Complete List of Projects
Here is a complete list of our projects from the last 10 years, arranged reverse-chronologically within each type of project:
Most projects result in one or more reports. Go here for a complete
list of reports written by Selinda Research Associates personnel.
Complete List of Exhibit
Evaluations
Children's
Adventure Garden:
Morton Arboretum
Advisor and evaluator for the Children's Adventure Garden project, a
large exhibition for families designed to help them explore their
natural world and develop science skills.
Served on the advisory committee, bringing our expertise in
family learning and visitor research to the team.
Currently planning and implementing a comprehensive evaluation
plan, including front-end, formative, and summative studies.
(2000-present)
Pattern
Wizardry:
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Evaluator for Pattern
Wizardry at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum in New York.
Conducted front-end evaluation to assess children’s
understandings of and connections to ideas related to patterns for an
upcoming YMEC (Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative) exhibition.
Currently working with staff on the formative evaluation.
(2000-present)
Underground
Adventure: The
Field Museum
Evaluator for Underground
Adventure, a large exhibition about things that live underground and
the soil in which they live. Conducted
front-end and formative evaluations, and currently conducting a
summative evaluation. (1996-present)
Chocolate!
The Field Museum
Evaluator for Chocolate!,
a traveling exhibition about the natural history of chocolate.
Conducted front-end research to determine the extent and range of
visitors’ understandings about the origins, ecology, and history of
chocolate. Conducted
formative evaluation to increase the effectiveness of exhibit
prototypes. (1999-2001)
Dixon Prairie
Exhibit:
Chicago Botanic Garden
Consultant for the Chicago
Botanic Garden on integrating visitor research results into long-term
strategic planning for the Dixon Prairie, a 15-acre living
collection. Conducted
visitor evaluation to inform the strategic planning team of ways to develop effective strategies for the prairie collection.
(2000)
Telling
Images: The
Art Institute
Instructional designer and
evaluator for Telling Images,
an interactive orientation art gallery for novice museum visitors.
Analyzed label copy for exhibition (1996), as well as designed and
implemented summative evaluation of exhibition. (1999-2000)
Airworks
for Kids: DuPage
Children’s Museum
Evaluator for AirWorks
for Kids at the DuPage Children’s Museum, which at that time was in
Wheaton, Illinois. This
project had three inter-related components: a museum exhibition, a
hands-on program for public school children, and a research project.
It focused on concepts surrounding air power for two- to
ten-year-old children. Conducted
formative and remedial evaluations dealing with children’s
understandings of air and air-related concepts.
(1997-2000)
Enabling
Garden:
Chicago Botanic Garden
Evaluator for the Buehler
Enabling Garden, an 11,000-square foot garden based on universal design
principles. In addition to the general CBG visitors, the Enabling Garden
serves a large number of visitors with physical and cognitive
disabilities. Conducted
formative evaluation for the interpretive signs. (1999)
Sue
Un-Crated: The
Field Museum
Evaluator for Sue
Un-Crated, a temporary exhibition about Sue, the T-Rex unearthed in
South Dakota and purchased by the museum.
Designed and conducted summative evaluation to assess the extent
to which the exhibition met visitors’ expectations and achieved the
museum’s educational objectives. (1998)
Human
Biology Exhibits and Cell
Lab: Science Museum of
Minnesota
Evaluator for the Human
Biology exhibits and Cell Lab,
two prototype areas of a new human body exhibition focusing on using
medical diagnostic equipment to teach visitors about human biology, as
well as using wet biology experiments in a hands-on laboratory setting.
Developed and implemented formative evaluation.
(1997-1998)
Traveling Experiment Gallery:
Science Museum of Minnesota
Evaluator for Traveling
Experiment Gallery produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota in
St. Paul. This multi-unit
exhibition, based on the museum’s existing physical sciences gallery,
toured the country. Conducted
a naturalistic summative evaluation to investigate the ways in which the
exhibition fit into the host museums’ cultures. (1997-1998)
Hunters
of the Sky: Science
Museum of Minnesota
Evaluator for Hunters
of the Sky, a 5,000 square foot exhibition about birds of prey from
the perspectives of both the sciences and the humanities.
Conducted remedial and summative evaluations to assess ways the
exhibit could be improved as well as the extent to which the exhibition
was successful at getting visitors to explore their own values and
beliefs about the human relationship to the natural world.
(1995-1996)
The
Exploration Zone: The Field Museum
Evaluator for The
Exploration Zone, a proposed exhibition showcasing the research
science carried out at The Field Museum in Chicago.
Conducted naturalistic front-end evaluation to illuminate the
many ways visitors think about what goes on behind the scenes at the
museum and the ways they think about the research science.
(1995)
The
Gilded Age: Missouri
Historical Society
Evaluator for The
Gilded Age at the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis.
