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Evolution of evaluation in science museums and centres
Abstract
The great increase in visitor studies on science museums and centres (SMC) has been marked also by a shift in approach to these studies, paying more attention to the social context of the visits and the nature of the experience. Evaluations have influenced directly SMC exhibition practices but more attention needs to be paid in research about the personal experiences of visits, how these are interpreted and how they contribute to scientific literacy.
... De maneira sucinta, tais estudos podem abraçar perspectivas quantitativascomo aquelas que visam investigar o número de visitantes, origem geográfica e seu perfil demográfico -e qualitativas -como as que estudam impacto e efetividade a partir de condicionantes, discursos e interações, além de colherem sugestões, impressões, construírem indicadores, etc. (KÖPTCKE, 2012;NORBERTO ROCHA, 2018;SANCHEZ-MORA, 2014). ...
The literature on mobile museums still lacks theoretical references that can place itinerancy as a central and particular theme in the science-society relationship. This article presents a proposal for a theoretical framework that can be used by researchers and other professionals to whom itinerancy is the focus of investigations and activities. It is an invitation to reflect on itinerancy as an amplifier of the museum's dialogue with its audiences. Its space-time singularities can promote the co-production of knowledge, opening possibilities of traveling museums to be transformed through the encounters with such diverse audiences and geographies. We point out the urgency of a research agenda on the phenomenon of itinerancy. The social studies of science approach and the concept of boundaries provide the map and itinerary that guide the discovery of these new spaces and opportunities for knowledge production about the itinerancy. KEYWORDS: Itinerancy. Mobile museums. Boundaries. Networks. Knowledge co-production.
... Public relations techniques often serve as science communication tools, insofar as scientific organizations utilize them to achieve strategic goals and facilitate dialogic communication with the public (Shipman, 2014). Operating within the broader paradigm of science communication, science public relations efforts such as news releases and blog posts may help increase public engagement with science, enhance public understanding and awareness of it, and embed it in day-to-day culture (Sanchez-Mora, 2014;Shipman, 2014). Moreover, effective public relations aids science organizations in cultivating and maintaining the trust of their stakeholders (Borchelt & Nielsen, 2014). ...
Social media have given rise to new opportunities for science organizations to communicate with the public. Building on theories of science communication and public relations, this study examined scientific institutions’ use of Twitter for one-way and two-way communication in connection with science festivals over the period 2012 to 2015, using NanoDays as a case study. It identified three communicative functions of tweets by organizations—information, participation, and community—with most tweets being informational and containing hyperlinks. Nevertheless, longitudinal analyses indicated that organizations have increasingly incorporated community-building practices such as hashtags. Findings help clarify how social media engender science communication paradigms.
... Given the sizeable efforts to recruit students to physics, it is unsurprising that the physics learning landscape has also been the site of much evaluation and research. At the same time, evaluations have become a core part of standard professional practice in ISE institutions [Hein, 1994;Sanchez-Mora, 2014] and are now largely embedded in the ISE sector [Lloyd et al., 2012;Phipps, 2010]. Evaluation practice in both physics education programmes and ISE may also have been influenced by the growing areas of work in programme evaluation, stakeholder evaluation and community participation evaluation which are on-going in fields as diverse as health care, community literacy and public policy, [Bledsoe and Graham, 2005;Brandon and Fukunaga, 2014;Reichborn-Kjennerud, 2014]. ...
This paper reflects on the evaluation of and findings from a nationwide programme of physics engagement activities hosted by 10 science centres across the UK. We discuss our findings indicating the affordances of the programme with reference to the wider literature in order to draw out elements of the project that may be useful for other science learning and engagement initiatives. In particular, we discuss findings that relate to contemporary research and policy interests around the engagement of girls in science, the key ages at which young people's views may best be influenced, the importance of explicating the nature of 'real-world' content and careers, and the value of collaborative partnerships.
This study examines data usage in the educational management of the Caravana da Ciência by the CECIERJ Foundation. It analyzes visitor numbers and actions across regions and municipalities, along with teachers' perceptions. A questionnaire collected qualitative data on accessibility, mediation, infrastructure, teaching-learning, and public engagement. The quantitative analysis assessed the Caravana da Ciência's impact on education in Rio de Janeiro. The study offers insights into the Caravana service and teachers' perspectives, aiming to improve post-COVID-19 education service. 1 Introdução Após o fim do lockdown obrigatório da pandemia de COVID-19, a Caravana da Ciência da Fundação CECIERJ continuou seus serviços educativos. Para controlar o trabalho nesse período, coletamos informações sobre as ações da Caravana, identificando problemas e melhorando a qualidade das ações. Utilizamos uma planilha e um formulário para avaliar características como acessibilidade, mediação, infraestrutura, ensino aprendizagem e engajamento do público. A pesquisa investigou regiões e municípios atendidos, além da variação de visitantes e tipos de eventos. Os resultados revelam o perfil de atendimento e análises sobre a qualidade do serviço, visando melhorias futuras na coleta de dados e no atendimento ao público. 2 Revisão de Literatura Inacio (2017) desenvolveu Indicadores de Acessibilidade para analisar a acessibilidade em exposições científicas e espaços científico-culturais. A pesquisa
The Naive Knowledge Study at the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, took place over a three-and-one-half-year period ending in April 1992. It was both a research and application project to uncover widespread misconceptions about the concept of gravity held by museum visitors and to test the efficacy of hands-on exhibits in altering these naive notions. Exhibits were designed to counter typical and persistent misconceptions and enable visitors to shift from the naive knowledge of the “novice” to the more sophisticated understanding of the science “expert.” The study revealed that hands-on exhibits with carefully worded labels can, indeed, alter naive notions and open the door to new understanding.
This research explores the perceptions, ideas, and understanding about science of the staff and adult visitors to an interactive science center. Data were collected from 63 staff and 102 visitors through interviews and a survey designed for the study. Visitors' perceptions about science were more limited than those of the Center staff, especially in terms of the nature of science. For example, after their visit, visitors were more likely to think that scientists always agree with each other, that scientific explanations are definite, and that science has the answers to all problems. Staff were more skeptical than visitors about scientists' ability to communicate their work clearly and that scientific knowledge would not be misused. Staff were more positive and confident about their own use of science than were visitors. The research suggests that visitors to the science center have a positive experience, most of them recognize a change in the way they think about science, and this change represents not just learning new knowledge, but a step toward a change in their relationship with science. This outcome is consistent with one of the major roles the staff saw for the Center: that visitors should become more aware of and interested in science, and leave feeling more comfortable with it. Although the staff were very enthusiastic about what they saw as a positive impact on visitors' science-related experience, many also felt there was room for improvement, especially in terms of how the nature of science was portrayed, and the representation of controversial aspects of science. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed86:706–726, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10030
The visitor experience
- P Mcmanus
P. McManus (1989), "The visitor experience", in D.L. Uzzell ed., Heritage Interpretation 2: 156-165.