Projects & Publications
Selected recent projects include:
Trail of Time at Grand Canyon National Park
Located at the south rim of the Grand Canyon, the Trail of Time is an interpretive walking trail that uses the canyon’s vistas and rock layers as examples to illustrate and explain geologic events and processes. Conducted formative and summative evaluations. For more information, click here.
Geometry Playground at the Exploratorium, San Francisco
Traveling around the country, Geometry Playground engages visitors in large, medium, and small scale immersive explorations of geometric concepts and spatial reasoning. Conducted a summative evaluation at three different locations. For more information, click here.
Through African Eyes at the Detroit Institute of Arts
This large exhibition explores the cultural and political interactions between African cultures and European outsiders using a wide range of art objects. Conducted a literature review and a front-end evaluation.
Torn From Home at Lied Discovery Children’s Museum, Las Vegas
Traveling to many museums and cultural centers around the country, Torn From Home brings the everyday lives of refugee children to the American public. Conducting a summative evaluation across nine locations.
Clients over the years have included:
- Science museums, such as the Exploratorium, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Louis Science Center, and Museum of Science in Boston.
- Children's museums, such as the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Children's Museum of Houston, and Minnesota Children's Museum.
- Art museums, such as the Detroit Institute of Arts and Art Institute of Chicago.
- History museums, such as the Chicago Historical Society and Missouri Historical Society.
- Natural history museums, such as the Field Museum and Chicago Academy of Sciences.
- State and regional museums, such as the Illinois State Museum, Glenbow Museum, and High Desert Museum.
- Zoos and aquaria, such as the Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Shedd Aquarium.
- Botanic gardens, conservatories, and arboreta, such as the Chicago Botanic Garden, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, and Morton Arboretum.
- Parks, such as Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Chicago Park District.
- National organizations, such as the Association of Children's Museums.
Most Selinda projects result in one or more unpublished reports. For a list of unpublished reports, a complete list of publications, or a pdf of a specific report or publication, please contact us.
Selected publications include:
Perry, D. L. (2012). What makes learning fun?: Principles for the design of instrinsically motivating museum exhibits. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press.
Sikora, M., Fischer, D., Serrell, B., Perry, D., & Morris, K. (2009). New roles for evaluation at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Curator, 52(1), 45-65.
Karlstrom, K., Semken, S., Crossey, L., Perry, D., Gyllenhaal, E. D., Dodick, J., et al. (2008). Informal geoscience education on a grand scale: The Trail of Time
exhibition at Grand Canyon. Journal of Geoscience Education, 56(4), 354-361.
Allen, S., Gutwill, J., Perry, D. L., Garibay, C., Ellenbogen, K. M., Heimlich, J. E., et al. (2007). Research in museums: Coping with complexity. In J. H. Falk, L. D.
Dierking & S. Foutz (Eds.), In principle, in practice: Museums as learning institutions (pp. 229-245). Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press.
Gyllenhaal, E. D. (2006). Memories of math: Visitors' experiences in an exhibition about calculus. Curator: The Museum Journal, 49(3), 345-364.
Nemirovsky, R., & Gyllenhaal, E. D. (January/February, 2006). Handling Calculus: Graphing motion to understand math. ASTC Dimensions, 13-14.
Perry, D. L. (2002). Profound learning: Stories from museums. Educational Technology, 42(2): 21-25.
Gyllenhaal, E. D. (2002). Immersive exhibitions: A bibliography. Visitor Studies Today!, 5(3), 13-14.
Perry, D. L., Roberts, L. C., Morrissey, K., & Silverman, L. H. (2000). Listening outside and within. In J. S. Hirsch & L. H. Silverman (Eds.), Transforming
Practice (pp. 43-47). Washington, DC: Museum Education Roundtable.
Gyllenhaal, E. D. (1998). A broader view of front-end evaluation. Visitor Studies Today!, 1(1), 14-15.
Perry, D., Morrissey, K., Roberts, L., & Silverman, L. (1997). Establishing an institute for research and training in museum learning and the public dimensions
of museums. Visitor Behavior, 12(1&2), 10-11.
Perry, D. L., & Spock, M. (1997). The informal learning program at the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. Visitor Behavior, 12(1&2),
9.
Gyllenhaal, E. D., Perry, D. L., & Forland, E. (1996). Visitor understandings about research, collections, and behind-the-scenes at the Field Museum. Current
Trends in Audience Research and Evaluation, 10, 22-32.
