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1	Visitor behavior at the Mark O. Hatfield Marine Science Center aquarium Tissot, Susan Gaughan 29 May 1991 (has links) Visitor behavior research has become an essential component to many museum programs. Since its opening to the public in 1965, Oregon State University's Mark O. Hatfield Marine Science Center Aquarium in Newport, it has been visited by millions of people. A clear understanding of who this audience was and what they actually did while viewing the exhibits in the aquarium had never been achieved. This descriptive study describes fall season visitors and their circulation patterns. The goal of the study was to understand the interrelationships between visitors, exhibits and the physical layout of the aquarium. One purpose of the study was to provide information that would aid staff members with long range planning decisions that include the design of new exhibits and the renovation of older displays. Besides identifying the aquarium's fall audience, demographic data on visitors was desired to gain a clearer understanding of populations that did not visit the museum. Two-hundred and forty participants responded to a survey questionnaire administered by HMSC volunteers and the author. Forty unobtrusive observations of visitors were collected by the author. Respondents included all age groups; however, the young adults (late teens, early twenties) were underrepresented. Over half of the respondents had visited HMSC before; 81% of repeat visitors were from Oregon. A positive correlation was shown to exist between group size and the length of visit. The larger the group the longer the group tended to visit in the aquarium. The average time spent in the aquarium was 30.6 minutes. Most (82.5%) respondents overestimated the length of their visit by an average of 22 minutes. Overall, visitors were found to spend over 77% of their time at HMSC viewing the exhibits. Only 7.3% of the visitors observed traveled through the aquarium the way it was designed. The average amount of time spent at exhibits ranged from 16.6 seconds to 212.5 seconds; however, standard deviation and range indicate a great deal of variability in visitor behavior. Visitor traffic patterns and competition between exhibits was shown to influence the visitor experience. Survey and observation results were consistent with examples at other museums, zoos and aquariums cited in the literature. / Graduation date: 1992 Hatfield Marine Science Center Aquarium visitors -- Oregon -- Newport
2	The development and evaluation of an interactive exhibit to support real-time water quality data interpretation by the public at an informal education setting / Mikulak, Sarah E. January 1900 (has links) Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2010. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 210-214). Also available on the World Wide Web.
3	Conservation education in free-choice learning environments : the effects of animals and interpretation / Hodak, Eleanor. January 1900 (has links) Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-195). Also available on the World Wide Web.
4	Communicating science : developing an exhibit with scientists and educators Lemagie, Emily 28 October 2011 (has links) Outreach is a small, but significant component to modern research. Developing an exhibit for public display can be an effective way to communicate science to broad audiences, although it may be a less familiar method to scientists than writing papers or giving presentations. I outline the process of developing an interactive exhibit for outreach, and evaluate and discuss the effectiveness of a computer exhibit designed to communicate estuary currents and scientific modeling using Olympia Oyster restoration in the Yaquina Bay estuary as a theme. I summarize the results of this project in three primary recommendations: 1) exhibit developers should be deliberate in the decision to use a computer and only select this media if it is determined to be the best for communicating exhibit learning outcomes, 2) the design of visualizations to convey research results should be carefully modified from their scientific forms to best meet the exhibit learning outcomes and expectations of the exhibit audience, and 3) scientists should play an integral role in the development of scientific content-based exhibits, but their expertise, and the range of expertise from other members of the exhibit development team, should be strategically utilized. / Graduation date: 2012 Exhibit Exhibit Development Exhibit Design Education Marine Education Marine Interpretation Science Interpretation Informal Science Environmental Interpretation Environmental Outreach Science Education Communicating Science Estuary Interpretation Communication Outreach Science Outreach Free-Choice Learning Informal Education Informal Science Estuary Education Museum Exhibit Interactive Kiosk Computer Exhibit Computer Interface Interactive Touchscreen Kiosk Marine Science Exhibit Computer Display Interactive Exhibit Interactive Visualization Current Simulation Scientific Model Numerical Model Estuary Science Visitor Center Marine Science Center Visitor Behavior Museum Hatfield Marine Science Center Science Center Emily Lemagie Oregon Sea Grant Education Kiosk Educational Kiosk Computer Kiosk Science Communication Touchscreen Interface Backwards Design Tidulator Museum exhibits -- Oregon -- Newport Hatfield Marine Science Center

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