Johanna Jones is the Director of Evaluation and Visitor Insights at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA). Johanna leads the Museum’s audience research, evaluation, and social impact measurement work. Before joining OMCA in 2016, Johanna was an evaluation consultant for 20 years. In 2020, you wrote about the work OMCA has been doing to evaluateContinue reading “How can museums measure social impact? Interview with Johanna Jones”
Category Archives: Reflection and Evaluation
How do we plan and improve museum programs?
My last post, on the role of education research in planning museum programs, sparked debate in person and on LinkedIn about whether museums emphasize content knowledge or an understanding of pedagogy when hiring, training, and supporting museum education staff. For better or worse, it’s essential that museum educators know both. They need to understand the content they areContinue reading “How do we plan and improve museum programs?”
Play and Learning: What can children tell us?
This week’s guest post is by Nicole R. Rivera, Ed.D. Nicole is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at North Central College. She is also the Academic Research and Evaluation Partner of the DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville, IL. For the past two years, I have been working with the DuPage museum to explore what parents andContinue reading “Play and Learning: What can children tell us?”
What does it take to create a great education program?
As we plan for 2018 at the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum, we have decided to reduce the number of programs we offer, holding workshops and home-school programs monthly instead of semi-monthly, and cultural festivals bi-monthly instead of monthly. The goal is to leave more time to ensure excellence of programs, and to build strong systemsContinue reading “What does it take to create a great education program?”
What does a successful maker space in a children’s museum looks like? Interview with Dr. Michael Hanchett Hanson
“Maker Spaces” are currently in vogue: they are now a fairly standard component of children’s museums, and many art museums have drop-in spaces for children and families to create art during their visit. Schools and libraries are interested in maker spaces as well. As with any other exhibit, a maker space is not inherently successful.Continue reading “What does a successful maker space in a children’s museum looks like? Interview with Dr. Michael Hanchett Hanson”
Where and What Do We Learn About Research? An Investigation Into a Hard-to-Find Article
A few months ago I stumbled upon an IMLS blogpost sharing research about the impact of informal learning environments on academic achievement. Deanne Swan, formerly a researcher for IMLS, mined a large body of data – the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, which collected data from 21,000 children over nearly 10 years – for the correlationsContinue reading “Where and What Do We Learn About Research? An Investigation Into a Hard-to-Find Article”
What did I learn in my first year?
The Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum turned one year old last week. Amidst the birthday celebrations and thank you emails, I have been reflecting on the question: What did I learn from my first year as a museum director? What did we learn from the first year of operation of a new museum? I came upContinue reading “What did I learn in my first year?”
What data do we use to define success?
On Tuesday we are hosting a cocktail party for major donors – people who, over the 15 years of building the PlayHouse, have donated $5000 or more. The goal of this event is to thank them for what they helped us to create. I am struggling with my brief presentation to them. What information orContinue reading “What data do we use to define success?”
What is a “good” science demonstration?
Recently I saw a video of a science demonstration in a children’s museum, and found myself wondering if the children were learning anything. What is the purpose of science demonstrations in museums? And what makes them effective at achieving whatever purpose we assign to them? To address this question I experimented with a first forContinue reading “What is a “good” science demonstration?”
What happens when parents join their kids in play, exploration and museum conversation?
This week’s post is by Amanda Nobis, a junior at Bradley University, and the first Research Intern at the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum. This summer I had the opportunity to help form a collaborative relationship between the Bradley University Psychology Department and the Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum. I was invited to join the staff ofContinue reading “What happens when parents join their kids in play, exploration and museum conversation?”
Museum Questions 