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Ex Post Facto Evaluation of Participant Recruitment Techniques in a Zoological Setting Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Brian Ogle
Existing literature suggests that passive recruitment techniques, such as those using signage, have been demonstrated to be an effective and reliable recruitment mechanism. The current evaluation e...
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Adapting Visual Thinking Strategies as a Tool for Evaluating the Impact of a Work of Public Art Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Jessica Sickler, Keri Maxfield, Kathryn Semmens, Rachel Hogan Carr
This article presents the development and application of an approach for evaluating audience response to and meaning-making from large-scale public murals, created as part of an art-science-communi...
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Outside Museum Walls: The Impact of Community Facilitators in an Outdoor Social Science Exhibition Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Hsin-Yi Chien, Joshua P. Gutwill, Robert Dixon, Louie Hammonds, Kevin Lee, Cecilia Garibay, Toni Dancstep, Shannon K. McManimon
The museum field has begun exploring the effects of facilitation on visitors’ learning, focusing on facilitation by museum staff inside museum buildings. However, some museum professionals contend ...
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Faces and Voices of Real People: Connecting and Learning in a History Museum Exhibit Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2023-12-22 Adam P. Nilsen
Although educators have argued that traces of identifiable individuals of the past (TIIPs), such as photographs and first-person accounts, can “bring history to life,” there has yet to be a systema...
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The C-PIECE Framework: Documenting Group Engineering Practices Elicited by Design Challenge Exhibits Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2023-09-11 Scott Randol, Marcie Benne, Carla Herrán, Smirla Ramos-Montañez, Todd Shagott
Abstract This article describes the Collaborative Practices at Interactive Engineering Challenge Exhibits (C-PIECE) Framework, a new engineering design practices framework for informal exhibit settings. It outlines the development of instruments to document these practices and presents findings from a study of visitor use of engineering practices at design challenge exhibits. The work was conducted
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Using Language Science to Promote Interest in Science in a Science Museum Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2023-09-08 Nikole D. Patson, Nathan Baker, Sumurye Awani, Nicholas Bednar, Laura Wagner
Abstract The current study investigated how science museum visitors react to a demonstration based on language science, a topic typically under-represented in science museums. Language science is the interdisciplinary, scientific study of language. It combines social and biological sciences with computer science and engineering, and has strong connections to humanities, education, and clinical fields
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Does Values-Based Interpretation Make a Difference? Testing Impacts on Visitors’ Environmental Learning and Reported Adoption of Environmentally Responsible Behaviors Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2023-07-05 Roy Ballantyne, Karen Hughes, Jan Packer, Julie Lee
This experimental field study tests the impact of values-based interpretive materials on zoo/aquarium visitors’ engagement, learning and self-reported adoption of environmentally responsible behavi...
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Working at the Intersection: A Demonstration of Descriptive Intersectional Analyses Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2023-06-14 Karen Peterman, Jane Robertson Evia, Keshia Martin, Sally Brummel, Holly L. Menninger
Abstract This methodology review was designed to demonstrate the additional nuance and guidance that demographic data can provide when using intersectional descriptive analyses to understand visitors and non-visitors. Using data from planetarium email lists (one per regional organization in the United States), as well as through a market research survey of residents in each area, both traditional and
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Educators’ and Visitors’ Perceptions of Invasive Species Education in Zoos Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2023-02-22 Zachary T. Steele, Elizabeth F. Pienaar
Management of invasive alien species (IAS) depends on public awareness and cooperation, which may be increased by effective IAS education by zoos. We administered a questionnaire to visitors (n = 2...
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Identifying Barriers to Accessibility for Museum Visitors Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2023-02-03 Jennifer Fortuna, Claire Harrison, Abigail Eekhoff, Candice Marthaler, Megan Seromik, Stephanie Ogren, Julia VanderMolen
For people with visual impairment, environmental features create barriers to inclusion and participation in public places such as museums. This study gathered direct feedback on accessibility from ...
