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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Josh Gutwill at The Exploratorium did an interesting study looking at 
visitor use of "difficult to use" exhibits at The Exploratorium. He 
found that many people would just walk away from an exhibit if they 
could not get it to work, and that they often felt that the exhibit was 
broken if they could not get it to work. You can find a copy of the 
report on The Exploratorium website.

I completed a visitor study on broken exhibits at the Museum of Science 
and found that visitors are most likely to call an exhibit broken if it 
is not functioning. However, design and "difficult to use" exhibits can 
also cause visitors to think an exhibit is broken. I also found that the 
number of broken exhibits that visitors perceive can affect their 
disappointment and to some degree their enjoyment during their visit.

If anyone would like a copy of the Museum of Science report, please 
email me off the ASTC list. 

-- Liz 

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Elizabeth Kunz Kollmann
Senior Research and Evaluation Assistant
Research Department
Museum of Science, Boston
[log in to unmask]
phone: (617)589-0467
http://www.mos.org
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