Conducted summative evaluation of 4,200-square foot exhibition on
the history of St. Louis during the late 1800s. (1995)
Face
to Face: Chicago
Children’s Museum
Conducted extensive formative
evaluation of numerous elements in the Face to Face exhibition at the Chicago Children’s Museum.
This exhibition on prejudice and discrimination included many
controversial units that we tested with family visitors. (1994-1995)
Behind
the Seams: Discovery
Place
Evaluator for Behind
the Seams, a 5,600-square foot traveling exhibition on the science
of textiles, developed by Discovery
Place, Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Conducted formal summative evaluation. (1994)
Experiment
Benches: Science
Museum of Minnesota
Evaluator for the Experiment
Benches, a series of multiple-outcome participatory exhibits
designed to promote problem-solving and experimenting behavior.
Designed and conducted a summative evaluation comparing visitor
engagement at three benches and two interactive exhibits. (1993-1994)
Building
Blocks of the Universe:
SciTech
Evaluator for Building
Blocks of the Universe, a 1,200-square foot permanent exhibit
developed by SciTech in Aurora, Illinois in collaboration with the
Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio. Conducted summative
evaluation on this exhibition which acquainted casual museum visitors
with many of the concepts underlying nuclear particle physics.
(1993)
AIDS Exhibit: Museum
of Science and Industry
Evaluator for the National AIDS Exhibit Consortium’s exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Conducted front-end evaluation concerning visitors’ conceptualizations and concerns surrounding AIDS and related topics. Served as advisor and visitor advocate to the exhibit development team. (1992)
Complete List of Program
Evaluations
Family
Packs:
Cleveland Botanical Garden
Evaluator for the Cleveland
Botanical Garden as they develop a series of family packs in
collaboration with the Cleveland Public Libraries.
Conducting front-end and formative evaluations including focus
groups, depth interviews, and participant observations.
Park Voyagers:
Museums in the Park
Evaluator for Park
Voyagers, an educational partnership between nine museums and the
Chicago Park District, offering community-based educational enrichment
programs to families designed to connect them to and build new family
audiences for museums. Developed
and implemented a two-phase remedial evaluation study to assess the
effectiveness of the program in meeting its educational goals and in
building new museum audiences. (2001-present)
School
Garden Initiative:
Chicago Botanic Garden
Evaluator for the School
Garden Initiative at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe,
Illinois. This is a
multi-year collaborative project with the Chicago Public Schools, the
Chicago Park District, and others to bring gardens and resource
materials into schools around the city.
Conducting remedial evaluation to identify ways in which the
program succeeds and ways in which it can be improved.
(2001-present)
Career
Ladder for Youth: Brookfield Zoo
Evaluator for Career
Ladder for Youth program, a collaborative project between Brookfield
Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois, and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago to establish
a ladder of professional opportunities for youth.
Participating in the planning process and conducting a front-end
evaluation for the program. (2000-present)
Resident
Program: Morton
Arboretum
Evaluator for the Resident
Program, a residential environmental education program for fifth- and
sixth-grade students.
Conducting a remedial/summative evaluation including site visits,
focus groups, and depth interviews to identify areas of the program that
need to be revised. (2000-present)
Bodyworks:
Discovery Place
Evaluator for BodyWorks
program at Discovery Place, Inc., in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This collaborative project with the Right
Moves for Youth organization provides students with positive health
science education experiences to help them make healthier life choices.
Developed and currently implementing a multi-year evaluation
project. (1999-present)
Bridging
the Gap: Discovery
Place
Evaluator for Bridging
the Gap at Discovery Place, Inc., in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This is a collaborative program with the Girl Scouts of America
to involve girls with science, engineering, and math. Set up and
conducted a multi-year, multi-phase series of evaluation studies.
(1994-2001)
Summer
Visitor Presentations: Monterey
Bay Aquarium
Evaluator for the Monterey
Bay Aquarium’s program of summer visitor presentations.
Planned and conducted research to explore the visitor experience
and assess the effectiveness of the Aquarium’s series of summer
programs. (2000)
Chicago: The City in Art:
The Art Institute
Evaluator for Chicago:
The City in Art, an educational program for teachers about how to
use WPA murals in their schools to teach different subject areas.
Designed and implemented a remedial evaluation to assess the
strengths and weaknesses of the program and make recommendations for
improvement. (1999-2000)
Zoo
Adventure Passport:
Brookfield Zoo
Evaluator for Zoo
Adventure Passport program at Brookfield Zoo, in Brookfield,
Illinois. This
collaborative project with neighborhood libraries brings the zoo into
Chicago-area communities and encourages participants to visit the zoo
with their families. (1998-2000)
After-Class
Explorers: Museum of Science
and Industry
Evaluator for After-Class
Explorers program at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
This after-school program is aimed at academically at-risk students.
