Committee on Audience Research and Evaluation: Visitor Studies

Committee on Audience Research and Evaluation (CARE)

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For questions or comments about this web site please contact Leah M. Melber.

Visitor Studies: Guidance from the Field

Each year at the AAM Annual Meeting, members of CARE and other experts within the field of visitor studies share information on current evaluation studies as well as methodology and planning support.

You can browse recent presentations by either topic or author by selecting the appropriate link below. You can browse Posters by title.

View Presentations by Topic or View Presentations by Author

Posters:

2010 Annual Meeting

Intergenerational Learning in Art Museums: An in-depth Look at 18 Families in 3 Art Museums Over 1 Year
Jeanine Ancelet

Developing a Reliable Instrument for Measuring Critical Thinking Skills in Museum Programming
Julie Kendig-Lawrence

Developing Research Instruments in Uncharted Territory
Angelina Ong

Developing and Evaluating Online Pre- and Post-Visit Materials with Secondary Schools at the Natural History Museum (London)
Caroline Thalund

Cool, hip, funny... surveys!?! Designing and Assessing a New Breed of Surveys for a 25-45 Year Old Audience
Kathleen Tinworth

Evaluating the Response of Visitors to Natural History Dioramas
Sue Dale Tunnicliffe & Annette Scheersoi

New Directions in Audience Research
Nick Visscher & Kris Morrissey

2009 Annual Meeting

Latino Anchors Assessment
Salvador Acevedo

Skyline
Chicago Children’s Museum & Randi Korn & Associates, INC.
Poster - Photo Presentation - Report Summary

Collaborative Family Learning: Exhibit Interactions from the Woodland Park Zoo
Karin Hoffman

Visitor Learning Outcomes at the Museum of Peoples and Cultures
Tammy Messick

Creating an Evaluation Framework:
How to Manage a Large Project and Many Programmes Single-Handedly
Caroline Thalund

Effective biological learning in museums:
Natural history dioramas – Dusty relics or educational tool?
Sue Dale Tunnicliffe & Annette Scheersoi

Where’s Everybody? An Analysis and Interpretation of Visitor Flow of Program Scheduling, Staffing, and Attendance
Elizabeth Wood

Presentations by Topic:

Introduction to Visitor Studies

Visitor Studies 101

Introduction to Visitor Studies

Surveys and Focus Groups

Systematic Tools for Reporting about the Visitor Experience

Elizabeth Kunz Kollmann, Wendy Meluch, Johanna Jones, & Elisa J. Israel (2010)

Visitor Studies 101
Ellen Giusti (2009)

Visitor Studies 101: Understanding Audiences
Zahava Doering (2006)

“Visitor Studies” and “Evaluation”: What Does That Mean?
Ellen Giusti (2006)

Preparing and Conducting Evaluations

“So you want to do an evaluation?”
Randi Korn (2006)

Exhibit Evaluation
Judy Koke (2009)

Program Evaluation
Cecelia Garibay (2009)

Conducing Marketing Research in Museums
Steve Yalowitz (2009)

Evaluation and Research Methods

Using Model Technology in Museums
Theano Moussouri (2009)

Visitor Observations: Seeing is Believing
Linda Wilson (2007)

Visitor Studies 201: Interviewing Visitors
Kirsten Ellenbogen (2007)

Visitor Studies 201: Focus Groups
Chris Parsons (2007)

Making Sense of Visitor Data for Yourself and Others
Steve Yalowitz (2006)

Current Projects

The Next Generation of Visitors: Creating Experiences for Millennials

Session Overview

Serving Millennials: Serving All

Are Millennials out of Reach for History Museums?

Jessica Sickler, Sylvia Matiko, Linda Wilson, & Ellen M. Rosenthal (2010)

Effectiveness of On-Site Visits and Off-Site Media on the Visitor Experience

Session Overview

Using Websites to Extend Museum Visits

Extended Experiences Online

400 Years of the Telescope: Summative Evaluation

Caroline Thalund, Elizabeth Kunz Kollmann, Kathleen Tinworth, & Steven Yalowitz (2010)

What’s the Evidence Base?

