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When I do a summative evaluation on an exhibition I look for two indicators.
1. The exhibition's holding power- measured by sweep rate. I use the Paying 
Attention Study (1998, Beverly Serrell) as a baseline to compare the 
exhibition's sweep rate against 114 other exhibition sweep rates.  The 
Paying Attention Study took 114 exhibitions at various museums around the 
country and conducted summative evaluations of each exhibition.  Although 
there is controversy here, I believe that sweep rate is proportional to 
interest and therefore motivation to learn.  I saw an example of this 
earlier this year with an exhibit component that was borderline working. 
Making the component work appeared to be intuitive.  But when visitors put 
the pieces together- then turned the crank, it worked very briefly then 
failed.  This slight success drove the visitors to try again- and again a 
very brief success, then failure.  The attracting power and holding power of 
this component was incredible.  When a child couldn't get it to work, a 
parent jumped in with the same degree of success and failure.  Soon the 
other parent jumped in and then even strangers were offering advice and 
exasperatedly waiting for their chance to make it work.  The visitors saw 
the component as a challenge- the institution saw the exhibit componet as 
broken.  The holding power of this component (which slowed the overall sweep 
rate of the exhibition) indicated an increased interest and motivation to 
learn.

 2. What messages are the visitors coming away with? This again comes from 
the Paying Attention Study, but it is not possible to compare message 
outcomes with the other museum's message outcomes.  It is up to the 
institution to determine if the message is desirable.  The institution may 
consider the exhibit unsuccessful if the message that was intended is not 
the message that the visitor comes away with.  But what if the outcome 
message is, in fact, more desirable than the designers really planned?  Say 
for example the designer's intention was to "teach" about how the lungs 
work- but, visitors are not learning that concept.  However, they are coming 
away with an understanding of the importance of caring for and protecting 
their lungs- and express an intention to make life changes to protect their 
lungs.  Is that a successful exhibit?
Monica Post, Director
MPR Museum Consulting
Your Key to Exhibit Success!
105 NE 64th Street
Des Moines, IA 50327
Phone (515) 265-4837
Cell (515) 249-2222
www.mprconsultants.com
MPR Museum Consulting specializes in providing exhibit evaluation, education 
design and grant writing assistance to museums, science & nature centers, 
aquariums and zoos.
&
Camp in a Can
www.CampinaCan.com
The first all-inclusive, self-contained nature day camp!

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