Deb, Indy, Heather-Marie, & all,
If I may add to this subject--which you are developing so richly--I also
think the multiple ways through which a museum may reach an audience are,
in fact, its strongest advantage. I will never forget observing one group
of teenaged boys as they progressed through the National Museum of American
History, trying to experience every exhibition through the percussive
resonances of its materials. Metal, plastic, wood, and other stuffs were
enthusiastically explored by these young drummers--who mostly ignored the
text panels and labels. Of course, several attempts were made to redirect
their behavior, but I afterwards thought about what they may have learned
on their self-made tour: information I had always missed.

In another instance, an exhibition I designed included a interactive
computer-based component that was unique among all of the exhibitions on
that museum floor. Predictably, most boys and young men would spend at
least some amount of time there; yet, not as many girls, and hardly any
adult women.

Also, re museum admissions stats: our nation's new obsession with weight
and health has resulted in higher participation rates for health clubs,
gyms, and recreation areas. People may be deliberately or intuitively
choosing active pastimes to counterbalance the time they spend behind desks
and at computer workstations.

Rebecca Trussell

> [Original Message]
> From: Heather-Marie Wells <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 8/10/2004 12:16:32 PM
> Subject: Re: Object Lessons
>
> Deb and Indy,
>
> I hope you don't mind if I throw in some thoughts.  I'll first start by
> letting you know that I'm 27.
>
> I think that a person's reaction to interactive exhibits is more than
just a
> byproduct of age.  In general I don't tend to get that much out of a lot
of
> interactives.  I think like Deb said, that this may have a lot to do with
> how I was raised.  We didn't have a lot of money when I was a child so
there
> were no computers or video games in the house (those were at school or
> sometimes a special $.25 treat at a resturant, like the juke box).
However,
> there were summer trips to the zoos, museums, historical sites, and
> camp-outs at state parks because the expense of those was easier on the
> pocket book.  Money was also budgeted for books but even when that became
to
> hard there was the Reading is Fundamental program at school that made up
for
> it (thank goodness).  So I was raised to use my imagination.  And most of
> the time its better than anything anyone else can think up for me as an
> interactive.
>
> However, during my studies to obtain my degree, I really started
> understanding that not everyone learns the same way; this particularly
came
> through when we started looking at interactive exhibits.  Some are visual
> learners, some audio, some tactile, some are combinations, etc.  So to
just
> look at a person's interest in an interactive as just an attraction to
> lights, bells, and whistles because of their age can be missing the point
of
> why they are really attracted to it.  Perhaps it has nothing to do with
age
> at all but how they were encouraged/taught to learn and relate to world
> around them.
>
> So perhaps the best thing to do would be to try strike a balance between
> objects, text labels, and interactives keeping in mind the different ways
> that people can learn.
>
> Heather Marie
>
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