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Seeing the Forest, Not the Trees – Crowdsourced Data Collection Methods for Sector-Wide Research Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2023-02-01 John Voiklis, Kate Flinner, Shaun Field, Rupanwita Gupta, John Fraser, Joseph de la Torre Dwyer, Shelley Rank, Kathryn Nock
ABSTRACT Research that involves a large and broad sample of museums can produce a representative picture of the entire museum sector and lead to global insights that may not be attainable through a more local lens. However, many museum research projects use a small sample of museums, meant to represent the entire field. We propose a research method that distributes data collection across a broad swath
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Understanding Pro-Environmental Behaviors and Intentions in Visitors to a Zoo-Based Seal Encounter Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2023-01-26 Brielle E. Blandford, Kate E. Mulgrew, Vikki Schaffer, Lee Kannis-Dymand
Increasing pro-environmental behavior may combat environmental deterioration and promote animal and human welfare. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we investigated how an Australian zoo-...
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The Effectiveness of Museum Intervention on Parent–Child Conversations: A Meta-Analysis Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-11-12 Kathleen Kupiec, Lars-Erik Malmberg, Sandra Mathers
Abstract Museums offer great potential for learning, mediated by parent–child conversations. Despite much qualitative research conducting informative observations of family museum interactions, limited experimental work has investigated how to maximize these experiences. Recent studies have begun to quantitatively examine the potential of researcher-facilitated and resource-based interventions to enhance
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Creating Meaningful Museums: A Model for Museum Exhibition User Experience Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-11-11 Ellie King, M. Paul Smith, Paul F. Wilson, Janet Stott, Mark A. Williams
Abstract Combining existing knowledge of museum exhibition visitor experience with concepts of User Experience (UX), a model for Museum Exhibition User Experience (MEUX) is presented. The model was developed from research interviews and surveys with UK museum professionals and presents the museum exhibition experience from both museum and visitor perspectives. Its use as an evaluation tool for visitor
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Is There Value in Including Information about Animal Cognition and Emotion in Zoo Messaging? Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-10-28 Mark H. Davis, Lauren E. Highfill, Radhika Makecha, William Baksic, Shane Graves, Emilia Heaton
Abstract What kind of zoo signage is most likely to engage patrons and lead to interest in an animal? We conducted three laboratory studies designed to shed light on this issue by examining the effect of providing information about two features of an animal: 1) its cognitive ability, and 2) its emotional complexity. In Study 1, compared to typical ID label information, both cognitive and emotional
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A Review of Augmented Reality for Informal Science Learning: Supporting Design of Intergenerational Group Learning Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-07-07 Salina T. Yun, Sarah K. Olsen, Kathryn C. Quigley, Matthew A. Cannady, Ardice Hartry
Abstract Designing for and facilitating intergenerational group learning is an important objective of informal science institutions as most visitors in those settings engage with scientific thinking in the context of a group. New, deeply engaging, and interactive technologies such augmented reality (AR) have been shown to have positive outcomes in educational settings, but their implications have yet
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The Seek & Share Resources Tool: Measuring a Learning Practice of Making Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-05-05 Annie M. White, Kailea Saplan, Peter S. Wardrip, Alison Bank, Thomas Akiva, Lisa Brahms
Abstract The maker movement has grown rapidly in educational contexts during the past decade. The field now needs valid, reliable measurement tools to capture learning that occurs in maker-based activities. In this study, facilitators and researchers from five organizations engaged in a codesign process to develop a tool measuring how learners seek and share resources while making. We describe our
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An Observational Investigation of How Exhibit Environment and Design Intersect to Influence Parent–Child Engagement Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-05-02 Jessica S. Caporaso, Courtney L. Ball, Kimberly E. Marble, Janet J. Boseovski, Stuart Marcovitch, Kathleen M. Bettencourt, Lindsey Zarecky
Abstract This naturalistic, observational study examined how specific design elements in two play-centered science center exhibits influence child and parent engagement. We observed the level of engagement, pretend play, and sharing among 57 3- to 9-year-olds (M = 5.67 years) and their parents at either an indoor, technology-based exhibit or an outdoor, nature-based exhibit. Overall, exhibit elements
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How Do You Define Success? Evaluative Criteria for Informal STEM Education Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-04-01 Rebecca M. Teasdale
