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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Voting exhibitions are often tricky, largely because of the "noise" -  
people putting in fake data just for the heck of it.  Some exhibits  
have a histogram show up, others raw numbers or pie charts on a  
screen.  All pretty boring.  I like your idea of the coins, it is a  
physical representation, very "real" for visitors.
Beryl
On Jul 4, 2006, at 12:47 PM, Cari Dwyer wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> I am trying to come up with a list of possible techniques for two
> interactives, and hope the ISEN brain trust can help.
>
> 1) What’s the best reveal technique you’ve seen, or can imagine? We  
> want
> visitors to see an unfamiliar term, then do something that reveals an
> image which illustrates what the definition is. Possibilities include:
>
> a) pressing a button to reveal an illuminated image
> b) a spinner with the word on one side, and the illustration on the  
> other
> c) a wall of small, hinged doors or flips with the word printed on the
> outside, which visitors lift to reveal the illustration
> d) a slider visitors move to change the graphic surface from one that
> shows the word, to one that shows the illustration
>
> What other reveal techniques have you seen that engage visitors?
>
> 2)  We are also looking for the best way to give visitors a chance  
> to vote
> for one of ten choices, and let them see how previous visitors have  
> voted.
> Have you ever seen a fun way to let visitors cast a vote and see a
> physical measure of the results? (For example, visitors could drop  
> a coin
> into the fear slot they wanted to vote for. The coin rolls around  
> before
> it drops into one of the top 10 fear tubes. Visitors can see how their
> vote compares with previous visitors who have cast their votes.)
>
> I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions you have, and would be happy to
> compile and share a list of techniques I receive to anyone who is
> interested. I look forward to hearing your ideas.
>
> Thanks so much for your time,
> Cari Dwyer
> Exhibit Developer
> Science Museum of Minnesota
>
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Beryl Rosenthal, Ph.D.
Director, Exhibitions & Public Programs
MIT Museum
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bldg. N52, second floor
265 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 452-2111 ph.
(617) 253-8994 fax
[log in to unmask]
http://web.mit.edu/museum

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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]