Presented at the DX Summit 2017 in Chicago by Brad Dunn, The Web and Digital Communications Director at The Field Museum.

1. Curiosity as a KPI at a Cultural Institution
Brad Dunn
Web + Digital Communications Director
The Field Museum
@fieldmuseum
@badunn

5. The Field Museum fuels a journey of discovery across time
to enable solutions for a brighter future rich in nature and culture

16. You Have 3 Questions

17. “Why the hell do you have
over 31 million things?”

18. “Where the Hell do you
keep 31 million things?”

19. “Can I see them?”

20. Miracle on the Hudson

22. Where?

63. Less than 1%
(of our entire collection)

64. What is a Museum?

67. 1.
“Visitors rarely come to museums to learn the answer
to a particular question, such as
“How tall was the tallest dinosaur?” Instead, they
look to museums to inspire them to ask
questions they didn’t even know they had...”

68. 2.
“Visitors frequently have questions about the artifacts
at the museum, such as “Where did this come from?
How did they make it? Where did they find it? How did
they get it here?” Sharing more in the way of process
will help bring the artifacts to life for visitors and get
them excited about the process of scientific discovery
and the value of the museum’s work in general.”

69. Largest Audience Segment:
Curious Activity-Seeker

70. Why Does
Curiosity Matter?

71. https://hbr.org/2014/08/curiosity-is-as-important-as-intelligence

72. “New theoretical ideas and
empirical research show that
very young children’s learning
and thinking are strikingly
similar to much learning and
thinking in science.
Preschoolers test hypotheses
against data and
make causal inferences”
— Sciencemag.org
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/337/6102/1623

73. “…toddlers and preschool
children behave like scientists.
They are observant and curious
as they soak in information
about the world. Like little
experimenters, they light up
when unpredictable events
happen and decipher causal
relationships.”
— Ainissa Ramirez
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/a-case-for-curiosity-ainissa-ramirez

74. 1. Children who ask questions become adults who ask questions.
2. Adults who ask questions are the ones that solve the tough
problems.
3. “Asking questions makes us better humans. When we remain
curious and open, we can mitigate fear. Fear makes us
powerless. Curiosity returns our power to us.”
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/a-case-for-curiosity-ainissa-ramirez

75. 1. Curiosity Prepares the
Brain for Learning
“Researchers found that, once the
subjects' curiosity had been piqued by
the right question, they were better at
learning and remembering completely
unrelated information.”
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/why-curiosity-enhances-learning-marianne-stenger

76. 2. Curiosity make subsequent
learning more rewarding
“Researchers found that when the
participants' curiosity had been
sparked, there was not only increased
activity in the hippocampus, which is
the region of the brain involved in the
creation of memories, but also in the
brain circuit that is related to reward
and pleasure”
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/why-curiosity-enhances-learning-marianne-stenger

77. According to Forbes…
Curiosity Fuels Competence
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2016/05/22/embrace-curiosity-4-ways-questioning-makes-you-a-better-leader/#3fe893deb640

78. According to Forbes…
Curiosity Requires Confidence
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2016/05/22/embrace-curiosity-4-ways-questioning-makes-you-a-better-leader/#3fe893deb640

79. According to Forbes…
Curiosity Fuels Growth
(fixed vs. growth mindset)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2016/05/22/embrace-curiosity-4-ways-questioning-makes-you-a-better-leader/#3fe893deb640

80. According to Forbes…
Curiosity Builds Adaptability
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2016/05/22/embrace-curiosity-4-ways-questioning-makes-you-a-better-leader/#3fe893deb640

81. “I have no special talents. I am
only passionately curious.”

84. Some Fish Make Babies without Sex

85. How Do You Feel?

86. https://www.fieldmuseum.org/science/blog/sawfish-virgin-birth-discovery

89. “Digital is a Persistent
Layer of our Daily Lives”
— @BUD_CADELL

90. “Can I see them?”

91. Research

92. Research
+ sex

93. Relevance

94. Relevance

95. A Point of
View!
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/science/blog/protecting-our-planet

96. A Point of
View —
But Not
Science
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/science/blog/where-we-stand-letter-field-museum-community

97. A Point of
View —
Participation
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/science/blog/why-were-marching-science

98. Surprise
& Delight!

99. — Impacts National Awareness, Attitude & Usage Study
https://www.colleendilen.com/2017/04/26/people-trust-museums-more-than-newspapers-here-is-why-that-matters-right-now-data/
Museums are highly credible sources of information

108. #DayOfFacts

112. Curiosity as KPI?

113. 1. How Can We Measure Curiosity?
2. Can Your Customers’ Curiosity Be of Value To Your Business?
3. How Does Curiosity Move the Needle for The Field Museum?
How Does it Move the Needle for your business?

114. Thank you
@fieldmuseum
@SUEtheTrex
@badunn