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Design Squared: Evaluation Designs for Design Education
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| Presenter(s):
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| Helene Jennings, ICF Macro, hjennings@icfi.com
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| Caroline Payson, National Design Museum, paysonc@si.edu
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| Abstract:
Over the past six years ICF Macro has supported a Smithsonian museum in designing evaluations for their expanding portfolio of professional development in design education for K-12 teachers. The Education Department of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum have been implementing hands-on teacher training in design education through week-long seminars in New York City and other settings that offer rich resources for design thinking (such as New Orleans and San Antonio). The design process can lead to a deep understanding of abstract concepts taught in schools by carrying out authentic tasks. The partners have developed and applied a range of evaluation methods for formative purposes and to assess varied outcomes, depending on educator interests and how design thinking is brought into the curriculum or school environment. Examples of 'soft' measures as well as a year-long study using data from state math and language arts tests will be presented.
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Visitors' Perceptions of the Value of Cultural Institutions: A Multi-Institution Study of Ohio Zoos
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| Presenter(s):
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| Victor Yocco, Institute for Learning Innovation, yocco@ilinet.org
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| Joe Heimlich, Ohio State University, heimlich@ilinet.org
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| Abstract:
Informal learning venues including art museums, history museums, zoos, etc. must continually seek and provide evidence of the value they provide to visitors and the local community. In this session the authors present findings from a study examining visitors' perceptions of the value of six zoos located in Ohio. Using an instrument developed and tested by the presenters, we explore the differences found both within and between zoos for three value categories identified in the literature: individual, societal, and economic. We will discuss how the data were collected using trained staff and volunteers at each of the organizations and the role of the evaluators in overseeing this process, analysis of the data, and reporting of the findings. Finally, we will discuss some of the differences between and within the participating organizations and how these and other organizations may use the findings to inform future practice and efforts at measuring value.
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