AN EXHIBIT EVALUATION WORKSHOP
Techniques That Make Exhibits Work Better
At the American Association of Museums Conference, Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10, 1998, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Los Angeles Museum of Natural History
This two-day, pre-conference workshop will meet at the Los Angeles Museum
of Natural History to allow participants to work with actual visitors and
exhibits and acquaint participants with the techniques of front-end
evaluation, critical appraisal, formative and remedial evaluation.
Front-End Evaluation
The workshop will begin with a session on front-end evaluation, which will
demonstrate how to determine what visitors already know and the
misconceptions they may have about a planned exhibit topic. Visitors'
interests in a topic and possible exhibit themes and approaches will also
be addressed.
Critical Appraisal
In the second session, on critical appraisal, we will focus on how
empirical guidelines from visitor studies literature can help to predict
the impact of exhibits on audiences. We will identify obvious and potential
problem areas of an exhibit and use them to select projects for a remedial
evaluation process on day two.
Formative and Remedial Evaluation
The Sunday session will focus on formative and remedial evaluation.
Participants will: 1) interview and observe museum visitors to evaluate
exhibit components, 2) mock up modifications to the exhibit, and 3) re-test
effectiveness after relatively simple alterations. Several handouts will be
provided to participants to supplement the workshop activities.
Workshop Leaders:
Harris Shettel
Evaluation Consultant
Washington, D.C.
Stephen Bitgood
Professor of Psychology
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville, Alabama
Minda Borun
Director of Research and Evaluation
The Franklin Institute Science Museum
Philadelphia, PA
Fee: $185.00
Preregistration is required
Limited to 30 participants
Sponsored by the Committee on Audience Research & Evaluation, a standing
professional committee of the American Association of Museums
Registration Form
Name:_______________________________________
Title:______________________________________
Address:________________________________________________________________________
City:___________________________________ State:__________________
Zip:_________________
Phone:__________________________ FAX:____________________________
E-Mail:___________________
Send check (US$) payable to CARE, C/O Margie Marino, Exhibit Evaluator,
Exhibits Division, Denver Museum of Natural History, 2001 Colorado
Boulevard, Denver, Colorado 80205-5798.
For more information, call (303) 370-8342, FAX (303) 331-5878, or E-Mail
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Ellen Giusti, Exhibition Evaluator
American Museum of Natural History
Exhibition Department
Central Park West at 79th Street
New York, NY 10024
212 769 5646(voice)
212 769 5926(fax)
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