OMCA Preview Evaluations Summary 2012

The Gallery of California Natural Sciences hosted four preview events before officially opening all sections. The target audiences for the evaluation of developing exhibits were Members and the general public with a focus on families. Researchers collected qualitative data in response to prototypes and developing exhibits for the Introduction and Oakland Sections, as well as for the developing Now and Then and Coastal Issues Lounges, and for the prototyping of live gallery animations. An exit survey was also administered to capture narrative, qualitative responses to visitors’ experience of the goals of the gallery overall. The intent of this testing was to observe engagement, record visitor questions, and document visitor comments and responses that indicate the relative success of evolving prototype exhibits in achieving the Intended Impacts for Public Audiences stated in the project description: 1) convey the unique diversity of California through the places chosen as models; 2) convey the manifestations of threat from human impact in the different places, as well as encourage visitors to take individual or collective action by showing ways people are protecting and restoring California’s diversity; 3) engage visitors in noticing, describing, depicting, seeking out and empathizing with nature in their locale; and, 4) aid visitors in developing new skills to search for information about habitats and analyze scientific information. Appendix includes instruments.