Arc of Appalachia Preserve System

Appalachian Forest Museum Evaluation

PROCEDURE

Visitors were asked to attempt to answer nine questions before experiencing the Appalachian Forest Museum displays. Only one question provided multiple answers to choose from, the rest required short written answers. The questions related to the below nine chosen concepts interpreted in the displays:

Where the temperate forest biome is found in the world
Why the temperate forest is Earth's most disturbed terrestrial biome
Distinguishing features of the temperate forest biome
Which forest cultures lived in America
The amazing aquatic diversity of America's eastern temperate forest
The importance of maintaining riverine forest corridors to preserve healthy watersheds
What was lost when the forests were destroyed
Why the eastern temperate forest is the best place in the world to restore the temperate forest biome
Where the most continuous forest cover is in Ohio today

After completing the questions, visitors were asked to turn in their survey. They were then invited to follow the deer tracks through the ancient forest grove in order to experience the story of the Appalachian Forest in nine chapters, illustrated by eight hand painted murals.
After experiencing the illustrated story, visitors were asked to complete a second survey, with the identical nine questions.
The number of correct answers on each survey were compared in order to evaluate the educational effectiveness of the displays to teach the nine chosen concepts listed above.

RESULTS, ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

Four of the nine questions asked for three answers each. Therefore, there were 17 answers. The data indicates that visitors had an average of 4.8 correct answers (29% correct) before experiencing the displays. Range of correct answers was from 0 to 12 (0-71%). The histogram below shows the number of participants who scored the same, exhibiting a mode of 2 correct answers.

After experiencing the displays, visitors scored an average of 10.8 correct answers (64% correct). Range of correct answers was from 1-17 (6-100%). The histogram below shows a mode of 10 correct answers.

Individuals exhibited an increase in correct answers ranging from 0-12, with an average of 6. Therefore, visitors scored a 124% increase in the average number of correct answers after experiencing the displays. Individual visitors showed a range in the increase of correct answers between 0 and 1,200%, with an average increase of 263%. The attached histogram exhibits a mode of between 88 and 149% increase in correct answers (rounded to the nearest increment of 100%).

A 124% increase in the average number of correct answers relating to nine of the concepts interpreted by the displays indicates a high degree of educational effectiveness for the displays. Since visitors were not permitted to carry the questions with them through the displays, the results also evidence good short term retention of concepts, indicating an effective interpretative design.

Appalachian Forest Museum Evaluation Data

Back to the Highlands Nature Sanctuary