Final Evaluation Report – Multimodal Visitor Analytics: Investigating Naturalistic Engagement with Interactive Tabletop Science Exhibits

This document presents the final evaluation report for the NSF-funded AISL project: "Multimodal Visitor Analytics: Investigating Naturalistic Engagement with Interactive Tabletop Science Exhibits." The external evaluation for this project, led by Dr. Cathy Ringstaff at WestEd, was a mixed-methods study that used a developmental approach. Specifically, the evaluators worked closely with the researchers as thought partners, rather than as an external team who primarily served to monitor grant implementation progress. In the project's final year, evaluators continued to provide feedback, share guidance, and prompt reflection on the project's progress and major activities during project meetings. WestEd also assisted by conducting several site visits where evaluators observed students using the multimodal platform, conducted interviews of research participants, and analyzed observational and interview data. Finally, evaluators interviewed key project staff in the final stages of the project about successes, barriers, and lessons learned over the course of the project.