This document discusses various methods for observing visitor behavior and use of space in museums, including tracking individual visitor paths through floor plans, counting the number of people engaging with specific displays and how long they spend, and noting behaviors that suggest learning such as looking, reading, pointing and discussing with others. It emphasizes the importance of defining behaviors of interest based on desired learning outcomes and then observing whether those behaviors occur.

1. Museum Research Methods MUSM7034 Semester 1 2009 Session 4.2 Observation methods www.arts.usyd.edu.au/departs/museum http://musm7034.ning.com/

2. How do people use the space? What behaviours are encouraged? Are there congestion points? How are things used? Seating, introductory framing. Are there dead spots? How does the space work during busy periods? Do some features encourage social learning? What features/displays are used most? Questions

3. General Value Principle Desire Lines Hubs and cluster points Concepts

4. Attracting power – proportion who engage with the display Strongly influenced by location on main pathways Holding power – length of time spent at display Attracting & Holding Score = average holding power x percent who looked Concepts

5. Tracking Counting / timing Behaviours Observation methods

6. Follow visitors and mark their path on a floor plan Record gender, age, visiting group, kids/no kids Record start time and finish time Mark path, stopping places and time spent Use a new map for each person Summarise data by showing main pathways Tracking

7. Choose displays/activities you want to focus on Select specific blocks of time (e.g. 1 hour) Count the number of people who attend to the display/activity and how long they spend doing it Counting and timing

11. Behaviours that suggest engagement Walking toward Looking, reading Behaviours that suggest learning (Janette Griffin) Looking, reading Pointing, talking (social learning) Returning (synthesise, reflect, question) Attend to distance (looking near and far) Noting behaviours

12. Specify the learning outcome Nominate behaviours required to achieve this outcome Observe behaviours Example: ‘Marvellous Molecules’ p17. Defined behaviours