Going APE! is a National Science Foundation-funded research/development project to investigate how to develop Exploratorium exhibits that elicit active prolonged engagement (APE) among casual museum visitors. As part of this research/development process, Selinda Research Associates, Inc. (SRA) conducted a summative evaluation to assess how and to what extent the exhibit units developed by the Exploratorium team were in fact APE exhibits. This report is the second of two distinct phases of the summative evaluation study. The first phase of the summative evaluation compared visitor engagement at
In the Fall/Winter of 2002/3, RMC Research Corporation (RMC) conducted a summative evaluation of The Human Body film and outreach materials, including lobby exhibit, Teacher's Resource Guide, and Web site. These were the culminating activities in a series of studies conducted over the past three years related to The Human Body project, including formative evaluations of the film and each of the outreach components. These summative evaluations were designed to determine the overall effect on audiences of the finished products. This report contains sections relating to the major elements of The
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Alice ApleyMaryland Science CenterRalph AdlerWendy GrahamLaura Winn
In June 2002,the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Visitor Center (CLO-VC) opened in the new Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity. The CLO-VC is located in theSapsucker Woods Sanctuary of Ithaca,New York. Surrounded by trails for bird watchers of all levels,the CLO-VC contains exhibits designed to enhance knowledge of birds and bird biology,and encourage participation in its Citizen Science Program. Sapsucker Woods Pond and the Treman Bird Feeding Garden are visible through walls of windows in the Morgens Observatory part of the Visitor Center.The building,pond, garden,and trails
This is a summative evaluation of four exhibit areas: Tot Spot, Outdoor Tot Spot, Lookout Cove and Wave Workshop. All sections were developed with a grant from the National Science Foundation and are themed to "My Place By the Bay."
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Minda BorunRose KellyBay Area Discovery Museum
This report presents the findings of a summative evaluation of Dynamic Earth, conducted by Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A), for the Newark Museum in Newark, New Jersey. Data collection took place in April and May 2003. The evaluation documents the scope of the exhibition's impact and effectiveness via timing and tracking observations and exit interviews.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Newark Museum
This report presents findings from a comprehensive summative evaluation conducted by Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A), of Exploring Life on Earth, a National Science Foundation funded exhibition developed by the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM). The evaluation documents the effectiveness of the exhibition and provides recommendations for remediation. Data were collected from May to August 2002 and include in-depth interviews, group discussions, timing and tracking observations, self-reported path identifications, and focused observations and interviews.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Milwaukee Public Museum
This is the summative evaluation of Sharks: Myth and Mystery, a temporary exhibition at the aquarium from 2004 to 2006, which explored how cultures from around the world incorporate sharks into their customs, stories and rituals. The evaluation included timing and tracking, structured interviews and post-visit web surveys, which can be found in the appendix of this report.
The Review of NISE Network Evaluation Findings: Years 1-5 seeks to investigate the work of the NISE Network since its inception in 2005 and provide an overarching summary of NISE Net Public Impacts evaluation efforts to the NISE Network and the broader ISE field.
From the fall of 2000 through the fall of 2004, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) received funding from the National Science Foundation to create a math-based exhibit for school-aged children and their families. The end result was Moneyville, a colorful and inviting traveling exhibition offered in two configurations - the original full-size 6000-square-foot version and a reduced version designed to accommodate smaller venues, such as children's museums and discovery centers. Both exhibitions were designed to teach visitors about "making economic choices with the power of
This report summarizes a summative evaluation of Amazing Feats of Aging, an exhibition developed by staff at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon. Patricia McNamara, an independent evaluator, designed this study to document the exhibition's impact on visitors at two locations: its permanent installation at OMSI itself and at the installation of the exhibit's traveling version at the Lafayette Museum of Natural History (LMNH) in Lafayette, Louisiana. Data collection strategies included visitor interviews, self-administered questionnaires and unobtrusive
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Patricia McNamaraOregon Museum of Science and Industry
Overview of Sustainability Professional Development and Evaluation: As part of the National Science Foundation funded "Sustainability: Promoting Sustainable Decision Making in Informal Education" project, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and its partners developed a professional development website and workshop. The goal of this and other project deliverables was to promote sustainable decision making by building skills that allow participants to weigh their choices and choose more sustainable practices. ExhibitSEED (Exhibit Social Environmental and Economic Development) refers
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Oregon Museum of Science and IndustryRenee B. Curtis
Overview of Clever Together/Juntos somos ingeniosos and Evaluation: As part of the National Science Foundation funded "Sustainability: Promoting Sustainable Decision Making in Informal Education" project, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and its partners developed a bilingual (Spanish/English) exhibition. The goal of this and other project deliverables was to promote sustainable decision making by building skills that allow participants to weigh their choices and choose more sustainable practices. Clever Together/Juntos somos ingeniosos is a permanent, bilingual exhibition at
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Oregon Museum of Science and IndustryRenee B. Curtis