Creating a Measure of Meaningful Science Museum Experiences

• In Event: Measurement and Validation Across Diverse Contexts: Applications of Rasch Models

Abstract

A new tool for measuring Meaningful Science Museum Experiences (MSME) was developed, consisting of 15 items that explore various themes integral to meaningful visitor experiences. Surprisingly, the tool was found to be unidimensional, which facilitates its practical use by museum researchers for trend analysis across visitors and over time. Although overall meaningfulness scores did not vary by museum, differences among items underscore the importance for individual museums to tailor their usage of the tool according to their unique settings and missions. Demographic factors such as visitor frequency, membership status, and group composition significantly influenced meaningful experiences. The MSME demonstrated strong reliability and collective validity evidence for comprehensively evaluating visitor experiences across diverse museum contexts and visitor demographics.

Authors

• Courtney Donovan, University of Colorado - Denver

• Ellen Roth, Denver Museum of Nature & Science

• Bich-Ngoc Thi Phan, Cherry Creek Schools

• Shani O'Brien, Colorado Department of Education

• Stephanie Rayburn, Denver Museum of Nature & Science

• Eleanor Hill, Denver Museum of Nature & Science