MCN 2018 - An Evaluative Practice: Embracing Unanticipated Findings in Evaluation
Channel: Andrew Lih
Date: 16/11/2018

Melissa Mair
Jennifer Foley
A. Andrea Montiel De Shuman
Emily Fry
Danielle St. Peter

As cultural institutions continue to innovate and try new approaches and technologies, evaluation serves an important role in informing institutional decisions and practices. More than helping to select an appropriate technological tool or activity, evaluation provides critical insight on how visitors are connecting with and responding to the institution and its offerings. But what happens when the evaluation uncovers some surprising findings that the museum was not expecting?

Learn about the unexpected findings five different museums have uncovered in their evaluation and how their teams are responding to those results. From the emotional impact of exhibitions to the reasons why some visitors do not use technology, this panel will cover a broad range of evaluation projects and findings. What all these panelists have seen, however, is when they embraced these unexpected findings, they were able to work towards better meeting their audiences’ needs and truly humanizing their offerings—both digital and analog.

Participants will gain insight into the evaluation process and learn about the impact of unexpected findings on museum work. By sharing their experiences, the panelists will encourage participants to think about how they can embrace unexpected findings at their own institutions.

http://conference.mcn.edu/2018/profile.cfm?profile_name=session&master_key=969DC8AC-963D-5741-406D-6BF926A641EF&page_key=B643D123-DF0D-7920-FD3A-9978D1EFEE81&xtemplate&userLGNKEY=0