Practical Evaluation Guide Ch 1-3, 6

Chapters 1-2 we read in class on Tuesday, I really liked the second chapter about informal learning and how they define and describe it. I could really see connections between our museum and their frame.

In chapter 3 they discussed how to evaluate learning. When thinking of MOXI the measurement using recall is not useful. We do not want guests to feel like there is an answer they should be left with. The exposure alone is the answer. When they got to the part about implicit memory it reminded me about our first quarter with the exhibit handbooks. We started with the matrix but I soon realized it is hard to observe learning when it is not directly restated back to you. How do you know if/ what someone is learning at an exhibit if you do not know their previous knowledge or what they are thinking.

The most useful skill they talked about would be the observational evaluation in chapter 6. Using very refined observational skills you can decipher a lot about ones learning in the space. There are many options of observation, you could track aspects of the exhibit like the entry point, or dwell time or you could track popularity of one exhibit or you could even track a person or persons through the museum and follow how they interact.