Investigating the impact of prior knowledge and interest on aquarium visitor learning

Abstract

Most free-choice science learning institutions, in particular science centers, zoos, aquariums, and natural history museums, define themselves as educational institutions. However, to what extent, and for which visitors, do these free-choice learning settings accomplish their educational mission? Answering this question has proven challenging, in large part because of the inherent variability of visitors to such settings. We hypothesize that the challenges of measuring free-choice science learning might be diminished if it were possible to pool populations during analysis in ways that reduced this variability. Specifically, we propose grouping learners according to their entering understanding and attitudes, using qualitative categories such as minimal, moderate, and extensive. In this article, we use data collected at the National Aquarium in Baltimore to determine whether grouping makes it possible to discern more readily the nature of changes in aquarium visitors' conservation knowledge and attitudes. Although analysis revealed that there were significant changes in both conservation knowledge and attitudes, entry to exit, for all 100 visitors studied, a more detailed analysis revealed that gains were not evenly distributed across all visitors. The results support the hypothesis that the grouping of learners into minimal, moderate, and extensive conservation knowledge and attitude categories enabled a more fine-grained and accurate understanding of changes in aquarium visitor's conservation learning. ß

Using the contextual model of learning to understand visitor learning from a science center exhibition

“…This result suggests that assessment or measurement of free-choice learning needs to employ a broad set of measures rather than a focused one if researchers seek to capture the entire range of potential cognitive change that may have occurred as a result of a museum visit or other free-choice learning activity. Also noteworthy, consistent with other studies (e.g., Falk & Adelman, 2003), these results would suggest that science museums are particularly useful for facilitating science learning amongst the least knowledgeable citizens; the less visitors to the California Science Center knew about life science, the more they learned from the World of Life exhibition.…”

“…Building upon constructivist theories of learning, the influences of prior knowledge and experience on museum learning have been widely described and documented (Dierking & Pollock, 1998;Falk & Adelman, 2003;Gelman, Massey, & McManus, 1991;Hein, 1998;Roschelle, 1995;Silverman, 1993); so, too, the role of prior interest (e.g., Adelman et al, 2001;Adelman, Falk, & James, 2000;Csikzentmihalyi & Hermanson, 1995;Falk & Adelman, 2003). The exact nature of a visitor's motivations, or "agenda", for visiting a museum has also been shown to significantly influence the visitor's learning outcomes (e.g., Falk, 1983;Falk, Moussouri, & Coulson, 1998;Graburn, 1977;Hood, 1983).…”

“…It makes most sense to segment visitors on attributes they possessed entering the experience, thus possible variables include age, gender, race/ethnicity, prior interest, expectations and motivations, and prior knowledge. Previous research (Falk & Adelman, 2003) suggested that prior interest and prior knowledge would be particularly important variables to consider.…”

Using tourism free‐choice learning experiences to promote environmentally sustainable behaviour: the role of post‐visit ‘action resources’

“…Such research has typically focussed on very specific on-site behaviours such as staying on walking tracks or using the park shuttle bus (Weiler and Brown, 2009). Because of the wide range of prior experiences that visitors bring with them, free-choice environmental learning experiences need to provide messages that connect with a diverse range of pre-visit interests, knowledge, experience and beliefs (Falk and Adelman, 2003;Falk and Dierking, 2000;Moscardo, 1999).…”

Promoting environmentally sustainable attitudes and behaviour through free‐choice learning experiences: what is the state of the game?

“…Such differences directly affect how each individual perceives and responds to the experience. This high degree of variability has made it historically difficult to measure the outcomes and impact of freechoice learning experiences (Falk & Adelman, 2003). Quantitative results can be misleading, either suggesting that no learning has occurred when in fact it has, or suggesting that learning has occurred uniformly when in fact it is stronger in some sub-groups than others (Falk, personal communication, July 2004).…”