Genetics: Decoding Life Supplemental Summative Evaluation

This is a report from the supplemental summative evaluation of the exhibition, Genetics: Decoding Life at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. The evaluation was designed to measure visitors' attention to the main messages of the exhibition, visitors' thinking and attitudes about genetics, and whether visitors made connection among their genes, themselves, and their families. The evaluation was designed to establish findings that complemented and built upon a previous summative evaluation. Two types of exit interviews were used to gather qualitative and quantitative data. A total of 290 interviews were conducted with the target audience of museum visitors over the age of 16. The most compelling finding is the multiple ways that visitors made personal connections to genetics. Visitors made meaning from their experiences in the exhibition by making genetics personally relevant. These findings demonstrate that the exhibition was successful in its effort to make links between visitors and their genes, taking visitors on an emotional and intellectual journey in which they find topics that connect into both their concerns and their hopes.