Abstract Evaluative criteria define a “successful” intervention and direct what evaluation questions to ask, data to collect, and conclusions to draw. This study analyzes the criteria that underpin a sample of summative evaluation reports from InformalScience.org to understand how success was defined and investigated. Summative evaluation is often framed as an examination of effectiveness in achieving
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Long-Term Memories from Visiting a Prison Museum Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-03-30 Eric Knackmuhs
Abstract This study sought to determine the long-term memories from a visit to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA. Unstructured phone interviews were conducted with participants two years after their visit. Results suggest that participants could recall both episodic and semantic memories. They recalled a visceral, emotional, and memorable experience. Furthermore, they learned about, reflected
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Differences between Zoo/Aquarium Staff and Visitors’ Values, Beliefs, and Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Consequences for Environmental Communication Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-02-04 Jan Packer, Roy Ballantyne, Karen Hughes, Joanne Sneddon, Julie Lee
Abstract The value priorities, pro-environmental beliefs and pro-environmental behaviors of zoo/aquarium staff, volunteers, visitors and non-visitors are examined to test whether they differ in ways that may impact zoos’ effectiveness in communicating environmental messages. Online surveys were completed by 607 staff (including 157 educators), 339 volunteers, 1444 frequent visitors, 2321 occasional
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Looking to Read: How Visitors Use Exhibit Labels in the Art Museum Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-01-10 Luise Reitstätter, Karolin Galter, Flora Bakondi
Abstract “Do they read? Oh, yes, they do,” was the conclusion of a paper identifying the proof of label use in visitors’ in-gallery conversations versus the difficulties of observing them reading. This paper methodologically refines this research question by asking how exactly exhibit labels are used. Answers are derived from an empirical study that analyzed viewing behavior both before and after
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Messaging Matters: Order of Experience with Messaging at a STEM-Based Museum Exhibit Influences Children’s Engagement with Challenging Tasks Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2022-01-04 David M. Sobel, Laura W. Stricker
Abstract This project examines how the order of messaging during parent–child interactions at a museum exhibit affects children’s engagement with the exhibit. Parents and 4-7-year-olds (N = 64) played at a circuit block exhibit. They were first given blocks with descriptive (e.g., “This is a battery.”) or discovery-prompting (e.g., “There is no wrong way to play.”) messages, and after 90 seconds, given
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What Do Adolescents Talk about When They Visit an Aquarium? A Case Study at the Marine Aquarium of Rio De Janeiro Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-11-17 Priscila Campos dos Santos Coelho, Jessica Norberto Rocha, Luisa Massarani
Abstract This qualitative study analyses conversations among teens during a visit to AquaRio, the Marine Aquarium of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aiming to elucidate how they engage, participate and what interests them the most when having this experience. Twenty teenagers, divided into groups, were invited to visit the aquarium in an out-of-school context and answer pre- and post-visit questionnaires to
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Retrospective Pretests: Recent Use in Visitor Studies Research and Ways to Make Them More Informative Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-10-07 Melanie Hwalek, Cassandra Solomon-Filer, Deborah Wasserman
Abstract Many visitor studies researchers use Retrospective Pretest (RPT) methods to document outcomes. Research literature compares the validity of RPT with traditional pretest-posttests. This article reviews visitor study and informal learning literature about how RPT has been used to evaluate programs in museums, aquariums, parks/recreation, zoos, and tourism. It furthers discussions about response
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Mathematics Learning Pathways on a School Fieldtrip: Interactional Practices Linking School and Museum Activity Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-08-02 Molly L. Kelton
Abstract Formal and informal educators often struggle with the question of whether and how school fieldtrips might productively connect school- and museum-based learning. I share findings from a video-based ethnographic study of 5th- through 7th-grade fieldtrips to a museum mathematics exhibition. Through a collection of case analyses of situated talk and interaction, I describe three distinct interactional
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Supporting Family Scaffolding and Collaboration Through Digital Interactive Tabletop Exhibits Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-09-17 Sara Price, Carey Jewitt, Theano Moussouri
