Opportunities to Make Science Museum Visits More Meaningful: Results from a Real Time Earthquake Exhibition Summative Ev

1. Opportunities to Make Science Museum Visits More Meaningful: Results from a Real Time Earthquake Exhibition Summative Evaluation Meagan Smith Masters of Museum Studies, University of Toronto 2005 Candidate Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology

2. The IRIS/USGS Earthquake Display • 51-inch plasma monitor that displays the • locations of earthquakes • 2) Computer monitor that lists the times, • magnitudes, and geographic locations of the • displayed earthquakes • 3) Mechanical triple drum – records four days of • continuous ground motion at three remote • locations • 4) Associated text and visuals (varies by museum)

3. Evaluation Methodology • Museums • 1) Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) • Plate Tectonics Gallery (PTG) • 2) American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) • Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth (HoPE) • Method • Phase 1 – Gallery & IRIS/USGS Display • Tracking & timing (n=100) • Sweeps (n=100) • Open-ended exit interviews (n=34) (PTG only) • Phase 2 – IRIS/USGS Display • Focused observations (n=100) • Open-ended post experience interviews (n=50)

4. Gallery Space NMNH Plate Tectonics Gallery AMNH Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth • 46 elements • 32 elements IRIS/ USGS display

5. Display Layout NMNH Plate Tectonics Gallery AMNH Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth

6. Quantitative Evaluation Results • Attracting Power – Tracking and Timing • NMNH - 38% of visitors stopped (1 of 46 elements) • AMNH - 41% of visitors stopped (1 of 32 elements) Holding Power – Tracking and Timing • NMNH - 0:46 or 0.8 minutes median stop time/visitor (6 of 46) • AMNH - 1:23 or 1.4 minutes median stop time/visitor (1 of 32) Cumulative Stop Time – Tracking and Timing • NMNH - 30.8 minutes (1 of 46 by 5+ minutes) • AMNH - 64.2 minutes (1 of 32 by 22 minutes) Total Number of Stopped Visitors – Sweeps • NMNH - 210 visitors or 11% of all stops (1 of 46) • AMNH - 283 visitors or 15% of all stops (1 of 32) Most Liked or Interesting Part of the PTG – Exit Interviews • NMNH - 27% of all responses (1 of 46)

7. Understanding the Display’s Success: Real Time Information Interview Results What attracted you to the display? Interest in earthquakes Other Plasma monitor (22% at both the NMNH & AMNH) Real time information (11% at the NMNH & 20% at the AMNH) Triple drum Location of home

8. Understanding the Display’s Success: Real Time Information Interview Results What did you like best about this display? Other Make your own earthquake* 6% Real time / up to date information (31% at both the NMNH & AMNH) 9% Global information 2% Easy to understand 2% 31% Interactive 3% 7% Triple drum 9% 20% Overall presentation 10% Map of recent earthquakes/ (plasma monitor) Small monitor with updated list * Only present in the PTG at the NMNH

9. Understanding the Display’s Success: Real Time Information Examples of Visitor Responses “[It was] very interesting to see what just happened only a few minutes ago.” “I recognized [the drum, but had] never seen one actively working.” “[I like that it is] up to date, and I heard in the news this morning that there was in earthquake in Illinois this morning and there it was.” “[The] way they were able to bring [the information] to you in real time.” “I was surprised at the number of earthquakes it showed, and how it was able to show all the locations”

10. Understanding the Display’s Success: Real Time Information Interview Results What information did you find the most interesting or surprising? Other Real time / up to date Frequency of earthquakes Particular event(s) Where earthquakes occur “[That the] Earth is moving even though we don’t notice it.” “That there are so many minor earthquakes every day.” “That they had earthquakes clear across the United States.”

11. What Makes Science Interesting? Herbal Medicines Climate Change Genetically Modified Foods • Practicing Scientist • Current / Hot Topic • Sexy / Popular Culture • Science in action Relevant to our lives Cloning Stem Cell Research Euthanasia Space Exploration

12. Relevance and Museum Displays “Most important, the link between the museum and the visitor’s life needs to be made clear.” (Csikszentmihalyi and Hermanson, 1995) “In order to make meaning of our experience, we need to be able to connect it with what we already know.” (Hein, 1999) “…we must find ways to reach visitors, building bridges to their past experiences and knowledge.” (Jeffrey, 1998) Do real time displays offer more opportunities for connections between visitors and the display? Do they increase relevance for visitors?

13. Didactic Earthquake Displays Did You Know? • Earthquakes are the geological forces of the Earth that build mountains and create ocean. They are nature’s reminder that we are living on the thin outer crust of a planet that is cooling. • Each year, approximately 800,000 earthquakes are recorded worldwide. Most are too small to be felt, but typically at least one is a great earthquake. • The Earth’s outer crust is divided into plates. Earthquakes occur when plates move under over, or slide past each other. • Earthquakes typically occur along plate • boundaries

14. Interactive / Hands-On Earthquake Displays Activities: • Shake a city in a pan of sand and water • Watch video footage of the Great Alaskan Earthquake, 1964 • Use a slinky to visualize how seismic waves travel through the Earth • Use a computer to simulate an earthquake. Choose the magnitude and epicentre • Record your own seismic waves by jumping in front of a seismograph

15. Real Time Earthquake Displays Watch Earthquakes Occur

16. Real Time Earthquake Displays Watch Earthquakes Occur

17. Earthquake Displays Didactic Interactive/Hands-On Discovery and constructivist Visual / auditory / tactile / social learning Museum as discovery center / edutainment Transmission Visual learning Museum as authority Real Time Discovery and constructivist Visual / social learning Museums providing current science information Increases relevance / connection to the visitor BEST RESULTS: Combine all three

18. Learning Theories Falk & Dierking’s Contextual Model of Learning Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Experience • Hook • Opportunities for involvement • sensory, intellectual, emotional • Conditions for flow • clear goals • challenges that match a wide variety of visitor skill levels • choice • a supportive environment • Growth of complexity in consciousness • sensory, intellectual emotional • Learning as an integrated experience • Personal, sociocultural, • and physical contexts • Time Piaget’s Learning Theory Accommodation and Assimilation

19. Challenges Facing Real Time Exhibits • Technology • Cost ($ and staff resources) • Maintenance • Need scientific expertise • Need dynamic subjects Possible Topics: Weather Population clock Deforestation clock Live video feeds Exhibits Must: Be active / change continually Present new or interesting ideas to visitors “a-ha” Allow visitors of all skill levels to understand content Provide on-going learning opportunities inside and outside of the museum

20. Acknowledgements Ellen Giusti Coordinator of Exhibit Evaluation, American Museum of Natural History Paul Kimberly Computer Specialist – Global Volcanism Program, NMNH Dr. James Luhr Geologist & Mineral Sciences Department Chairman, AMNH Dr. Ed Mathez Chairman, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences & Curator, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, AMNH Barbara Soren Graduate Coordinator, Museum Studies, University of Toronto John Taber Education & Outreach Program Manager, IRIS