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Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Just a few short points this time:

1.  Evaluation isn't just about cognition.  It can also be about finding
joy, curiosity, enthusiasm, skills...all that good stuff in the affective
domain.  Yes, these can be observed and reported too, and why not?  NSF
and other funders encourage looking at any of these, even if we don't look
for cognitive impact.  The Moore Foundation is looking for ways to measure
what activates learning, rather than the learning itself.  So if we don't
want to measure cognitive impact, we can measure impact on feelings.
Unless we are afraid to find out what visitors really feel, of course.

2.  Evaluation doesn't all have to be quantitative.  There are excellent
examples of "naturalistic" and other forms of qualitative evaluation.

3.  We don't always have to spend a lot of money, or any cash at all, to
do evaluation.  We can learn to do it ourselves, and we might turn out to
be very good at it.  We might even enjoy it (see point 1)!

4.  Science is a mixture of curiosity, risk-taking, hunches, luck,
inspiration, life experience....just like exhibition development.  But
science also pays attention to evaluation to keep itself learning and
knowing when something new has real power or needs a fresh direction.  I
don't see why exhibition development too cannot involve both our
left-brain and right-brain thinking.  Perhaps exhibition development can a
science itself.  We do believe in science, don't we?

5.  Standardized testing in schools is indeed a very different animal,
largely because for so long it has neglected the affective domain almost
entirely.  Even in the cognitive domain it has ignored most skills beyond
rote memory and following rules.  We don't have to make those mistakes.
[Neither does testing in schools, and a lot of people are working very
hard to see that testing in schools illuminates much more of what kids are
all about.  Check out the new NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy
assessment, or the international PISA science assessment, for hopeful
signs of a new era.]

Alan
________________________________________
Alan J. Friedman, Ph.D.
Consultant for Museum Development and Science Communication
29 West 10th Street
New York, New York 10011 USA
T  +1 917 882-6671
E   [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
W www.FriedmanConsults.com <http://www.friedmanconsults.com/>
 
a member of The Museum Group
www.museumgroup.com <http://www.museumgroup.com>

>

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