Abstract This article presents a qualitative analysis of family interaction around digital interactive tabletop exhibits. Parents play a teaching role in museum visits, using strategies from encouragement, to giving directions about using exhibits, to offering explanations that connect an exhibit to children’s previous experiences. Touchscreens and touch tables offer different ways of engaging families
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Impact of Youth and Adult Informal Science Educators on Youth Learning at Exhibits Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-07-13 L. McGuire, A. J. Hoffman, K. L. Mulvey, M. Winterbottom, F. Balkwill, K. P. Burns, M. Chatton, M. Drews, N. Eaves, G. E. Fields, A. Joy, F. Law, A. Rutland, A. Hartstone-Rose
Abstract The impact of educators in informal science learning sites (ISLS) remains understudied from the perspective of youth visitors. Less is known about whether engagement with educators differs based on the age and gender of both visitor and educator. Here, visitors (5–17 years old) to six ISLS in the United States and United Kingdom (n = 488, female n = 244) were surveyed following an interaction
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The Value of Identifying a Gap in a Reflective Professional Development Program for Informal Science Educators in a Zoo Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-06-16 Netanel Dwolatzky, Chagit Tischler, Orit Ben-Zvi Assaraf
Abstract Zoos are important informal learning environments. We conducted an external reflective professional development program for a zoo’s informal science educators to understand the process and implications of this program. Six educators engaged in an 8-stage program that included self-observation of videos and discussions with colleagues. Educators' ability to change their educational processes
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Hackathons and ‘i’dentities: Museum Visitor Identities in Other Informal Learning Environments Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-05-28 Andrew Jason Turner, Caroline D. Hardin, Matthew Berland
Abstract Hackathons provide an informal, structured learning environment where groups of participants develop and present a project over a specified period of time. During their work, participants often take on unfamiliar roles and responsibilities and sometimes experience shifts in self-perception and affinities toward different identities. This study uses a novel application of Falk’s museum visitor
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Differences between First-Time and Repeat Visitors in a Special Exhibition at a Natural History Museum Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-05-05 Nicole Heuken, Anna-Lena Schüder, Andreas Christian
Abstract This article studies the differences between first-time and repeat visitors to a large temporary exhibition at a natural history museum. Cued visitors were overtly observed and then interviewed. Compared to first-time visitors, repeat visitors generally visited museums more frequently and tended to be more interested in science. During the visit, they appeared more focused and selective. Repeat
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Awe & Memories of Learning in Science and Art Museums Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-04-26 C. Aaron Price, Jana Nicole Greenslit, Lauren Applebaum, Natalie Harris, Gloria Segovia, Kimberly A. Quinn, Sheila Krogh-Jespersen
Abstract This study looks at the types of awe guests feel when they leave art and science cultural institutions of various sizes and context, and how it may be related to what they remember learning. We surveyed 899 guests at the end of their visit and 550 of them again about one week later. Measures included a scale of awe-related perceptions (both positive and negative) along with questions about
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Designing Soundscapes for Presence in Virtual Reality Exhibitions: A Study of Visitor Experiences Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-04-13 Jøran Rudi
Abstract In museum exhibition design, the experiential aspects of virtual reality and other immersive technologies are increasingly being explored. This study contributes to these explorations, focusing on the role of hearing and sound in visitors’ experiences of a hybrid virtual environment designed for an architecture museum exhibition. Physically, the environment consisted of a full-scale, multi-level
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Addressing Contemporary Criminal Justice Issues as Interpretive Outcomes at a Prison Museum Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-01-25 Eric Knackmuhs, James Farmer, Doug Knapp
Abstract Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site (ESP) is a venue for public education and dialogue on contemporary as well as historical criminal justice issues. Since visitors to prison museums typically have had limited involvement with prisons, the experience they have onsite may impact their perceptions of contemporary criminal justice issues. Therefore, this study examined the influence of the
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Engaging Caregivers in Making: The Role of Physical and Social Settings in Museum-Based Making and Tinkering Activities Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-01-25 Susan M. Letourneau, Katherine McMillan Culp, David Wells
Abstract Many studies have documented the impact of maker experiences on children’s learning, but few have examined how caregivers participate in maker activities in museums, both as facilitators of their children’s learning and as learners in their own right. This qualitative study involved observations and interviews with 88 caregivers participating in a range of making and tinkering activities at