Conducted a remedial evaluation including site visits, focus
groups, and depth interviews to identify areas of the program that
needed to be revised. (1999)
Experiencing
Chemistry: Oregon Museum of
Science and Industry
Evaluator for Experiencing
Chemistry a “drop-in” wet chemistry lab at the Oregon Museum of
Science and Industry in Portland, Oregon.
Responsible for overall evaluation efforts including developing
the evaluation plan, conducting formative and summative evaluations, and
writing interim and final reports.
(1995-1998)
Kids’
Design Engineering Lab: DuPage
Children’s Museum
Evaluator for Kids’
Design Engineering Lab at the DuPage Children’s Museum, then
located in Wheaton, Illinois. This
hands-on museum program engaged public school children in the processes
of engineering. Conducted formative and summative evaluations of program
dealing with children’s understandings of pneumatics.
(1994-1995)
YouthAlive!
Inverness Research Associates
Evaluator for YouthALIVE!
teen programs at: SciTech in Aurora, Illinois; the Chicago Academy of
Sciences; the Science Museum of Minnesota; and the Chicago Children’s
Museum. (1994)
Complete List of Technology Evaluations
RiverWeb:
Science Museum of
Minnesota
Evaluator for RiverWeb,
a multi-museum collaborative project. The
Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Louis Science Center, and Illinois
State Museum are working with NCSA (National Center for
Supercomputing Applications) in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, to develop a series of
state-of-the-art computer-based modeling exhibits dealing with the
Mississippi River. Designed and implemented a two-phase evaluation study
including (a) a front-end study to assess visitors’ understandings of
the River and their use of technology, and (b) a formative evaluation of
exhibit prototypes. (1998-present)
MuseumLink-Illinois:
Illinois
State Museum
Evaluator for MuseumLink
at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, Illinois.
This project is a collaborative project with the Illinois State
Board of Education to 1) equip selected classrooms around the state with
sophisticated computer technology and 2) develop content-rich museum Web
sites for use by teachers and students around the state.
Conducted front-end and formative evaluations.
(1997-2001)
Museums
In The Classroom: Shedd Aquarium
Evaluator for Museums
in the Classroom, a state-wide project to bring museum resources to 25 public school classrooms via the Internet.
As part of this program, children from around the state worked
with the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago to develop multidisciplinary online
projects exploring aquatic sciences.
(1998-2000)
Atmospheric
Explorations: Science Museum of
Minnesota
Evaluator for Atmospheric
Explorations at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.
This computer simulation engages the visitor in hands-on
manipulation and investigation of weather phenomena.
Consult with exhibit development team and conducting summative
evaluation. (1995-present)
Complete List of Consultancies
Audience Research Consultant: Chicago
Historical Society
Audience research consultant to
the Chicago Historical Society as it prepares to develop new museum
exhibitions. (1998-present)
Interpretation Consultant: Glenbow
Museum
Interpretation Consultant to
Glenbow Museum staff in Calgary, Canada, for their Visitor Memory and Learning project, a research/development effort
incorporating a research-based theoretical model into the re-design of
their First Nations Gallery. (1996-present)
Evaluation Consultant: Chicago
Botanic Garden
Consultation with selected staff
at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois, as they incorporated
the visitor perspective into their interpretation.
Provided consultation services, and developed and presented
professional development workshops. (1999)
Audience Research Initiative: The
Field Museum
Developed a Visitor Studies Library and also involved in a number of evaluations,
including the Living Together summative evaluation, Interpretative Carts
summative evaluation, and Sue front-end evaluation.
(1997-1998)
Evaluation Consultant: Chicago
Academy of Sciences
Evaluation consultant to the
Chicago Academy of Sciences, Chicago’s oldest museum. Conducted workshops and training and provided evaluation and
exhibit development guidance as staff implemented their goal of
institutionalizing evaluation. (1994-1995)
Evaluation Consultant: Chicago
Children’s Museum
Evaluation consultant to the
Chicago Children’s Museum as they planned their expansion and move
into new facilities at Navy Pier. Presented
workshops and training, and provided guidance on the evaluation of
thirteen large exhibitions. (1994-1995)
Education Consultant: The
High Desert Museum
Consultant to the Education
Department at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon to develop a
long-range interpretation and evaluation plan.
Conducted a review of the existing department and its programs,
presented workshops and training, and coordinated the planning process.
(1993-1994)
Evaluation Consultant: Science
Museum of London
Evaluation consultant for the Launch
Pad exhibition gallery, a permanent hands-on interactive space to
engage visitors with physical science concepts.
Assessed visitor knowledge outcomes.
(1993)
Most projects result in one or more reports. Go here for a complete
list of reports written by Selinda Research Associates personnel.
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