Adult Learning Experiences from an Aquarium Visit: The role of Social Interactions in Family Groups

Abstract

How and what adults learn in the context of a family visit to an aquarium is a valuable and important question to ask, given the significance of this demographic to institutions such as these. Based on a larger empirical work, 1 this paper reports on the nature and character of adult learning within a family group context while visiting the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre (Canada), and the longitudinal effects of such experience in the weeks following the visit. In this study a multiple or collective instrumental case study approach was employed to examine the learning experiences of the adult members of 13 family groups; this approach demonstrates that adults visiting the aquarium as part of a family group are active social learners and not merely facilitators of the experience for younger visitors or caregivers. Our outcomes also indicate that the adult members of the participant family groups learned in a multiplicity of domains including the cognitive, the social, and the affective, as a result of their visit to the Vancouver Aquarium. In addition, we discuss the longitudinal impacts of the aquarium visit and provide valuable insights as to the relevance of these experiences in visitors' everyday lives. • • • • •Adriana Briseño-Garzón (adrianab@interchange.ubc.ca) is a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum Studies at

Exploring the implications of cultural diversity for environmental learning at an African aquarium

“…Data consistently show that families are the dominant social grouping in educational leisure settings and much attention has been devoted to understanding family group learning (Borun, Chambers, Dritsas, & Johnson, 1997;Briseño-Garzón, et al, 2007a;Briseño-Garzón & Anderson, 2012b;Ellenbogen, Luke, & Dierking, 2007). In the case of families, the visit is primarily a social event and social interaction largely shapes the experience, as well as subsequent memories of the visit (Dierking, 1998).…”

“…Adult zoo visitors frequently mention that the visit was initiated for the children (Clayton et al, 2009) and "Children influence the repeat visits of family groups, the adult visitor's exhibit interest, and staying time at the exhibit" (Patrick & Tunnicliffe, 2013:38). However, although adults may view their visit as being 'for the children', adults in family groups visiting an aquarium in Canada were found to be both active learners, as well as facilitators of the experience for children (Briseño-Garzón et al, 2007a). …”

Are Mobile Live Animal Programs Educationally Beneficial? A Critical Assessment of the Human Learning Component Underlying Traveling Animal Exhibits

“…In this context, cognitive learning pertains to the gaining of facts and knowledge regarding animals and their habitats -that is, education as purely increased knowledge or understanding about animals, their behaviour, and habitats [7,8]. Affective learning pertains to, often emotion-driven attitude change towards wildlife and conservation -that is education that motivates increased concern about issues of conservation [7,8]. Affective learning also refers to behavioural change -education that leads to attitude change resulting in real world change/helping conservation efforts with action [8].…”

“…To do so, the present assessment will use the term educational value to encompass learning that is either cognitive and/or affective. In this context, cognitive learning pertains to the gaining of facts and knowledge regarding animals and their habitats -that is, education as purely increased knowledge or understanding about animals, their behaviour, and habitats [7,8]. Affective learning pertains to, often emotion-driven attitude change towards wildlife and conservation -that is education that motivates increased concern about issues of conservation [7,8].…”

Using Visitor Observation to Evaluate Exhibits at the Rotterdam Zoo Aquarium

“…Both qualitative and quantitative approaches have been used in this regard. An example of a qualitative method is a study at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre in Canada (Briseño-Garzón, Anderson, & Anderson, 2007). This study reports on the nature and character of adult learning within a family group context while visiting the aquarium and the longitudinal effects of such experience in the weeks following the visit.…”