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Museum Audience’s Texts: Toward a Contextual Conceptual Reading Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-01-28 Chaim Noy
Abstract Museum scholars and professionals agree that audiences’ texts are under-researched and are often approached anecdotally. This state limits the ability to advance effective theorizing of, and interventions in, audience participation and engagement with museums. The article addresses this lacuna by promoting a contextual media-centered conceptualization of both audiences’ texts and the media
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Exploring Parent–Child Conversations about Live Snakes and Spiders: Implications for the Development of Animal Fears Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-02-01 Megan Conrad, Lori B. Reider, Vanessa LoBue
Abstract Snakes and spiders commonly elicit fear. However, despite the pervasiveness of these fears in adulthood, little is known about how they develop in early childhood. Informal learning environments, like zoos, allow for observation of parent–child conversations about these animals. Such naturalistic conversations may contain negative talk and may be one mechanism for the development of fears
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Using Values-Based Focus Groups to Evaluate Visitors’ Perceptions and Interpretation of a Wildlife Exhibit Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2021-01-07 J. N. Sneddon, K. Hughes, R. Ballantyne
Abstract Zoos and aquariums consider themselves agents of environmental change, yet systematic efforts to evaluate how diverse audiences perceive individual exhibits and interpretive messages are rare. In response to a growing interest in understanding how visitors’ values (i.e. broad motivational life goals) influence their experiences and learning outcomes, this article examines whether visitors’
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Inspiring Wildlife Conservation Behaviors through Innovations in Zoo Exhibit Design Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-10-26 Ashley Kelly, Jeffrey C. Skibins
Abstract Recently, some zoos have begun utilizing technology to improve interpretation outcomes. Using the I-Change model, this study evaluated the efficacy of the interactive TigerTrek Exhibit (Taronga Zoo) in influencing visitors’ tiger conservation attitudes and behaviors. The I-Change model is a holistic framework for evaluating behavior change. Pre-visit (n = 514), post-visit (n = 609), six-week
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Visit Motivation as Part of Visitors’ Personal Context in a Science Museum Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-07-02 Siëlle Phelan, Inga Specht, Doris Lewalter
Abstract Visit motivation is a multidimensional construct that can be viewed as a convergence of various elements of a visitor’s personal context that lead him or her to visit a particular museum on a particular day. We explored associations between six visit motivation categories, four personal characteristics and three visit-related characteristics that have previously been linked to visit motivation
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Looking Back to Think Ahead: Reflections on Science Festival Evaluation and Research Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-07-02 Karen Peterman, Monae Verbeke, Katherine Nielsen
Abstract This methodological review considers science festival evaluation and research studies that have been published in the peer-reviewed literature since 2011, when modern-day science festivals were defined formally. Since that time, the number of science festivals around the world has increased dramatically. The methods and results used to study science festivals are summarized in order to reflect
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Social Meaning Mapping as a Means of Exploring Visitors’ Practices in the Museum Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-07-02 Dimitra Christidou
Abstract This article introduces Social Meaning Mapping (SMM), a digital qualitative tool embedded in the Visitracker tablet-app. SMM is designed to be used by visitors post-visit to recount their experience in a museum room verbally and visually by marking it on an illustrated floor plan, using several paint tools. The app records their verbal and visual input. This article details the theoretical
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Reasoning about Objects in a Natural History Museum: The Effect of Complexity of Questions on Object Labels Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-07-02 Anne M. Land-Zandstra, Kelly Hoefakker, Welmoet Damsma
Abstract In natural history museums, a large part of the educational mission is to facilitate family learning with and about objects. Questions on object labels can play a role in this learning process. In the current study, we investigated the effect that different types of questions on object labels can have on the reasoning conversations among family members. We audio-recorded family conversations
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Shaping Learning for Young Audiences: A Comparative Case Study of Children’s Texts from Two Parisian Museums Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-07-02 Caroline Lipovsky
