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Okay - Please forgive me for two things:  clogging your emailbox again on
this topic and cross-postings.

Last week, the Adler Planetarium distributed an online survey to find out
what people knew about a number of space program-related topics,
specifically those that may appear in an upcoming Adler exhibit gallery. 
The data is very useful and is prompting us to think about some other
evaluation studies that we want to do for these galleries.   I received a
number of requests to post our online survey findings to the ASTC and
Museum-Ed list-servs.  They are below (extracted from our larger 11-page
report):


Question 1:  Do you know who Jim Lovell is and what he is known for?

Out of 398 surveys, only 6 respondents were able to identify Jim Lovell as
a participant in the Gemini program.  102 answers indicated that Jim
Lovell was a participant in the Apollo program.  Quite surprisingly, 6
respondents thought that Jim Lovell was connected with the “Lovell
Telescope” – what they meant was the "Hubble Telescope".



Question 2:  What can you tell us about the Gemini space program?

It was anticipated that details of the Gemini program would be foreign to
many people.

A majority of respondents (62%) could not name any aspect of the Gemini
program (Gemini was between Mercury, Apollo programs, missions practiced
docking/maneuvering, flew 2 astronauts, etc.). 


Question 3: What can you tell us about the Gemini 12 mission?

Only 6% of people knew anything at all about the Gemini 12 mission (that
astronauts practiced important docking procedures, that Jim Lovell flew on
the mission, or that Gemini missions flew two astronauts). 


Question 4: Which answer correctly lists the U.S. manned space programs,
in order from earliest to most recent?  (1 of 5 possible answers could be
selected; correct answer: Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Shuttle)

Incorrect answers: 44%
Correct answer: 44%
No answer: 13% 

It was somewhat surprising that 44% of the respondents answered correctly;
we were expecting a lower result.  However, consideration must be given to
the fact that our survey was taken, mostly, by adults who may have been
exposed to more of the history of the early space program, possibly
through direct experience via living through that time period, experience
visiting space program-related institutions such as Kennedy Space Center
and the Air and Space Museum, or through schooling.  Children, on the
other hand, primarily have what they might have been taught, if the space
program is a subject touched upon in schools, or through direct experience
with the Space Shuttle program (though these experiences have been fewer
and farther between since the Columbia accident in 2003).


Question 5: Please list up to 4 words that you would use to describe an
astronaut.

Based on the goals & objectives for the galleries, we coded the survey
responses to reflect 5 categories of words used.  Those categories are:

Courageous/brave
Adventuresome/risk-taker/daring
Perseverance/dedicated/committed/persistent
Smart
Explorer

Codes were used to indicate how many (up to 4) of the word categories had
been used.  

No answer: 24%
Used no words from list: 12%
Used one word from list: 20%
Used two words from list: 33%
Used three words from list: 10%
Used four words from list: 1%


It was very encouraging that the words our survey-takers used were the
ones that we hoped would be used to identify an astronaut; their
perceptions matched ours.  It should be relatively easy for visitors to
connect to those concepts and qualities.  Bravery, adventuresome, and
smart were the words most often cited.



Question 6: How does an astronaut prepare for space travel?

We were hoping that respondents would indicate that astronauts prepare for
space travel through training or mention some sort of specialized training
using simulators.

No answer: 16%
Through training of some sort: 29%
Specifically through simulator experiences, experiments, teamwork,
psychological tests, etc: 21%
Vague answer: 5%
Through combination of training/simulator experiences, etc.: 29%

The number of people who mentioned simulator experiences (50%) is very
encouraging and shows that they are aware, at least in a general sense, of
how astronauts train for space missions. 


Question 7: Which of these are you interested in?
a) history of space exploration
b) current and near future space missions
c) astronauts’ personal stories

No answer: 16%
Interested in none: 1%
A - History: 5%
B - Current/future exploration: 14%
C - Personal stories: 13%
A & B - History and exploration: 8%
A & C - History and stories: 5%
All: 33%



Questions 8, 9, 10:  Demographic questions

8 – My gender is:

Based on our most recent visitor statistics survey, Adler visitors are 54%
female and 46% male.

Survey results:
Female:  64%
Male: 20%
No answer: 16%

Survey results do not match previously known characteristics, and results
are definitely skewed toward females.


9 – My age is:

Based on our most recent visitorship statistics, 47% of Adler visitors are
in the 25-44 age range.*  Approximately 15% of visitors come in school
aged groups (preK through college).

Survey results:
Ages 17 and under: 8%
Ages 18-24: 5% (combined school age percentage: 13%)
Ages 25-44: 44%
Ages 45 and over: 27%
No answer: 16%

Survey results closely match previously known characteristics.


10 – When was the last time you visited the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy
Museum?

58% of Adler’s yearly visitors come for the first time, and 22% have come
within the past 5 years.

Survey results:
Never visited the Adler: 36%
Visited within the last 5 years: 13%
Visited over 5 years ago: 33%
No response: 18%



Michelle Nichols, Master Educator for Informal Programs
Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL  60605
312-322-0520 
312-322-9181 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org

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