Digital Overload: Conducting a Remote Exhibit Evaluation During the Pandemic

• In Event: Informal Learning Is Not Canceled: Research and Program Implementation During a Global Pandemic

Abstract

The nationwide shutdown of museums due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 posed a unique set of challenges for audience researchers in informal learning institutions. While significant effort was diverted to the necessary task of assessing visitor needs related to the pandemic, there remained a need to continue projects unrelated to the pandemic and potentially ill-suited for a remote context. This paper focuses on the strategies used by a science museum to conduct a remote formative evaluation of an exhibit on the climate crisis.

Before the museum’s shutdown, its exhibit department was in the process of developing an exhibit addressing the climate crisis. Its focus is a story about humanity’s relationship with our home planet, and a call to action for all of us to engage in the efforts needed to ensure our health and future. On one hand, the timing for a formative evaluation seemed ideal, as there was a natural pause in the planning process. However, the team involved also felt a strong need to be sensitive to our audience. Specifically, how can we be sensitive to guests, who are currently preoccupied with the global crisis of the pandemic, while asking them to engage in a discussion on an entirely different global crisis? Furthermore, this evaluation would typically be conducted in-person on the museum floor, aided by physical prototypes. Would it translate effectively to a digital format?

We chose two content threads to prototype: first, our city’s biking system, and second, our city’s water and energy system. The biking topic conveyed an example of scalable impact (i.e. individuals actions building up to start a movement), and the water and energy system topic conveyed the intersection of systemic inefficiencies. Digital prototypes were developed for each that consisted of a short (less than one page) narrative and a diagram. Former Museum guests were emailed the prototypes to review on their own before participating in a 30-minute interview on Zoom, during which they were asked to provide feedback related to the cohesion and emotional impact of the content. The interviews were not recorded. Instead the researcher and a member of the exhibits team took notes during the interviews. The notes were then coded by the researcher for recurring themes.

We found that the digital prototypes were effective in generating rich discussions around this content, though more clarity could have been offered around how they would ultimately translate into an exhibit. Guests were open to discussing a topic other than the pandemic and welcomed the distraction. Furthermore, they seemed invested in spending a longer amount of time with us, compared to when recruiting visitors on the museum floor where their attention is often divided. We gained many insights into how to adapt the exhibit content in future iterations, such as providing more concrete examples of successful infrastructure and fostering a deeper personal connection when discussing systemic issues of energy waste. Audience researchers in museums could benefit from adapting more remote methods when seeking guests’ undivided attention on complex topics.

Authors

• Jana Greenslit, The Night Ministry

• Kristen Witte