Summative Evaluation: Grainger Science Hub & Discovery Squad Carts

The Field Museum contracted RK&A to conduct a summative evaluation of the Grainger Science Hub and the Discovery Squad Carts, two museum experiences facilitated by educators or trained volunteers.  The goals of the study are to explore the extent to which visitors interact with programming in the Science Hub and at Discovery Squad Carts and the nature of those interactions, as well as visitor motivations and takeaways.

How did we approach this study?

RK&A conducted observations in the Science Hub and at Discovery Squad Carts to understand the nature of experiences at each.  The observations were a combination of timing and tracking as well as naturalistic note-taking about the conversations between visitors and the educators or volunteers.  Additional, RK&A conducted short interviews with visitors about their experiences with to the Science Hub and Discovery Squad to capture a firsthand account and opinion of the Science Hub and Discovery Squad Carts.

What did we learn?

The evaluation showed that visitors average time spent with each program is similar and relatively short (median time is approximately 3 minutes for each experience).  Both experiences are valued for the access they provide visitors to converse with Field Museum educators and volunteers as well as hands-on access to the collections.  Overall, the programs are operating well but some minor adjustments to the programs may help them better fulfill their goals.