Silverman, L. H., Roberts, L. C., Perry, D. L., & Morrissey, K. (1996). "If we build it . . .": Toward a doctoral program in museology. Curator, 39(4), 234-237.
Perry, D. L. (1993). Beyond cognition and affect: The anatomy of a museum visit. Visitor Studies: Theory, Research and Practice: Collected Papers from the
1993 Visitor Studies Conference, 6, 43-47.
Perry, D. L. (1993). The creation and verification of a development model for the design of a museum exhibit. Current Trends in Audience Research and
Evaluation, 7, 52-56.
Perry, D. L. (1993). Measuring learning with the knowledge hierarchy. Visitor Studies: Theory, Research and Practice: Collected Papers from the 1993 Visitor
Studies Conference, 6, 73-77.
St. John, M., & Perry, D. L. (1993). Rethink role, science museums urged. ASTC Newsletter, 21(5), 1, 6-7.
Perry, D. L. (1992). Designing exhibits that motivate. ASTC Newsletter, 20(2), 9-10, 12.
Perry, D. L. (2012). What makes learning fun?: Principles for the design of instrinsically motivating museum exhibits. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press.
Sikora, M., Fischer, D., Serrell, B., Perry, D., & Morris, K. (2009). New roles for evaluation at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Curator, 52(1), 45-65.
Karlstrom, K., Semken, S., Crossey, L., Perry, D., Gyllenhaal, E. D., Dodick, J., et al. (2008). Informal geoscience education on a grand scale: The Trail of Time
exhibition at Grand Canyon. Journal of Geoscience Education, 56(4), 354-361.
Allen, S., Gutwill, J., Perry, D. L., Garibay, C., Ellenbogen, K. M., Heimlich, J. E., et al. (2007). Research in museums: Coping with complexity. In J. H. Falk, L. D.
Dierking & S. Foutz (Eds.), In principle, in practice: Museums as learning institutions (pp. 229-245). Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press.
Gyllenhaal, E. D. (2006). Memories of math: Visitors' experiences in an exhibition about calculus. Curator: The Museum Journal, 49(3), 345-364.
Nemirovsky, R., & Gyllenhaal, E. D. (January/February, 2006). Handling Calculus: Graphing motion to understand math. ASTC Dimensions, 13-14.
Perry, D. L. (2002). Profound learning: Stories from museums. Educational Technology, 42(2): 21-25.
Gyllenhaal, E. D. (2002). Immersive exhibitions: A bibliography. Visitor Studies Today!, 5(3), 13-14.
Perry, D. L., Roberts, L. C., Morrissey, K., & Silverman, L. H. (2000). Listening outside and within. In J. S. Hirsch & L. H. Silverman (Eds.), Transforming
Practice (pp. 43-47). Washington, DC: Museum Education Roundtable.
Gyllenhaal, E. D. (1998). A broader view of front-end evaluation. Visitor Studies Today!, 1(1), 14-15.
Perry, D., Morrissey, K., Roberts, L., & Silverman, L. (1997). Establishing an institute for research and training in museum learning and the public dimensions
of museums. Visitor Behavior, 12(1&2), 10-11.
Perry, D. L., & Spock, M. (1997). The informal learning program at the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. Visitor Behavior, 12(1&2),
9.
Gyllenhaal, E. D., Perry, D. L., & Forland, E. (1996). Visitor understandings about research, collections, and behind-the-scenes at the Field Museum. Current
Trends in Audience Research and Evaluation, 10, 22-32.
Silverman, L. H., Roberts, L. C., Perry, D. L., & Morrissey, K. (1996). "If we build it . . .": Toward a doctoral program in museology. Curator, 39(4), 234-237.
Perry, D. L. (1993). Beyond cognition and affect: The anatomy of a museum visit. Visitor Studies: Theory, Research and Practice: Collected Papers from the
1993 Visitor Studies Conference, 6, 43-47.
Perry, D. L. (1993). The creation and verification of a development model for the design of a museum exhibit. Current Trends in Audience Research and
Evaluation, 7, 52-56.
Perry, D. L. (1993). Measuring learning with the knowledge hierarchy. Visitor Studies: Theory, Research and Practice: Collected Papers from the 1993 Visitor
Studies Conference, 6, 73-77.
St. John, M., & Perry, D. L. (1993). Rethink role, science museums urged. ASTC Newsletter, 21(5), 1, 6-7.
Perry, D. L. (1992). Designing exhibits that motivate. ASTC Newsletter, 20(2), 9-10, 12.