Abstract With numerous museums currently targeting children and families, museum texts aimed at a young public are becoming increasingly frequent. There is little literature however concerning the ways in which those texts strive to shape children’s experience and understanding. Using children’s texts collected from two French museums, Paris’s Musée d’Orsay and Musée en Herbe, and drawing on Systemic
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Supporting Observing-on-the-Move with Proximity-Based Technology: Designing for Children’s Scientific Observations Outdoors Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-06-25 Susan M. Land, Heather Toomey Zimmerman, Chris Millet, Gi Woong Choi
Abstract This research employs mobile, proximity-based technologies to create opportunities for children to engage in place-based science learning in an arboretum. We present data from a mobile, iBeacon-enabled learning experience to support wayfinding and observing the biodiversity of tree fruit with 84 youth working in 27 small groups (4th graders on a field trip). Data collected include log files
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Designing 3-D Prints for Blind and Partially Sighted Audiences in Museums: Exploring the Needs of Those Living with Sight Loss Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-06-25 Paul F. Wilson, Susan Griffiths, Ellis Williams, M. Paul Smith, Mark A. Williams
Abstract Modern museum practice embraces equal access for all, but access for blind and partially-sighted (BPS) audience remains problematic given the ocularcentricity of museums. Many museum professionals and BPS visitors remain frustrated by the degree of accessibility on offer. The use of 3-D printed replicas as a handling surrogate represents a solution, allowing BPS visitors to engage tactually
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Grandfathers at Melbourne Museum: Shining a Spotlight on Overlooked Museum Visitors Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-06-25 Alison Herron, Andrew Jamieson
Abstract This article discusses a visitor research project conducted at Melbourne Museum in 2017. The aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of the perceptions and experiences of older museum visitors. The project research design entailed collection and interpretation of data from 39 semi-structured interviews and a short survey of 103 older visitors aged 60 years and over. A significant
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The Embodied Gaze: Exploring Applications for Mobile Eye Tracking in the Art Museum Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-01-02 Michael Garbutt, Scott East, Branka Spehar, Vicente Estrada-Gonzalez, Brooke Carson-Ewart, Josephine Touma
Abstract Recent advances in Mobile Eye Tracking (MET) technology facilitate the investigation of visitors’ embodied visual behaviors as they move through exhibition spaces. Our MET-based pilot study of visitor behaviors in an art museum demonstrates the value of MET for identifying ‘hotspots’ of attention. The study also confirms the occurrence of the movement patterns identified by Eghbal-Azar in
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The Aggregation of Tracking-and-Timing Visitor-Use Data of Museum Exhibitions for Benchmarks of “Thorough Use” Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-01-02 Beverly Serrell
Abstract Understanding the behavior of visitors in museum exhibitions is essential to the creation of effective presentations of meaningful content and experiences for the public. This article summarizes a recent aggregation of 65 tracking-and-timing studies that builds on the data for 110 older studies previously published and examines the issue of “thorough use” with two numerical indexes – the sweep
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Engaging Children and Parents to Code Together Using the ScratchJr App Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-01-02 Madhu Govind, Emily Relkin, Marina Umaschi Bers
Abstract Educational tools and apps designed to teach coding and computational thinking to children have risen in popularity in the last several years. However, there is little research that explores how families with young children code together in informal environments. This study explored how children ages 5-7 and their parents jointly program with the ScratchJr app. N = 58 families attended ScratchJr
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Material Culture, Museums, and Memory: Experiments in Visitor Recall and Memory Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-01-02 Rebecca Sweetman, Alison Hadfield, Akira O'Connor
Abstract Approaches to the subject of memory vary considerably, according to discipline. Museologists have either focused upon the role of the museum as a memory bank, or examined memories of museum visits in relation to identity and motivations. Archeologists have investigated the use of memory to regulate community experience, whilst psychologists have developed experimental methods to assess the
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Understanding Engagement with Science Festivals: Who Are the Engaged? Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2020-01-02 Jane Robertson Evia, Karen Peterman
Abstract In 2015, the British Science Association (BSA) began developing a model to describe various publics based on how they engage with science. Currently, the model includes four groups along a continuum: Not interested, Inactive, Engaged, and Professionals. This article focuses on the Engaged, defined as those who are interested in science and who actively search for information about science
