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Session Title: Framing Public Value, Building Identity, and Enhancing Learning Experiences: A Sampler of Visitor Studies in Zoos, Aquariums, and Natural History Museums
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Panel Session 886 to be held in Palisades on Saturday, Nov 5, 9:50 AM to 11:20 AM
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Sponsored by the Evaluating the Arts and Culture TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Kathleen Tinworth, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, kathleen.tinworth@dmns.org
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| Abstract:
How can public value and learning be measured in informal settings like a natural history museum, zoo, or aquarium? What role does value play in these environments? What kind of technology is employed to answer value and experience questions? And who does this work? For a third year, members of the Visitor Studies Association (VSA), an international network of professionals committed to understanding and enhancing visitor experiences in informal settings through research, evaluation and dialogue, will present a showcase of studies in informal environments. This year, we focus on frameworks and technology used to measure public value of zoos and natural history museums as well as the ways in which interacting with these settings develops individual's identity as environmental stewards.
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Assessing Learning in Zoological Settings
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| Diane Sweeney, Vision Education, dsweeney9@pacbell.net
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Education is central to the mission of most zoos and aquariums. Participants who interacted with dolphins at three U.S. zoological facilities gained knowledge and appeared to develop stronger identities as environmentally-caring and responsible individuals who take stewardship action. Visitors who directly interacted with dolphins in the water, spectators who watched the interactions from nearby vantage points, and the dolphin trainers who led the interactions were interviewed (n=31), and past-visitors completed an online questionnaire (n=933), as part of a doctoral research investigation of learning in these settings. Within a sociocultural framework and a Community of Practice model of learning, data were coded, categorized, and analyzed based on frameworks for informal science education from the National Science Foundation and the National Research Council. The presentation will discuss the findings, the potential mediators of learning in the physical, social, and personal realms, and the representations and cultural expectations in such experiences.
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Examining the Use of Technology by Visitors in Informal Science Settings
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| Victor Yocco, Institute for Learning Innovation, yocco@ilinet.org
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Many informal science education settings such as zoos, parks, and nature centers have invested in programming that centers on visitors' use of technology. For example: touch screen computer kiosks, Smartphone applications, and cell phone guided audio tours. In this presentation Dr. Victor S. Yocco, Research Associate at the Institute for Learning Innovation, will provide an overview and brief summary of findings from two projects implemented in zoos, which utilized technology in an attempt to enhance visitors' experiences and learning outcomes. Multiple evaluations occurred on the various components comprising each of these projects. Examining the findings of these studies led to the creation of a conceptual model for how visitors engage with technology in zoos. The presentation will conclude with a description of the components making up the Visitors' Technology Use in Zoos model.
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Visitor's Values of Zoos in Ohio: A Comparative Collaboration
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| Joe Heimlich, Ohio State University, heimlich@ilinet.org
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As funding systems and public support for institutions wane, museums of all types are critically considering the hows and whys of public value of the institution. Using a framework developed by Carol Scott, Yocco created a measure of three domains of public value for art museums (Yocco, Heimlich, Meyers, & Edwards, 2008). This instrument was adapted for zoos and used at six zoos in Ohio in an attempt to discern if public value toward zoos varied across sites. The participating zoos collaborated in the research design and did all data collection and entry. The evaluators did statistical analysis, and the collaboration of zoo education directors and evaluators collectively made meaning of the values study. The process for moving toward collectively understanding of differences of values created a rich forum for dialogue about similarities and differences and the implications between and among the institutions.
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Measuring Public Value at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
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| Bill Watson, Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, watsonb@si.edu
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At the 2010 AEA meeting, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) presented the process through which senior staff and a team of consultants developed a framework, metrics, and protocols for evaluating the public value of the museum's products, services, and programs. The framework is designed to collect and aggregate data about the museum's success for four key, measurable attributes of public value: Trust, Scale, Engagement, and Influence. We will present the highlights of the museum's first full-scale pilot test and implementation of the framework, which was conducted in the context of outreach related to the Human Origins Program. The outreach includes a 15,000 square foot exhibition, a multimedia website, and a slate of onsite public programs. The pilot test included data collection from over 4,500 visitors to the museum and its websites. The aggregation of seemingly disparate data points into clear statements of impact will be emphasized.
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Collaborative Stakeholder Evaluation: Enhancing Exhibit Evaluation Through Greater Stakeholder Involvement
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| Jennifer Borland, Rockman Et Al, jennifer@rockman.com
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In 2010, Rockman Et Al worked with the American Museum of Natural History to conduct a Collaborative Stakeholder Evaluation of its Traveling the Silk Road Exhibition. Overall the collaborative evaluation experience seemed to be both positive and productive. Staff and volunteers gained new skills and made new cross-departmental connections within the museum. Furthermore, the evaluation team, aided by the museum stakeholders, was successfully able to establish, implement and refine a process for collaboratively evaluating a major exhibition, using innovative technology products to coordinate the evaluation effort remotely. The end result this effort was a rich, multifaceted set of data and findings that help all stakeholders better understand the impact and outcomes of the exhibition and the skills and experiences gained during this collaborative evaluation process will likely have a lasting impact on everyone who participated.
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