The development of Science Museums has a close relationship with the IMAX film system. Museums can use IMAX film system to provide visitors with the science education, recreation, social activities and other functions. In Taiwan, NMNS, NSTM, TCRC, TAM all have set up different types of IMAX film systems. Although the IMAX theatre plays an important role in the museum management, the museum has to invest a lot of money, manpower and other resources to keep it can operate properly and to maximize its functions. Under the trend of consumer-oriented, this study focuses on the operations of NSTM¡¦s IMAX® 3D Theater, to investigate its visitors' motivations and satisfactions. The main purpose of this study includes: 1. To understand IMAX® 3D Theater visitors¡¦ motivation and satisfactions. 2. To exam the differences among various backgrounds of IMAX® 3D Theater¡¦ motivations and satisfactions. 3. To explore the dependence between IMAX® 3D Theater visitors¡¦ motivations and satisfactions. 4. To provide operational suggestions to the museum. This study was conducted with Survey Research Method by using questionnaire to collect data. There are toyal 449 valid questionnaires. The results show that: the visitors¡¦ backgrounds, affect their motivations and satisfactions; motivations and satisfactions have positive correlation. IMAX Theater visitors¡¦ motivations emphasis on entertainment, but they do not get great satisfaction from the theater.Many visitors are willing to revisit the theater, however, they are not satisfied with the present experiences. Based on the survey, the study has raised several suggestions toward the operations of the theater, including the selection of films, pricing strategies, marketing strategies.

This dissertation proposes an initial framework for designing and presenting exhibits in science centers and to recommend methods for improving the educational role of planetariums in science centers.

"Playing with Aesthetics in Art Museums" presents a strategy for using design thinking to mediate engrossing art experiences for adult museum visitors. Built upon a substantiated family resemblance between art and play experiences, the study synthesizes a typology of aesthetic theories, ten germane tenets of game design, and a psychographic portrait of the "archetypal" museum visitor to create a practical framework for delivering engrossing art experiences to adult visitors who typically enter museums with limited art historical knowledge. The interdisciplinary approach used is intended to replace the singular methodologies (whether art historical, pedagogical or aesthetic) that have informed museum practice in the United States since the late nineteenth century.

Doctor of Philosophy / Zoological gardens, or zoos, keep and display wild animals, mainly for the purposes of education, conservation and biological research. However, it is evident that a significant component of zoos is the vast number of people who visit them, since without the support of visitors, zoos would not be financially viable and would cease to exist. This research investigates the behaviours of these visitors and develops an understanding of their awareness relating to what they see and do while they are in the zoo, along with their motivations for visiting. The study focuses on two major metropolitan zoos in Australia: Adelaide (in South Australia) and Taronga (in Sydney, New South Wales). A brief historical account contextualises changes, raising awareness of the significance of visitors to the livelihood of zoos. More and more zoos are integrating into their management routines different programmes that relate to the care and welfare of the animals. Despite recent growth in scientific attention, which has focused on human-animal relationships, little research has been conducted relating to the human visitor in the zoo. To date, decisions made by administrators have been based upon assumptions of the visitors’ understanding of the work of zoos rather than on actual quantitative findings. This empirical research is significant in that it uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to appraise factual data and information. The data from unobtrusive tracking observations at different exhibits, combined with the results of questionnaire surveys, are used to explore and assess the perceptions of visitors. In developing a demographic profile of the people who visit zoos, this work considers the motivations and the frequency of visitors. Various factors that influence the viewing patterns of visitors are explored to assess the popularity of exhibits, and the perceptions of visitors relating to animals and enclosures are investigated, to assess the diverse levels of satisfaction. Case studies explore the perceptions and understandings of visitors towards the use of enrichment items, the use of signs and labels, and a hypothetical approach to the feeding of carnivores in zoos. The results are important in that they contribute essential knowledge that describes the perceptions of a wide range of people who visit zoos, along with their expectations, since it is crucial for these institutions to maintain their popularity with the public.

The aim of this study was to asses the impact of a visit to the NIHERST/NGC National Science Centre in Trinidad on four different school-age visitor groups. The research was conducted through the administering of a post-visit questionnaire immediately upon completion of each visit by each group, and via visitor feedback obtained in post-visit or pre-visit activities conducted within two weeks of the visit for three groups. Teachers/instructors who accompanied the groups on their visit also completed post-visit questionnaires and provided additional information on follow-up activities via an interview. The results of this investigation suggest that the visit to this science centre provided entertainment/enjoyment value and potential educational value to most individuals. The nature of this enjoyment was noted for various age groups and genders in this study. Quantification of the educational impact was not possible within the constraints of this study, which was unable to capture long-term effects of the supply of ‘new knowledge’ to visitors which the visit to the science centre had provided.

The purpose of this study was to investigate pupils’ knowledge about science and what role science center is playing as a medium of communication to increase knowledge among students. This study also tried to find out pupils’ interaction: how they use science center as a source of scientific information, what they learn from their visit to a science center, their pattern of communication with it. This project also measured attraction, holding and learning power of exhibits of the science center at Dalarna University in Borlänge and learning power of planetarium program and slide show of Stella Nova Planetarium at Dalarna University.The subjects of this study consisted of students of class seven and eight and teachers of an urban school in Borlänge, Sweden. To find out students’ learning in a science center a pre and post visit test were conducted through questionnaires. Interview method by questionnaires was also used to explore pupils’ interaction with science center.The results of this study show that students learn by their visit to a science center but learning was not statistically significant (0.05).Girls learnt better than boys. School classes that have better pre-knowledge about science before a visit to a science center learnt worse than other classes having less pre-knowledge. Girls and boys interact with a science center in different ways. Science center is playing important role as a science communicator.

