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Home > What is Family Learning? > Definitions

Definitions

We realized early in our project that the field of museum research and exhibit evaluation has its own specific terminology. We've compiled the following list of definitions which we found particularly helpful to assist you in understanding museum evaluation and research terms.



What is the difference between research and evaluation?

• Museum Research
  The PISEC Report differentiates between research and evaluation studies. A Research Study is focused on answers to broad questions about visitor behavior so responses can be studied and reshaped into generalized principles. Research requires large sample sizes, detailed statistical analysis, and a small margin of error. In addition, research is usually more quantitative and the results are widely disseminated for review and replication.

Qualitative Research is defined in the PISEC Report as research reflecting an interest in meaning, process and understanding and involves fieldwork, observing and recording behavior. Qualitative research is descriptive and seeks to make sense of people's lives and their experiences. The data is used to build concepts and theories.

   
• Museum Evaluation
  PISEC identifies evaluation as a product that usually answers project or museum specific questions and has flexible standards that allow for a smaller sample size and less stringent statistical analysis.   Evaluation is usually more qualitative and results are shared within the museum or project since they tend to be site-specific.



What are the different types of museum evaluation?

• Front-End Evaluation (from www.nps.gov/hfc/products/evaluate.htm)
 

is conducted during the beginning of a project, when themes, story lines, and program ideas are being considered. Front-end evaluation concentrates on getting input from potential visitors by means of interviews and/or focus groups, to find out what kinds of information they need and would like to know, and how this information could be presented in a meaningful, interesting, and cost-effective way. Misconceptions about the subject matter are also revealed at this stage, often leading to specific content and presentation elements designed to counter them.

   
• Formative Evaluation (from www.nps.gov/hfc/products/evaluate.htm)
  is conducted before the fabrication of interpretive media, when mock-up testing can be carried out. Formative evaluation is intended to "catch" design and/or content problems before they become a part of the final interpretive media, when they are often difficult and expensive to fix.  
   
• Summative Evaluation (from www.nps.gov/hfc/products/evaluate.htm)
  is conducted after final media production, when the total "package" can be evaluated and final adjustments can be made. In a comprehensive evaluation program, the conduct of summative or remedial studies often reveal problems that were not, or could not be, identified during the earlier stages of development. For example, crowd-flow problems are often revealed only when the actual configuration of all the elements of the exhibition are in place. Similarly, orientation and signage problems become "obvious" at this point, and can often be corrected by relatively minor adjustments to wording and/or placement.  



What are some of the common techniques used in museum evaluation?

• Behavioral Coding
 

consists of formulating a list of behaviors thought to be associated with learning. This list of behaviors provides a language for coding observations of family behavior. Examples of behaviors that might be included on a behavioral code list are: asking a question, answering a question, calling someone over, and commenting on the exhibit.

   
• Tracking/Timing
  is an evaluation technique that involves indicating points in an exhibit where visitors will stop for more than several seconds. After the points are determined, they are located and numbered on a floor plan of the exhibit. An observer uses the numbered floor plan to track a randomly selected visitor through the exhibit, timing them when they stop at the predetermined points to see how long they stay and engage at the particular point.  
   
• Sweeps
  usually occurs after tracking and timing a visitor. Using the same floor plan and predetermined points an observer walks quickly through an exhibit, counts the number of people at each point and records the number on their data sheet. These popular "stops" will be later correlated with data from the tracking and timing studies.
   
• Exit Interviews
  are conducted after a family group has toured through an exhibit. The questions asked are used to evaluate the exhibit as a whole as well as to evaluate specific elements that are of interest to the museum.
   
• Survey Instruments
  are the data recording sheets designed to be used for a specific element during an evaluation or research study.
   
• Observer
  is the person who conducts observations and the interviews with museum visitors during the process of evaluation and/or research.
   
• Group Composition
  is the term used during family learning research to describe the age group and gender of the family members being observed or interviewed.

 

 


  

 
   
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