Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost, a 2,000 square foot museum exhibition, engaged visitors in real and simulated experiences related to the nature of permafrost, permafrost research, and the impact of climate change on permafrost. Development of the exhibition was part of a larger National Science Foundation Advancing Informal STEM Learning grant, Hot Times in Cold Places: The Hidden World of Permafrost, awarded to the University of Alaska Fairbanks in partnership with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Two related evaluation studies led us to our conclusions. First, we
This annual report presents an overview of Saint Louis Science Center audience data gathered through a variety of evaluation studies conducted during 2017. This report includes information on the Science Center's general public audience demographics and visitation patterns, gives an overview of visitors' comments about their Science Center experience, summarizes major trends observed in the Science Center's tool for tracking educational programs, and presents highlights from front-end evaluation on the topic of infrastructures and summative evaluation of the GROW exhibition.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is planning to redesign existing conservation-related interactives as well as add new experiences on the Aquarium floor. In preparation for this project, the Aquarium sought to gain a better understanding of visitors’ awareness of and engagement in conservation-related actions and responses to conservation-related messaging. The Aquarium contracted with MWA Insights to conduct a front-end evaluation study to help inform the planning for these conservation stations. Specifically, the evaluation sought to understand:
Are visitors aware of issues affecting the
The Corning Museum of Glass contracted RK&A to conduct a summative evaluation of the temporary exhibition Glass of the Architects: Vienna 1900-1937. The goal of the study is to explore visitors’ experiences in the exhibition, which is a 1900-square foot exhibition situated within an expansive museum campus.
RK&A collected 100 timing and tracking observations to provide an objective and quantitative account of how visitors experience the exhibition. The museum has historically collected timing and tracking observations for temporary exhibitions so the method allowed for comparisons to
With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) Museums for America program, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Zoo) undertook a process of improving the interpretive experience of its Wings of the World exhibit, which concluded in summer 2018. The updated exhibition sought to enhance families’ connections to nature and inspire them to become better bird neighbors, in direct alignment with the Zoo’s strategic planning.
In collaboration with the Zoo, the Lifelong Learning Group (LLG) conducted formative and summative evaluation in spring and summer 2018. The
With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) Museums for America program, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Zoo) undertook a process of improving the interpretive experience of its Wings of the World exhibit. This effort seeks to enhance families’ connections to nature and inspire them to become better bird neighbors, which is in direct alignment with the Zoo’s strategic planning.
In collaboration with the Zoo, the Lifelong Learning Group (LLG) conducted a formative evaluation. Formative evaluation was framed by an overarching question: does Wings of the World
Exploration Place, with funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), contracted RK&A to conduct a summative evaluation of Design Build Fly, an exhibition and program series that explores what happens behind-the-scenes in Wichita’s aircraft plants. The goals of the study were to identify how visitors use the exhibition, explore what meaning visitors make from Design Build Fly, and understand to what extent visitors’ meaning-making aligns with intended outcomes.
How did we approach this study? RK&A conducted timing and tracking observations of visitors to the
The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) contracted RK&A to conduct a summative evaluation of the temporary exhibition, Unshelved: Cool Stuff from Storage. The priorities for the study focused on exploring (1) whether visitors understand that the museum has vast collections (and why); (2) how the low level of interpretation effects visitors’ experiences and understanding of the exhibition; and (3) visitors’ personal connections and emotional response to the exhibition.
How did we approach this study?
RK&A employed two methodologies for this study. First, RK&A conducted open
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art recently completed a renovation of its 19th- and early-20th-century European art galleries (the Bloch Galleries). The renovation includes the incorporation of the Marion and Henry Bloch Collection, a major gift of 29 masterworks by leading Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists. As part of this renovation project, the museum took the opportunity to experiment with new visitor engagement and interpretation strategies, including both digital and print approaches.
The museum identified three desired visitor outcomes for the galleries: 1) Visitors will