Evaluating a Planetarium Show and its Co-Creative Development Process for the Museum of Science, Boston

Written By Amanda Krantz

Client: Museum of Science, Boston | Location: Boston, MA | Funding: NASA

 
 

We explored the impact of the new full-length planetarium show Remixed: The Unexpected Side of Science on youth and documented the co-creative development process.

OVERVIEW

We partnered with Museum of Science, Boston to evaluate the planetarium show Remixed: The Unexpected Side of Science.” The full-length planetarium show was developed by the Museum of Science, Boston (MOS) with Dope Labs, particularly for youth ages 12-17.  Kera served as the external evaluator on the project, which was funded in part by the National Air and Space Administration.  Our work complemented internal evaluation done by MOS.

APPROACH

Kera’s evaluation included:

  • Summative evaluation: Evaluation data include youth surveys and youth interviews at the Museum of Science, Boston (MOS) and the Bell Museum (Bell) at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The study used a control-treatment design.

  • Process evaluation: Evaluation data include interviews with MOS staff, Dope Labs, and other contributors to the project to explore their experience with the development process.

CLIENT TAKEAWAYS

The summative evaluation demonstrated that MOS and Dope Labs created a one-of-a-kind planetarium show that positively affected youths’ perceptions of STEM and STEM careers. The show had a measurable effect on female youth in particular, suggesting the selection of co-creative partners to complement the MOS team has distinct effects on audience outcomes. The results from this study show that youth already have a strong baseline understanding of the variety and diversity of STEM careers and confidence in their ability to pursue them by this age (12-17).  This may have implications for how teams think about audience outcomes related to promoting interest in STEM careers (i.e., is it a better focus for younger audiences, could helping youth feel personal relevance with STEM move the needle, or something else).

The process evaluation documented how the co-creation process for the planetarium show was grounded in trust, care, and mutual respect, which MOS staff, Dope Labs, and other contributors deeply valued. Further, MOS emphasized how this planetarium show pushed them outside the box in a good way and could not have been created without outside collaboration. There were some challenges in the co-creative process. In particular, time management issues surfaced because of the long iteration and experimentation process that was considered necessary to bringing partners’ creative vision to life.

Amanda Krantz

Amanda brings more than a decade of research and evaluation with museums as Director of Research + Practice.

Amanda is passionate about informal learning experiences and is particularly interested in helping museums welcome and support all experience seekers and learners.

She enjoys collaborating with the diverse range of clients with which Kera Collective works.  Amanda is energized by learning about the different people and communities that museums across the country aim to engage and helping museums do so through research and planning. 

Amanda serves as the Chair for the Professional Development Committee for the Visitor Studies Association (VSA) and leads the professional development working group.  Amanda previously served on the board of the American Alliance of Museum’s Committee on Audience Research and Evaluation (CARE). 

Outside of work, Amanda serves as Vice President of the PTA at her daughter’s school.  She enjoys being a parent, the therapeutic nature of gardening, and living in a small town in the Poconos. 

Amanda’s favorite cultural institution at the moment is Longwood Gardens because she spends time with her family there at holidays and special events. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection always has a special place in her heart because she interned there.

Next

Understanding the Visitor Journey at the United States Capitol Visitor Center