This study considers the analysis of the content of the conversations of primary school groups at the animated dinosaur models in The Natural History Museum, London. The results are compared with those of the conversations of similar school groups collected at the preserved animal specimens in the museum, and live animals at London Zoo. Particular issues, such as causality and the reality of the specimens, are examined in the context of the three types of exhibits.
This paper discusses the obstacles that the Philadelphia Zoo confronted when they attempted to evaluate and develop a series of interactive activity kits called "Explore-A-Zoo." The kits aimed to encourage families with children aged 3-9 to interact together in front of exhibits while at the same time improve their science process skills. This paper describes the challenges staff encountered while interviewing preliterate 3-5 year olds as well as highlights two data collection methods that they found successful.
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, Hannah Jennings of the Brookfield Zoo discusses findings from the zoo's evaluation initiative to study how to best communicate with and serve audiences with visual disabilities.
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, 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.