iSaveSpecies—Sustaining Life Summative Evaluation Report for the Toledo Zoo

The iSaveSpecies project, created by Project Dragonfly at Miami University and a consortium of zoos and aquariums, designed and implemented a socially-networked exhibit system to engage family visitors to zoos and aquariums in inquiry and conservation. The second wave of the iSaveSpecies exhibit stations focused on Sustaining Life, allowing families to conduct research and learn about conservation efforts. The Toledo Zoo incorporated three research and/or action-based touchscreen kiosks in their Tembo Trail (elephant) exhibit.
In this report, we describe the impact of the kiosks to engage family visitors in inquiry, STEM, and conservation actions. Findings indicate that visitors who engaged with the iSaveSpecies inquiry kiosks were more likely to report that they used basic science inquiry skills during their zoo visit and were more knowledgeable about elephants than visitors who did not interact with the kiosks. Additionally, visitors who interacted with the kiosks felt it added value to their visit.

Appendix includes instruments.