Summative Evaluation Report: Alien Deep

Produced by National Geographic Television and funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Alien Deep is a multi-platform media project designed to increase public literacy about: the fundamental principles and concepts underlying ocean systems and functions, the importance and challenges of oceanographic research and exploration, and the impact of the ocean on humanity and humanity’s impact on the ocean. The centerpiece of the project is a five-part mini-series that premiered on the National Geographic Channel in 2012. In addition to the five episodes, which were also made available as DVDs, the Alien Deep project produced a children’s book and a variety of online resources including video clips, classroom activities and lessons, reference materials, photo galleries, a game, and an Interactive. As part of the NSF funding for Alien Deep, the independent evaluation firm Knight Williams Inc., which specializes in the evaluation of informal science media projects, conducted a summative evaluation of the project’s main deliverables. The evaluation team used a diverse set of methods to assess the appeal, clarity, and informal science learning value of the 5-part mini-series and supplemental educational resources as experienced by the audiences targeted by the project. As detailed in the attached report two separate evaluations were conducted. The first evaluation focused on the impact of the mini-series with a public viewing audience. The second evaluation focused on use of the project’s educational resources by formal and informal educators in diverse educational settings