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I found a paper in my library, written by Barbara Birney that may be the one that was cited by Wayne- however if this is the one that he mentioned, this was written prior to the published article and is probably a draft.  It is too long (37 pages) to include here, but this is what the abstract says: ..... A prototype of the exhibit costing a fraction of the permanent exhibit was built and a four part study conducted.  A total of 527 visitors and an additional 99 groups participated in the study.  The results of the study led decision makers to accept the proposed exhibit with some minor modifications as an effective means by which to communicate the concept of bird wing movemnet.  Some of the findings include: 47% of the groups entering the Aquatic Bird House were attracted to the exhibit; groups using the exhibit or watching others use it stayed in the building significantly longer than those who did not; the majority of visitors used the exhibit in the way in which it was designed to be used although behavioral differences occur du to age; and while only 4% of the naive sample could replicate bird wing movement, 45% of the sample who used the exhibit were able to demonstrate that they learned the appropriate concept. 

Much of the article is about the true value of formative evaluation.  Both as a cost saving tool and as an effective way of fine tuning the message.   As an exhibit evaluator- I support these beliefs entirely and I would add that evaluation is very helpful in raising funds for building exhibits.  IMLS is a huge proponent of evaluation and if you put that into your proposal, and if your plan is clear (many aren't) then your chances of getting IMLS funding is significant.  I have three projects this year that I helped get IMLS funding for.   One of those is a tiny little zoo in Nebraska that was just named one of the three top museums in the country on Monday.  So my point is: anyone can get IMLS funding as long as they make evaluation a priority.  The next IMLS grant that funds exhibits is the National Leadership Grant due March 1.  I'm no stranger to this with many IMLS projects under my belt and I'm happy to write the evaluation portion of anyone's application for free. Evaluation is the Key!  

Monica
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Monica Post, Director
MPR Museum Consulting
Your Key to Exhibit Success!
www.MPRconsultants.com
       and
Camp in a Can
The First All Inclusive Day Camp Curriculum
It's All in the Can! 
www.CampinaCan.com

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