example of a word-of-mouth situation and how assessments made at various stages in the process can help a museum plan public programs that create positive impressions.
In this article, Donald Patterson and Stephen Bitgood outline principles of exhibit design, which describe the relationship between visitor behavior and the characteristics of the exhibit environment. These principles include exhibit design factors (size, motion, aesthetic factors, novelty or rarity, sensory factors, interactive factors, and triangulation), visitor factors (visitor participation, object satiation, special interests, demographic factors, and other psychological factors), and architectural factors (visibility, proximity of animal/object, realism of exhibit area, and sensory