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Ian,

Great article!  This kind of thinking is critical if we are to actualize the
potential of our resources.

The parts that mostly got me thinking are the issues of exploratory and
explanatory.  Is it possible that the objects of our exploration are the
bubbles and, through our explorations, the bubbles themselves become the
explainers if we have created a situation where the visitor can truly
manipulate the variables?

This then begs another question:  If we have staff in the exhibit hall, and
we believe that the notion of "explainer" may be counter to exploration,
then what do they do (and what do we call them) that helps define their
mission to improve exploratory behaviors?  Maybe they could be called good
listeners, or collaborators, or observation coaches, or possibility
creators, or question generators, or students of the visitors, or even
matchmakers.

Thanks for the connection.

Bill Schmitt
The Science Center of Inquiry

-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Ian Russell
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 3:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Interactive Exhibit Research


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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At 11:37 07/11/2003 -0700, you wrote:

>     3.What do you think is the most important factor in making an exhibit
> guests
>can most effectively LEARN from?
>     4.How do you get guests to spend more than 30 seconds at an exhibit
and
>become actively motivated to learn?

I published this short article called "Exploratory Exhibits" in the hope
that the learning model it defines would guide others toward practical
answers to these questions.

http://www.interactives.co.uk/hearts_exploratory.htm


[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
*
People forget what you said, people forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.
*
Ian Russell

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