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Museum Collections and Online Users: Development of a Segmentation Model for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2019-07-03 Elena Villaespesa
Abstract This article presents a segmentation of users who visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s online collection. The six segments defined in this study are professional researcher, personal interest information-seeker, student researcher, inspiration-seeker, casual browser, and visit planner. The study combines web analytics with more traditional survey methods to show how digital research tools
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Multi-Site Case Studies About Zoo and Aquarium Visitors’ Perceptions of the STEM Learning Ecology Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2019-07-03 Rupanwita Gupta, John Fraser, Shelley J. Rank, Joanna Laursen Brucker, Kate Flinner
Abstract Informal learning institutions like zoos, aquariums, science centers, and botanic gardens are popular among the American public. Many offer science-related activities, suggesting an “ecology” of sites varying in degree with regards to science and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning in general. Understanding public perceptions of the STEM learning ecology can inform decisions
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Analyses of Visitors’ Experiences in a Natural World Heritage Site Based on TripAdvisor Reviews Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2019-07-03 Oana Mihaela Stoleriu, Ana Brochado, Alexandru Rusu, Cristina Lupu
Abstract Danube Delta is the second largest European delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a famous paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers, which attracts increasing numbers of tourists every year. The article uses mixed methods, qualitative (i.e., narratives) and quantitative (i.e., computer) analyses, to examine the main components of visitors' subjective experiences of the Danube Delta
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“This is a Learning Opportunity”: How Parent–Child Interactions and Exhibit Design Foster the Museum Learning of Prior-to-School Aged Children Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2019-07-03 Sheila Degotardi, Kelly Johnston, Helen Little, Yeshe Colliver, Fay Hadley
Abstract Recent research indicates that museums hold great potential for children’s engagement and learning. To date, most research has either focused on school-aged children or young children’s independent learning engagement and, as a result, little research has investigated how museum spaces may foster and enhance the interactive learning of families with prior-to-school-age children. The current
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Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Science-Day Programs at University-Based Science Outreach Centers Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2019-07-03 Efrat Nativ Ronen, Tali Tal
Abstract University-based science youth centers offer science-day activities for students that include lectures and sometimes a laboratory experience. This phenomenological study explores stakeholders’ views of science-day programs at 3 different university-based science outreach centers. The study describes the characteristics, the goals, the pedagogy, and the challenges of science days as voiced
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Are We on the Same Page? Family and Museum Staff Perceptions of Engagement and Learning Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2019-07-03 Robert Brown, Neryl Jeanneret, Jennifer Andersen
Abstract Museums are designed to engage families with young children with a welcoming, safe and stimulating environment and museum staff are central to achieving this mission. What staff know about and how they interact with young children and their parents, however, is rarely investigated. This article presents research involving staff and families interacting in a large city museum. The research
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Sympathy for the Devil? Uncovering Inhibitors and Enablers of Emotional Engagement Between Zoo Visitors and the Tasmanian Devil, Sarcophilus harrisi Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2019-01-02 Kevin Markwell, Betty Weiler, Jeffrey C. Skibins, Robert Saunders
Abstract This article explores enablers and inhibitors of emotional engagement between visitors and Tasmanian devils at Healesville Sanctuary, Australia. A qualitative research approach was utilized including 44 interviews (ten with staff and 34 with visitors) and eight hours of observations of 622 visitors. Findings are presented in relation to six themes: (a) visitors’ motivations for viewing Tasmanian
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Visitors’ Experiences and Reactions to a Dark Heritage Site: The Case of the Cape Coast Castle (2010–2015) Visitor Studies Pub Date : 2019-01-02 Sam Abaidoo, Dorothy Takyiakwaa
Abstract This study investigates how different visitors experienced a dark heritage site (Cape Coast Slave Castle). Two main groups of people studied are those with historic links to the site and those without. Those with historic links include descendants of victims of the slave trade, people from countries, which participated in that dark heritage, and those whose ancestors may have collaborated