In the 1960s a movement by the National Audubon Society encouraged growing communities to set aside a portion of undeveloped land to be used as nature centers to teach conservation and natural history while allowing people to cultivate an understanding and appreciation of nature. This research responds to the need for a greater understanding of who is visiting nature centers in the 21st century and why. A key question is whether or not nature centers have kept up with changing times and advancing technologies. No research has been conducted to determine if nature centers are still relevant today to a society accustomed to living and learning electronically in a virtual reality. In order to determine who visits nature centers and why, a questionnaire was developed and administered to Members and Non-members of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FWNC) of Fort Worth, TX. It was determined that visitors to the FWNC were not representative of the general population of the surrounding area. They were older, predominantly white, and had higher education levels. Using the membership in a Friends organization as a representative population of nature center visitors, it was determined that the Non-member visitors were similar to the Members except that they were younger. Members visited the FWNC with a higher degree of frequency than Non-members, but there was no difference in degree of visitation to other nature centers. Both groups identified "lack of time" as the primary barrier to increased visitation. Members appeared to be seeking specific, educational experiences compared to Non-members who tended to seek more general, recreational experiences. Members had more specific knowledge about benefits and services that the FWNC provided the community. Overall, both groups were satisfied with their visits, with Members having a more defined set of expectations and a higher level of satisfaction. This preliminary assessment suggests that nature centers continue to be a relevant source for education, recreation and relaxation, and continue to remain a unique resource in keeping 21st century society connected to the nature world.

Motivation is an important aspect of learning in educational leisure settings because it affects the choices visitors make regarding what to attend to, the amount of effort they devote to learning, and the extent to which they enjoy the experience. Commonly, however, visitors seek entertainment, social or restorative experiences as well as, or in preference to, a learning experience. This research investigates the impact of motivational factors on the experience of learning in educational leisure settings. Motivational factors are considered in terms of four components - personal goals, capability beliefs, context beliefs and situational incentives. The experience of learning is considered in terms of visitors’ perceptions of the experience, rather than objective measures of learning outcomes, as the experience itself is seen as the desired outcome of the visit. Visitors to six different educational leisure settings in South East Queensland were invited to participate in the research, including a museum, an art gallery, a wildlife centre, an aquarium, and guided tours of natural and cultural heritage sites. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires (499 participants) and interviews (52 participants) in order to ascertain the importance to visitors of different types of learning experiences; identify the extent to which motivations for learning vary across sites and visitor groups; investigate the relationships between the educational, entertainment, social and restorative aspects of the visitors’ experience; and examine the impact of motivational factors on visitors’ experience of learning in leisure settings. The findings support the importance of learning to visitors in a range of educational leisure settings. Visitors seek an experience that combines elements of learning and discovery, and is perceived to be both effortless and fun. It is concluded that the characteristics of learning in educational leisure settings contribute to a synergy between the educational and entertainment aspects of the experience. Situational factors are more important than personal factors in motivating visitors to engage in and experience this type of learning. This is of great significance to educational leisure settings as it implies that sites have a reasonable degree of control over the motivational factors that influence visitor engagement in learning.

Doctor of Philosophy / Zoological gardens, or zoos, keep and display wild animals, mainly for the purposes of education, conservation and biological research. However, it is evident that a significant component of zoos is the vast number of people who visit them, since without the support of visitors, zoos would not be financially viable and would cease to exist. This research investigates the behaviours of these visitors and develops an understanding of their awareness relating to what they see and do while they are in the zoo, along with their motivations for visiting. The study focuses on two major metropolitan zoos in Australia: Adelaide (in South Australia) and Taronga (in Sydney, New South Wales). A brief historical account contextualises changes, raising awareness of the significance of visitors to the livelihood of zoos. More and more zoos are integrating into their management routines different programmes that relate to the care and welfare of the animals. Despite recent growth in scientific attention, which has focused on human-animal relationships, little research has been conducted relating to the human visitor in the zoo. To date, decisions made by administrators have been based upon assumptions of the visitors’ understanding of the work of zoos rather than on actual quantitative findings. This empirical research is significant in that it uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to appraise factual data and information. The data from unobtrusive tracking observations at different exhibits, combined with the results of questionnaire surveys, are used to explore and assess the perceptions of visitors. In developing a demographic profile of the people who visit zoos, this work considers the motivations and the frequency of visitors. Various factors that influence the viewing patterns of visitors are explored to assess the popularity of exhibits, and the perceptions of visitors relating to animals and enclosures are investigated, to assess the diverse levels of satisfaction. Case studies explore the perceptions and understandings of visitors towards the use of enrichment items, the use of signs and labels, and a hypothetical approach to the feeding of carnivores in zoos. The results are important in that they contribute essential knowledge that describes the perceptions of a wide range of people who visit zoos, along with their expectations, since it is crucial for these institutions to maintain their popularity with the public.

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