ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions. ***************************************************************************** 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. **************************************************************************** * 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 *********************************************************************** More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org. To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to [log in to unmask] ---Viowest--- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] *********************************************************************** More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org. To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to [log in to unmask]