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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What a great topic.

I've learned a lot from the podcast responses so far - it sounds like some
really interesting things are being done with podcasts. I might even
download some to see what all the fuss is about.

I do have a question about this discussion that is related to the evaluation
of success of the use of podcasts: For what purpose does a science
center/museum develop a podcast in the first place? Some possible reasons
that occur to me, and some that have been mentioned on this list, include:

*to make a normally free service (e.g., a radio broadcast) available to more
listeners
*to save time at the "bricks and mortar" facility (i.e., download an audio
track/tour so you don't have to deal with lines at the museum)
*to entice people to visit the actual museum
*to increase traffic to the museum's website
*others???

From an education standpoint, I think that any podcast that provides
information about science, related or unrelated to the actual exhibits and
programs that an institution offers, is a great idea - just one more way to
educate. From a business (and somewhat more cynical) standpoint, however, I
wonder about the utility of offering a (free?) podcast that doesn't bring
people in the door or have some marketing impact. If a podcast provides
information that whets the appetite of a potential visitor, great. If it
increases traffic to a website, that's a great outcome. If it provides an
incentive to purchase tickets online (Free podcast with online ticket
purchase!), OK. If more people are aware that the museum is there in the
first place (as they might through a podcast of a radio broadcast),
terrific. If none of these things, however, then why would the science
center spend the financial and human resources necessary to have podcasts in
the first place?

I think before we can answer Matthew's question about measuring success, we
have to define what our hopeful outcome is. I'll be very interested to hear
what those who are using these potentially powerful tools see as their
intended outcomes.

Bill


-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Holly North
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 11:27 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Podcasting success


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

Posted on behalf of our Interactive Media Coordinator:

Matthew,

We've been podcasting for about four months now and the main way that
we've measured success is through our web visitation stats. We're not
listed on iTunes as of yet, but we offer our podcasts on our website. (
www.thegracemuseum.org - click on the "MuseCasting @ The Grace Museum"
button.)  With our WebStats program we can see which podcast has been
downloaded, how many times, how many people are visiting the MuseCast
page, etc. Another thing that we have been keeping track of is the number
of visits daily and monthly from before podcasting and after podcasting
and comparing stats like that. Unfortunately, we have not been able to
capture e-mail addresses beyond offering visitors a chance to subscribe to
our mailing list or by taking a survey - something that has resulted in a
spectacular lack of response.

If you have any other questions, or need further information, please let
me know. Thanks,

James Yasko
Interactive Media Coordinator
The Grace Museum
Abilene, Texas
(325) 673-4587
[log in to unmask]


Holly B. North
Curator of Collections/ IT Director
Distance Learning

The Grace Museum
102 Cypress Street
Abilene, Texas 79601
(325) 673-4587 ext. 113
[log in to unmask]
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The Grace Museum is a multidisciplinary cultural and educational
institution that promotes an understanding of art and history through
exhibitions, collections, educational programs, and discovery-based
learning experiences.  The Museum encourages and stimulates lifelong
learning for people of all ages and diverse backgrounds in Abilene and the
surrounding West Texas area.

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