On Fri, 23 May 1997 17:12:36 -0400, Christine Mouw
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Hello all!
>
>I'm repeating a general inquiry about exhibit research that I buried in
>another posting last week, so many people may have missed it--either
>that or others don't find it as interesting as I do!   :-)

It *is* an interesting question, Christine. One thing I have noticed
is that in exhibitions that have a clear theme (which may or may not
be verbal),  a good advance organizer, logical and consistent physical
structure, and some initial relevance to visitors' pre-knowledge,
visitors ask for more information, and will delve into particular
topics in depth. Jumbled, wordy exhibits tend to turn them off. With
computers, reading areas, and resource centres, we can put a lot of
information into an exhibit without swamping it. In a confusing
exhibit, any information is too much. So the issue may not be whether
you "teach" high school or college, but whether you can add value to
your visitor's experience. You might check out some of the literature
on informal and adult learning.

Doug