Andrew Shouse, Cecelia Garibay, & Marsha Semmel (2010)

Tracking the Many-Headed Monster: Embedding Evaluation in Museum Networks

Session Overview

Processing the NISE Net: Year 4 Summative Evaluation Findings

Building Feedback Loops: NISE Network

Christine Reich, Elizabeth Sevcenko, Marcie Benne, & Vrylena Olney (2010)

After School Science Quest: Museum Evaluation from the Inside Out
Kathleen Tinworth (2009)

Educational Value of Zoos and Aquariums
Jessica Sickler and John Fraser (2009)

How do We Prove the Value of Museums?
Marsha Semmel, Carol Scott, Jane Legget, Barbara Soren, and Mamie Bittner (2009)

Rethinking Survey Research: The Implications of Cluster Analysis Findings on Museum Practices at the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards
Amanda Krantz (2009)

Accompanying Handouts

Visitor Studies 101: Notes, Resources and References (2009)

Visitor Studies 201: Opportunities, Challenges, and References (2007)

How do We Prove the Value of Museums? (2009)

Presentations by Author:

Zahava Doering, Smithsonian Institution
Visitor Studies 101: Understanding Audiences (2006)

Kirsten Ellenbogen, Science Museum of Minnesota
Visitor Studies 201: Interviewing Visitors (2007)

John Fraser, Institute for Learning Innovation
Educational Value of Zoos and Aquariums (2009)

Cecelia Garibay, Garibay Group
What’s the Evidence Base? (2010)

Program Evaluation (2009)

Ellen Guisti, Independent Consultant
Visitor Studies 101 (2009)
“Visitor Studies” and “Evaluation”: What Does That Mean? (2006)

Elisa J. Israel, St. Louis Science Center

Visitor Studies 101: Systematic Tools for Reporting about the Visitor Experience(2010)

Judy Koke, Art Gallery of Ontario
Exhibit Evaluation (2009)

Elizabeth Kunz Kollmann, Museum of Science, Boston

Visitor Studies 101: Introduction to Visitor Studies (2010)

Using Websites to Extend Museum Visits (2010)

Randi Korn, Randi Korn & Associates
“So you want to do an evaluation?” (2006)

Amanda Krantz, Randi Korn & Associates
Rethinking Survey Research: The Implications of Cluster Analysis Findings on Museum Practices at the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards (2009)

Wendy Meluch, Visitor Studies Services
Surveys and Focus Groups (2010)

Theano Moussouri, University College London and Audience Focus
Using Model Technology in Museums (2009)

Vrylena Olney, Museum of Science, Boston
Processing the NISE Net: Year 4 Summative Evaluation Findings (2010)
Building Feedback Loops: NISE Network (2010)

Chris Parsons, Word Craft
Visitor Studies 201: Focus Groups (2007)

Ellen M. Rosenthal, Conner Prairie, Interactive History Park
Are Millennials out of Reach for History Museums?(2010)

Marsha Semmel, Institute of Museum and Library Services
What’s the Evidence Base? (2010)
How do We Prove the Value of Museums? (2009)

Andrew Shouse, University of Washington
What’s the Evidence Base (2010)

Jessica Stickler, Institute for Learning Innovation
The Next Generation of Visitors: Creating Experiences for Millennials (2010)
Educational Value of Zoos and Aquariums (2009)

Caroline Thalund, Natural History Museum, London
Effectiveness of On-Site Visits and Off-Site Media on the Visitor Experience (2010)

Kathleen Tinworth, Denver Museum of Natural Science
Extended Experiences Online (2010)

Visitor Observations: Seeing is Believing (2007)

Linda Wilson, John G. Shedd Aquarium
Serving Millennials: Serving All (2010)

Next Generation of Visitors: Creating Experiences for Millennials Outline and Resources (2010)
Creating Experiences for Millennials Article (2010)

Visitor Studies 101: Collecting and Interpreting Visitor Data (2010)
Visitor Observations: Seeing is Believing (2007)

Steve Yalowitz, Institute for Learning Innovation
400 Years of the Telescope: Summative Evaluation (2010)

Conducing Marketing Research in Museums (2009)

Making Sense of Visitor Data for Yourself and Others (2006)