Drawing Visitors In: Engaging Visitors in Science, Art & Children’s Museums Julie Charles - SFMOMA Tsivia Cohen - Chicago Children’s Museum Josh Gutwill - Exploratorium

Session structure 3 short presentations + Q&A Small groups to try out one program Whole group Discussion / Q&A

3 short presentations + Q&A

Small groups to try out one program

Whole group Discussion / Q&A

Fostering Inquiry in Science Museums Josh Gutwill Acting Director Exploratorium Visitor Research & Evaluation

Context: Exhibit Design SMM Experiment Benches Exploratorium APE MOS, Boston Investigate! PISEC study

G roup I nquiry by V isitors at E xhibits National Science Foundation Funded by

Group Inquiry by Visitors at Exhibits Sue Allen Craig Anderson Mark Boccuzzi Fay Dearborn Beth Gardner Josh Gutwill Malia Jackson Adam Klinger Nerissa Kuebrich Suzy Loper Kathy McLean Lisa Sindorf Erin Wilson

Research questions Is it possible to explicitly teach visitors a useful set of inquiry skills? Can we help groups work together?

Which Inquiry Skills? Questioning Investigating Explaining Using Evidence Problem solving Reflecting Propose Action Interpret Results Designing Experiment

Format: Juicy Question Game Play with Exhibit Do the Experiment Brainstorm “ Juicy Questions” Ask more “ Juicy Questions” Interpret Results

Framework for Analysis • Do visitors use the 2 skills at a new exhibit? • Does the quality of inquiry improve? • Do visitors work together more? Direct coding of video:

• Do visitors use the 2 skills at a new exhibit?

• Does the quality of inquiry improve?

• Do visitors work together more?

Results Juicy Question families: Make almost twice as many interpretations Build explanations more collaboratively Conduct more linked investigations

Juicy Question families:

Make almost twice as many interpretations

Build explanations more collaboratively

Conduct more linked investigations

Example of Group Inquiry Watch for: Inquiry skills Propose Action Interpret Results Learning from each other Building on interpretations

Watch for:

Inquiry skills

Propose Action

Interpret Results

Learning from each other

Building on interpretations

Aspects of Group Inquiry Inquiry skills Boy asks juicy Q All make interp Building explanations Coherent inquiry

Inquiry skills

Boy asks juicy Q

All make interp

Building explanations

Coherent inquiry

Conclusions memorable format learnable in ~20 mins worked for family groups (8+) worked for field trip groups, too led to better inquiry Juicy Question: www.exploratorium.edu/partner/give

memorable format

learnable in ~20 mins

worked for family groups (8+)

worked for field trip groups, too

led to better inquiry