Staff Facilitation that Supports Family Learning at Exhibits

Front-line staff are an integral part of the visitor experience at museums and science centers across the country, facilitating activities and programs, leading classes, and more. But do these staff make a difference for visitor learning? And what are the most effective facilitation strategies and approaches? In 2013, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) received funding from the National Science Foundation for a three-year study, Researching the Value of Educator Actions for Learning (REVEAL), to begin to address these questions. Building on the Design Zone exhibition, REVEAL focused particularly on staff-facilitated family learning at interactive math exhibits. Over the course of three years, the team worked with expert educators, collected video and survey data from hundreds of staff-visitor interactions, and developed and tested a model of facilitation for supporting family learning and engagement.