ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Here are some more examples of so-called open-ended/transactive(?)  exhibits:
 
Some years ago, OMSI designed its "Engineer It!" exhibit, which provided  
opportunities for visitors to work together or individually to design boats,  
planes, and other devices and then test them for performance.  The  evaluation of 
the project noted that nearby examples (boats already built) and  the social 
make-up of the group had a great influence on what visitors  did.  Visitors 
would sometimes use partially made boats (or whatever) as  their own starting 
points or imitate some aspects of the work of others.
 
Jay Newlin at the Science Museum of Minnesota designed a series of  
"workbench" science exhibits.  For example, one of the exhibits was on  electronics, 
with little motors, transistors, lights, etc., so you could set up  different 
circuits with varying results and lots of interesting combinations  possible.  
 
Explora in Albuquerque has a variety of exhibits that might be considered  
"transactive" and they are having an upcoming workshop, May 16-18, on these  
kinds of exhibits.  Many of Explora's exhibits are in what you might call  
"carrels" or spaces that allow a family group or several visitors to work on an  
exhibit for an extended period of time.
 
These are just a few examples of open-ended exhibits, which are becoming  
more commonplace in science centers.  Many classic Exploratorium exhibits  are 
also very open-ended, such as the lens or light table; if you put one of  these 
classics in an environment like Explora, you will probably find visitors  
spending minutes instead of 60 seconds at a particular exhibit.
 
Bob
 
Robert L.  Russell, Ph.D.
Science Advisor, Self-Reliance Foundation
Project Director,  Celebra la Ciencia & ConCiencia/Hispanic Science Newswire
(202) 360-4117  (office) (202) 997-5539 (cell)
[log in to unmask]

_www.celebralaciencia.org_ (http://www.celebralaciencia.org/) 
_www.selfreliancefoundation.org_ (http://www.selfreliancefoundation.org/) 

1126  16th St. NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20036




In a message dated 5/18/2008 1:45:45 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Eric-

Alas,  the exhibit circulated in the dark ages before the internet and
digital  cameras. I would be happy to tell you more about it off list if
you're  interested. 

If you get as far as Toronto, take 2 days to go to Sudbury  (1 day if you
fly). My older son - now the director of education for a  science museum -
spent several hours on one exhibit at Science North when  he was in his early
teens. The other son spent comparable time on other  exhibits. 

Taking two sons to Science North - after having directed 3  museums - opened
my eyes to a different approach.

Ed


Ed  Sobey, Ph.D.
Global Evangelist for Creative Learning
Northwest Invention  Center
(425)  861-8685
www.invention-center.com
www.kidsinvent.com
www.asiainvents.com




-----Original  Message-----
From: Informal Science Education  Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eric  Siegel
Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2008 6:30 AM
To:  [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Multiple  Intelligences

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of  Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science  museums and  related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*

Hi,  Ed:

I would love to see this exhibition. 30 minutes per exhibit!   That is  
amazing.  I tried googling it to no avail, do you have  a written  
description of the exhibit components or some pics you  could share?

I am looking forward to going to Toronto later this Spring  to see  
Agents of Change at Ontario Science Center also.  From  what I have  
heard and seen (in pictures) this incorporates similarly  open ended  
experiences.

Eric Siegel
esiegel at nyscience  dot org




On May 16, 2008, at 11:43 PM, Ed Sobey  wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of  Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide  network of science museums and related  
>  institutions.
>
****************************************************************************
*
>
>  Eric-
>
> The point is that people do dwell longer at transactive  exhibits.  
> They spend
> longer because they can do stuff  (science).
>
> Years ago when I was directing the museum in  Fresno, we circulated a
> traveling exhibit of trans-active (open-ended)  experiences ("Move  
> it, Build
> it, Zap it"). Lawrence  Hall and the Chicago Academy of Science  
> rented the
>  exhibit. Both expressed amazement at how long people spent at each   
> exhibit
> and at the high level of interactivity between people  at each exhibit.
>
> Chicago invested some money to study  visitors. They found that  
> visitors were
> spending on  average around 30 minutes per exhibit (the record they  
>  reported
> was 60 minutes by one family at one exhibit). This is of  course  
> orders of
> magnitude longer than a typical  interactive  exhibit.
>

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