Established in 2005, the Science Museum of Minnesota's (SMM) Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning works to assist the museum in achieving its goal of developing and delivering meaningful learning experiences. In the past year, more than 50 studies (large and small) have been completed. Here is a sampling of what we're learning about our visitors, the experiences we attempt to create and ourselves.

If you are interested in learning more about this work, please contact Kirsten Ellenbogen, Ph.D., Director at .

Science On a Sphere
Front-End Evaluation Report (5/06) - (PDF | 274 KB)
The Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) is currently prototyping interpretive approaches to using an innovative scientific visualization system developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called Science On a Sphere (SOS). SOS is composed of a wide variety of visualizations projected onto a six-foot sphere creating animated, whole-planet views of the Earth, other planets in our solar system, and their moons. Visualizations of the Earth cover topics such as weather, climate, topography, earth system dynamics, and geophysical processes. A challenge of SOS is making the content accessible and engaging as a stand-alone exhibit where visitors can interact with SOS to create their own meaning from the content rather than simply reacting to its visual displays. This report discusses a front-end study carried out to start addressing this challenge by providing baseline information about visitors' reactions to SOS, how they comprehend the visualizations, what they would like to see on SOS, and interactions they would like to have with the exhibits' content.

Science On a Sphere
Formative Evaluation Report (7/06) - (PDF | 332 KB)
In the summer of 2006, Science on a Sphere (SOS) was set up in a permanent exhibit space on Level 3 of the Science Museum of Minnesota. With the new installation of SOS, came the addition of a variety of features that were not included in the initial front-end study. These new features included an expanded playlist, new audio for some of the visualizations, accompanying labels projected on the wall describing the visualization, indication on the labels of what image will be playing next, and seating for visitors so they can sit and view the sphere. A formative evaluation of SOS was carried out to gather data on the new exhibit features.

Wild Music
Remedial Evaluation with sighted, blind, and low vision visitors (5/07) - (PDF| 364 KB)
This is a report of the remedial evaluation of visitors' experiences in the Science Museum of Minnesota's traveling exhibition, Wild Music. Remedial evaluation is an assessment of how all of the components of an exhibition work together as a whole. It is typically conducted immediately after an exhibition opens and is designed to identify issues that can be resolved before the summative evaluation. The Wild Music remedial evaluation focused on two audiences: (1) a sample of 50 visitors who were randomly recruited as they exited the exhibition on weekdays and weekends between March 26 and April 4, 2007, and (2) a sample of 19 visitors who were blind or visually impaired that were recruited to come to the museum and visit the exhibition on one of two days, April 19 or April 22, 2007. This evaluation focused on the overall visitor experience as well as a number of accessibility features designed to accommodate visitors who have visual disabilities.

Big Back Yard
Study Series (2006) - (PDF| 444 KB)
Three studies of the Science Museum of Minnesota's outdoor exhibition, Big Back Yard (BBY), were carried out during the summer of 2006.
1. A timing and tracking study to understand how visitors utilized and interacted with the various components of the BBY.
2. An exit interview to provide an understanding of visitors' motivations for visiting the BBY, what they knew about the BBY before they visited, and their experience with the golf course's content.
3. A lobby interview to gain an understanding of how many visitors visit the BBY, their awareness of the BBY, why people choose to visit or not visit the BBY, and visitors' interest in visiting the BBY if they had not been there

Open House: If These Walls Could Talk (12/06)
Summative Evaluation Report, Minnesota Historical Society - (PDF | 476 KB)
The summative evaluation of Open House: If These Walls Could Talk at the Minnesota History Center was a visitor-centered study of conversations and learning experiences in the exhibition. The study was conducted by the Science Museum of Minnesota's Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning, directed by Dr. Kirsten Ellenbogen. The study focused on three aspects of learning: personal meaning making, identity development and affirmation, and interactions with objects. The study consisted of two samples: (1) visitors who participated in a pre-post survey and (2) visitors who participated in a pre-post survey and also agreed to have their conversations recorded as they went through the exhibition.

Exhibit Package Prototypes, Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) Network
Comparative Report on Formative Exhibit Evaluation (3/07) - (PDF | 3 MB)
The Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) Network brings researchers and informal science educators together to inform the public about nanoscience and technology. One strand of this work is public exhibitions. Prototypes were created by multiple museums and brought to the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) for formative evaluation. This report includes formative findings from three exhibits: (1) Introduction to Nano, (2) NanoMedicine, and (3) NanoLab as well as two immersives (Crystals and Three Drops). All of these were tested with visitors during the March 2007 NISE Exhibits & Programs Workshop. Data was collected on another NISE exhibit, Energy and Environment, on March 28, 2007.

Community Based Science Organization Roundtable
Front-End Evaluation Report (1/07) - (PDF | 214 KB)
The Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) held a November 9, 2006 Community Based Science Organization (CBSO) Roundtable focused on gathering participants' ideas for future CBSO and SMM partnerships. These ideas were used to inform the development of a grant proposal for a new program that would involve CBSOs and SMM. The centerpiece of the Roundtable was a brainstorming activity designed to help participants re-imagine the way SMM and CBSOs collaborate to facilitate better community-based science in Minnesota.

Examining Blood Lab Station
Summative Evaluation (5/06) - (PDF | 272 KB)
The Examining Blood Lab Station is part of the Science Museum of Minnesota's wet lab exhibition, Cell Lab. This evaluation was designed to measure how well each of the activities at the Examining Blood Lab Station met their learning objectives, specifically:

• Checking Hematocrit activity: Visitors will learn that blood is made of cells and serum and see the different layers.
• Looking at Blood Cells activity: Visitors will see another cell type and understand that there are different types of blood cells, which look different under a microscope.
• Blood Typing activity: Visitors will understand the importance of blood typing and what happens when the wrong type of blood is used for a transfusion.

Data collection included unobtrusive observations and post-visit interviews.

General Visitor Survey
Survey Instrument (3/07) - (PDF | 171 KB)
The Science Museum of Minnesota received funding from the City of Saint Paul to study the motivations and demographics of our visitors. This is a museum exit survey designed to provide baseline data. We've just finished data collection and are in the midst of data analysis. We would be very interested in comparing notes on similar surveys, and will be happy to share our findings. We expect there will be multiple reports generated from this over the last six months of 2007.

Current Science
Formative Evaluation Report 2005-2006 - (PDF | 317 KB)
Formative evaluation of Science Buzz in the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) began November 2005 and was completed June 2006. Science Buzz is a project that creates exhibits and web content that offer opportunities to dig deeper into science headlines, and give participants a chance to talk with each other and with scientists about questions and concerns. Six studies were conducted to assess various project components. Each study provided a deeper understanding of the use of the Science Buzz exhibits and website which was used to refine existing components and guide further development of the project.

The studies included in this report are: Science Buzz Branding Study (measured visitor recognition of the Science Buzz logo throughout the museum); Science Buzz Exhibitions Timing and Tracking Study (assessed visitors' use of the Science Buzz exhibits); Scientist on the Spot Exhibit Interviews (to understand how visitors use this component); Buzzette Timing and Tracking Study (visitor usage of two Buzzettes [three-sided exhibits integrated into a museum gallery]); Madagascar Topic Testing (assessed the potential for the Science Buzz exhibit format to serve as a topic testing for future exhibitions); and Science Buzz Website Usage Study (a usage of the Buzz website).