From exhibitions to theatrical performances, from fireworks to video games, countless events and ventures have been held all over the world in 2005 to mark the occasion of the World Year of Physics (WYP2005). The year that is drawing to a close has brought physics out into the streets and University campuses, but in a few cases physics has even invaded theater stages and art museums, it has involved musicians and even architects. The worldwide objective was to highlight a science that has more and more need to communicate its close connections with society, its involvement in themes that are
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Marzia MazzonettoMaria Chiara Montani
In response to a long-expressed focus on a museum's mission and its evaluation, this article explores an alternate model of multiple, intentional missions and purposes. While literature and theory assume that a single mission should guide a museum's decisions and actions, in practice, many US nonprofit museums are operating as community service museums, intentionally fulfilling a number of different purposes useful and desired by the community beyond the purpose stated in their mission. This article builds on Stephen E. Weil's theories to develop the rationale for measuring the value and
The requirement by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that research proposals include plans for "broader impact" activities to foster connections between Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) research and service to society has been controversial since it was first introduced. A chief complaint is that the requirement diverts time and resources from the focus of research and toward activities for which researchers may not be well prepared. This paper describes the theoretical framework underlying a new strategy to pair NSF-funded nano research centres with science museums in
This paper provides an overview of the Audience Research Consortium of Toronto, comprised of the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo, the Ontario Science Center and the Royal Ontario Museum. These groups have a shared vision of attracting a larger and more diverse audience-one that includes nontraditional and multicultural groups. This paper outlines how this group developed, acquired funding, hired a consulting group, and created a proposal and research plan. Preliminary findings are also briefly summarized.
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Art Gallery of OntarioRoyal Ontario MuseumOntario Science CentreMetropolitan Toronto ZooWoods Gordon Management Consultants
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In this note from the editor of "Visitor Studies Today!", Kris Morrissey introduces the issue with an update on the annual VSA conference. Morrissey also discusses two new columns in the issue: one on thoughts and experiences with the processes or products of evaluation and one on technology.
This is an introduction to the "Visitor Studies" journal by Stephen Bitgood of Jacksonville State University. Bitgood summarizes discussions and highlights important issues from the First Annual Visitor Studies Conference. Bitgood analyzes visitor studies as a separate field.
In this article, Lynn D. Dierking of Science Learning, inc. (SLi) discusses the summative evaluation of the Pacific Science Center's Science Carnival Consortium Project, a National Science Foundation funded program designed to assist new or developing science centers with opening and operating their institutions. The evaluation was designed to determine the extent to which the Science Carnival Consortium fulfilled its primary mission of facilitating the creation of these new science centers, as well as to assess the relative efficacy of the project as a model for future collaborative endeavors
In this article, Ethan Allen (Teachers Academy for Mathematics & Science in Chicago) describes two types of museum collaborations and how they improve visitor experience through different modes. Allen discusses the Chicago Museum Exhibitors Group (CMEG) and the Museum Partners of Chicago's Urban Systemic Initiative as two models of museum collaboration.