In this paper, Alan J. Friedman, director of the New York Hall of Science, discusses the importance of evaluation, specifically formative evaluation, for measuring success at a museum and fulfilling mission statements. Friedman presents four real examples of exhibit projects, in which the directors or exhibit directors involved elected to expend funds for formative evaluation. Friedman goes on to discuss the benefits of this research and what surprising information staff came to know as a result.
This paper discusses a research study, conducted as part of a formative evaluation of an HIV/AIDS exhibit developed by the New York Hall of Science, a member of the National AIDS Exhibit Consortium, and designed to investigate two issues: (1) What is the current state of youth awareness of the mechanism by which condoms help prevent the spread of HIV and other STDs; and (2) Which of two exhibit designs most efficiently communicates concepts related to HIV sexual transmission prevention. This research was designed to determine whether misperception about HIV transmission prevention existed and
This paper analyzes the effectiveness of real people (actors) as communicators of messages in museums. It includes findings from an evaluation of professional actors, who assume the roles of fictitious and real characters from the history of science, technology, and medicine at the Science Museum in London. The study attempted to understand more fully how visitors react to such live interpretations.
The New York Hall of Science requests $829,312 over four years to develop and circulate a traveling version of "Hidden Kindoms - The World of York Hall of Science in April, 1991. The traveling version will consist of: an introductory panel; 16 Easy-View microscopes exhibiting living microbes; units dealing with size, scale and magnification; two interactive computer programs entitled "Understanding AIDS" and "How Your Body Fights Disease"; a video microscope for the Microscopic Life demonstration; units on virusesand bacteria; a mosaic of color transparencies of different microorganisms; one Optech (BYOB) interactive video microscope; three zoetropes illustrating mcrobial movement; and a mini-laboratory room containing all the equipment and materials necessary for maintaining the exhibit and presenting the MICROLAB workshops to students and teachers. The 1,500 square foot exhibit will travel to nine sites over three years. The new York Hall of Science will provide on-site training in estasblishing and maintaining the exhibit, a weekly shipment of microrganisms and supporting materials, an exhibit catalog, an 11-minute video featuring living microbes, pre- and post- visit materisla for schools with suggested activities , and programs for student and teacher workshops. A novel feature of this traveling exhibition will be the opportunity for the host museum to retain, on a cost-share basis, the mini- laboratory with its equipment and four Easy-View microscopes which can become the core of a microbiology program. Biology, Microbiology; Informal Science Education; Elementary, Middle and High School
The New York Hall of Science, working with the Association of Science-Technology Centers Traveling Exhibition Service proposes to develop, test and nationally tour a 500 square foot hands-on exhibition and associated education materials for use by students, teachers, and families on AIDS and the human immune system. The program will be targeted at grades 6 - 12 and their families. It will be developed in year one and then toured in years two and three. One copy of the exhibition will be presented at the New York Hall of Science for the highly AIDS impacted metropolitan area. The other copy of the exhibition will tour to 10 museums nationally. Annual training for the touring sites will ensure that the exhibition and materials can be effectively utilized in conjunction with existing education and science career programs in each city. It is stated that the exhibition and education materials will improve the public understanding of contemporary science and medicine by communicating one essential component of twentieth century biology seldom presented to the public: the fundamentals of microbiology underlying the much-discussed AIDS epidemic. Learning objectives designed for age appropriateness include: (1) to understand the nature of HIV and the difference between testing positive for HIV antibodies and having AIDS; (2) to understand the operation of healthy and infected immune systems; (3) to understand what behaviors result in the spread of HIV and (4) to understand how people can prevent infection. In order to ensure effectiveness in meeting these goals, an independent evaluator will be employed in year one to evaluate each stage of the exhibition in formation and, then, in year two to produce summative evaluation for dissemination to the health and museum education fields.