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Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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This fascinating exchange reminds me of a conversation I had back in 1989
with a very well-known exhibit evaluation expert from the USA. Around us
were forty newly-built interactive science exhibits that I had been
responsible for developing. The lady suddenly silenced me by asking about my
formative evaluation methods. Like most people in Britain at that time, my
experience with hands-on exhibits was recent. I'd read a little about the
discipline of formative evaluation but knew practically nothing about it.

I felt embarrassed and didn't know what to say.

We'd designed and hand-made everything in a short timescale with little
money. There had only been space to test a couple of the exhibits with real
visitors before the launch. Lessons learned from carefully watching what
happened had been incorporated into the rest of the designs. As each detail
of the exhibits evolved, our small team had endlessly discussed how we
thought people would behave and how they would respond. There had been a
playful atmosphere in the workshop as we built what we ourselves liked, and
what we reckoned the children we knew would find engaging and interesting.
After the launch, we had spent some time watching our visitors, discussing
what we noticed and making a few modifications and improvements to the
exhibits.

In reply to the American evaluation expert's question, I finally confessed,
"Well, er, we didn't really DO any formative evaluation".

"You must have done," she said briskly. "I can SEE that these exhibits have
been formatively evaluated."

Promoting public engagement with science
through a contagious delight in phenomena
*
[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
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http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/ian-russell/0/636/305
*
Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
*
Ian Russell

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