Museum Research Methods

MUSM7034Semester 1 2009

Session 4.2 Observation methods

www.arts.usyd.edu.au/departs/museum

http://musm7034.ning.com/

[2] Museum Research Methods 2009

How do people use the space? What behaviours are encouraged? Are there congestion points? How are things used? Seating, introductory framing. Are there dead spots? How does the space work during busy periods? Do some features encourage social learning? What features/displays are used most?

Questions

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General Value Principle

Desire Lines

Hubs and cluster points

Concepts

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Attracting power – proportion who engage with the display Strongly influenced by location on main pathways

Holding power – length of time spent at display

Attracting & Holding Score

= average holding power x percent who looked

Concepts

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Tracking Counting / timing

Behaviours

Observation methods

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Follow visitors and mark their path on a floor plan Record gender, age, visiting group, kids/no kids

Record start time and finish time

Mark path, stopping places and time spent

Use a new map for each person

Summarise data by showing main pathways

Tracking

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Choose displays/activities you want to focus on

Select specific blocks of time (e.g. 1 hour)

Count the number of people who attend to the display/activity and how long they spend doing it

Counting and timing

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Behaviours that suggest engagement Walking toward Looking, reading

Behaviours that suggest learning (Janette Griffin) Looking, reading Pointing, talking (social learning) Returning (synthesise, reflect, question)

Attend to distance (looking near and far)

Noting behaviours

[12] Museum Research Methods 2009

Specify the learning outcome

Nominate behaviours required to achieve this outcome

Observe behaviours

Example: ‘Marvellous Molecules’ p17.

Defined behaviours