Learning About Learning Summative Evaluation

Providence Children’s Museum was tasked with examining how children demonstrate their learning and thinking through their play at the museum, and how exhibit activities and resources can be designed to build awareness of these learning processes among children’s caregivers and museum educators. The project team created a set of resources, including an exhibit space called Mind Lab, a Circuit Block activity, and an Observation Tool for caregivers that highlighted different types of behaviors associated with learning that happens naturally while children play. Rockman et al conducted a summative evaluation of these resources to determine their effect on the interactions between children and caregivers, and on visitors’ understanding of the metacognitive processes that occur during play at the museum. Methods included caregiver interviews and evaluator observations. Appendix includes observation and interview protocols.