In this paper, Janet Kamien, former director of exhibits at the Field Museum and principal developer on the "Life Over Time" exhibit, Eric Gyllenhaal, primary developer for the exhibit, and Jeff Hayward, director of People, Places & Design Research and visitor researcher and evaluation advisor for the exhibit, present reflections on the process of creating "Life Over Time" and exhibits in general. These reflections include "Voices of Doom" or predictions of disaster that swirl in the heads of designers and developers as they build exhibits.
The focus of this summative evaluation report is the Shark Encounter exhibit at Sea World of California, which opened in June 1992. The design concept was to display the largest collection of sharks in the world. Visitors are transported to the "tropics" to view sharks from above, and then venture into the sharks' environment as they travel through an acrylic tube placed on the bottom of the habitat. The goal of the evaluation was to determine the overall effectiveness, or success, of the exhibit
This paper discusses recent efforts of zoos and museums to develop exhibits that place a greater emphasis on the uniqueness of natural areas and on what visitors can do to preserve these ecosystems. Specifically, this paper focuses on a recent project at the Brookfield Zoo to create an outdoor adventure game called Quest to Save the Earth and includes details of the design process and findings from a formative evaluation process.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Kate IrvineCarol SaundersJohn Scott Foster
In this paper, Pedro J. E. Casaleiro of the University of Leicester (UK), Department of Museum Studies, discusses methodology and findings from a comparative analysis of audiences for "The Return of the Living Dinosaurs" exhibition in four separate locations: London, Paris, Spain, and Portugal. The exhibit consisted of robotic dinosaurs (animatronic models).
In this article, Patricia Munro discusses the "Baffling Beauty" project developed by the Anstiftung, a nonprofit research organization in Munich. Munro summarizes the development of this "health forum," traveling exhibition as well as how evaluation techniques were integrated into the exhibit planning and implementation process.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Patricia MunroVisitor Studies Association
In this article, Hans-Joachim Klein, of the University of Karlsruhe, and Patricia Munro discuss a comparative study of four health exhibitions to asses their effectiveness as a method of health promotion.
In this article, Bernhard Graf discusses the work of the Institut fur Museumskunde (Institute of Museum Studies), a division of the Staatliche Museen (State Museums) in Berlin. The Institut is devoted to research and documentation in the various areas of museum work, defined by the scientific disciplines relevant to the individual project.
In this article, Kathleen F. Wagner, Senior Vice President of Education at the Philadelphia Zoo, discusses the importance of institutional acceptance of visitor evaluation. She offers a 12-step approach to institutionalizing evaluation.
In this article, Kathleen Socolofsky of the Desert Botanical Gardens discusses the history of the institution, highlighting shifts in its mission and exhibit strategies. In particular, Socolofsky outlines the steps staff used in gaining institutional acceptance of visitor evaluation and in affecting the long-term acceptance of visitor-centered approaches to exhibits as well as the outcomes of this institutional acceptance.
This article provides an abstract of Jane Marie Litwak, Ph.D.'s dissertation. The dissertation applied concepts from cognitive psychology to the design of museum exhibit labels in an effort to direct visitor attention and increase learning in museum settings.
In this article, staff at the University of Florida's Florida Museum of Natural History discuss the efforts of the Learning in Informal Settings Program, including three international evaluation studies.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
John J. Koran, Jr.Mary Lou KoranBetty Dunckel CampAnne E. Donnelly
This is the conclusion of an article that was omitted from the previous issue of "Visitor Behavior." In this article, Kathleen F. Wagner discusses their efforts to institutionalize evaluation at the Philadelphia Zoo.