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Very good refinement of the q	uestion, Bob...which KINDS of human  
delivered experiences work well, what are the characteristics, how  
are they developed.  While comparing these "HDE's" (sorry!) to  
exhibitions may be problematic, I am looking for existing research  
about the relative effectiveness of the two gross genres of informal  
learning strategies.

Eric Siegel
New York Hall of Science
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(718) 699-0005 x 317



On Jul 6, 2006, at 10:23 AM, Robert L. Russell wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> This is in response to the last comment, wondering whether the   
> effectiveness
> of human-intervention has been compared to stand-alone   
> interactives etc.  To
> me, this is apples and oranges.  Both kinds of  experiences have an  
> important
> place, but here I will just make a few comments  about the  
> importance of
> people in learning.
>
> To point out some basic psych 101, social modeling is fundamental  
> to human
> learning.  We learn by watching others and are also motivated by  
> wanting to
> emulate others.  This is a key idea in Albert Bandura's work on social
> modeling.  Vygotsky is also relevant here.
>
> Theater has long been a fundamental form of human expression,  
> passing on
> culture, etc etc.  It has also been used very effectively in  
> museum  settings,
> ranging for re-enactors to theatrical productions.
>
> Dynamic presentations by people works very well. Boring lectures   
> don't.  So
> the question isn't so much, does it work in general, but what   
> kinds of human
> interventions, presentations really work well in an interactive   
> museum.
>
> In another venue, social modeling is used very effectively in social
> marketing and education entertainment, where educational messages  
> (e.g., disease  of
> the week on ER, literacy campaigns on radio or telenovelas) are  
> integrated
> into entertainment media.  People take action because they are  
> influenced  by
> the actions of the fictional characters or situations on the shows.
>
> Bob
>
> Robert L.  Russell, Ph.D.
> Learning Experience Design
> (202)  997-5539
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Interim Executive Director & Science  Advisor, Self-Reliance  
> Foundation
> Project Director, Celebra la Ciencia
> _www.celebralaciencia.org_ (http://www.celebralaciencia.org/)
> (202)  360-4117
>
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