Nova ScienceNOW: Season 4 Summative Evaluation

WGBH has produced NOVA scienceNOW since 2005, with major funding from the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Alfred. P. Sloan Foundation. NOVA scienceNOW (NsN) is comprised of a science news and magazine television series, a companion website, and a science cafe outreach initiative. All NsN offerings share common goals: (a) increase public awareness and understanding of cutting edge science content, and (b) increase public engagement in science-related activities. Beginning in Season 4 of NOVA scienceNOW (NsN), WGBH increased its efforts to promote the entire NsN program - the series, website, and outreach - as a whole, and to promote it to younger audiences. Goodman Research Group. Inc. (GRG) has served as the summative evaluator of NOVA scienceNOW since its first season. The current process and summative evaluation took a more integrative approach than in prior years' evaluations; we examined users' engagement with all NsN resources (series, website, and outreach). The main research questions addressed in the Season Four evaluation were: To what extent did the NsN resources, as a whole, reach a broad audience and increase public awareness, understanding, and engagement with science content and related activities? and What were the implementation and effectiveness of NsN's new promotional efforts?