Exhibitions and Information Centers: Some Principles and Approaches

Abstract

Much progress has been made in designing the physical and aesthetic aspects of exhibition spaces. How the physical design affects the motivational, perceptual, affective, and learning potentials of unguided visitors in the informal museum environment is less well understood by museum and exhibit planners.Informal settings have immense potential as learning resources for persons of all ages (Falk, 1984(Falk, , 1985. More needs to be learned about what makes these settings work or not work. There are important differences between formal learning settings, such as schools, and the informal settings of museum environments, which are nonlinear, selfpaced, voluntary, and exploratory. In schools, the primary teaching tool is the teacher, supported mainly by verbal media; in museums, the primary teaching tool is the exhibition, supported by objects and other visual media. These differences frequently require approaches that are radically different from those employed in schools and other formal settings. Unguided museum audiences are leisure audiences who, on their free time, interact with exhibitions on a voluntary basis and on their own terms. They learn by paying attention to exhibit content, noticing details, making comparisons, reading explanatory text, following instructions, and so on. Whether they do these things or not depends on their expectations and the enjoyment resulting from looking, touching, comparing, and reading.

The influence of an interactive educational approach on visitors' learning in a Swiss zoo

“…This might also explain its success, because the presentation of novelties in exhibitions has been found to increase visitors' attention and interest (Screven, 1986), and increased interest was found to result in mindfulness, a basic component of successful learning (Moscardo, 1988). However, the strongest success factor of the touch table for bearded vultures might be the opportunity it offers for "dialogue" between zoo professionals as interpreters and visitors as active respondents.…”

“…First of all, the mere physical involvement in hands-on activities might increase visitors' feeling of ownership and thus result in a higher satisfaction with the visitor information (Screven, 1986). Moreover, learning is a sensory experience and visitors in zoos, museums, and other free-choice learning settings may be kept engrossed through engaging all their senses with color, movement, surprise, and many different things to touch, play, and interact with (Kelly, 1999).…”

Le texte d’exposition comme aide à l’interprétation d’une exposition dans le cadre de visites scolaires au musée

“…Il soutient que lorsque la quantité d'information est trop importante, cela perturbe les activités de reconnaissance des visiteurs (Bitgood, 1988). Screven (1986) préconise que le texte soit déterminé en fonction des objectifs de l'exposition et des caractéristiques du public. Plusieurs auteurs (Neal, 1976;Wilson et Medina, 1972;Bitgood, 1988) soulignent l'importance de la brièveté du texte pour motiver la lecture et signalent l'intérêt de placer les informations les plus importantes au début de l'étiquette.…”

Borrowed Robes: The Educational Value of Costumed Interpretation at Historic Sites

“…Much criticism of innovative presentations at heritage resources has assumed that education and entertainment are incompatible and that the latter will always strangle the former, although these assertions are rarely supported by empirical evidence (Light, 1995, 130). Similarly, few of those claiming that the educational impact of a presentation can be enhanced if it is entertaining quote visitor studies to prove their point (Fleming, 1986;Screven, 1986;Ames, 1989).…”