Summative Evaluation: Extraordinary Ideas Exhibition

The San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT) contracted RK&A to conduct a summative evaluation of the exhibition Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary People: A History of Citizen Science and to explore how well the exhibition communicates an inclusive view of science. The goals for the evaluation were to explore visitors’ behaviors in the exhibition as well as understand what meanings visitors made from the exhibition, particularly with regard to how the exhibition’s messages about citizen science are resonating in the context of visitors’ science identity. RK&A conducted timing and tracking observations of 105 visitors (10 years and older) to provide an objective account of how visitors use the space, including time spent and exhibit components used. RK&A also conducted 100 in-depth exit interviews with visitors (10 years and older) in English and Spanish; visitors were asked about their experiences in the exhibition as well as questions about how they perceive themselves as doing science.

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