Magnetism, light, structures, and rotational motion: Mixed-methods study of visitors engaging with four exhibits at a science museum

Mixed-methods research was conducted at four exhibits by four teams of graduate students and museum practitioners at MOXI, the Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, in southern California. These four focal exhibits were Turn Tables, Keva Planks, Magnetic Islands, and Light Patterns. All four teams were interested in identifying guest behavior at the focal exhibits. However, teams from Turn Tables and Keva Planks were additionally interested in assessing whether a modification or manipulation to the physical exhibit impacted guest stay time at the exhibit. The first project examined Turn Tables, a set of rotating tables. This team found that adding a graphic to the exhibit had a significant impact on engagement with increasing complexity (p < .05). The second project investigated Keva Planks, which are small wooden planks guests can use to make structures. Researchers assessed how the presence of a museum floor facilitator or existing structures at the exhibit influenced stay time and engagement with the Keva Planks, and found a statistically significant difference in mean stay time in the case of both facilitator and structure present compared with only a structure present (p < .05). The final two studies used mainly qualitative observations to identify guest behaviors when interacting with each exhibit. The team that studied Magnetic Islands, a small magnetic structure guests can attach washers to, documented three engagement types: basic playing, building structures, and exploring magnetism. Findings from this project indicate that when children engaged with peers rather than visiting the exhibit alone, they exhibited more complex engagement types such as building and exploring magnetism. The final study examined Light Patterns, a large color peg board that covered an entire will, focusing specifically on the behaviors of guests in early childhood to characterize the different ways young children chose to engage with the exhibit. Findings suggest that children exhibited many different behaviors at Light Patterns that demonstrated evidence of engagement with STEM practices such as asking questions, making observations, and recognizing patterns. This research contributes to topics about Research Practitioner Partnership (RPP) models, mixed-methods research, museum facilitation, learning affordances in museum spaces, and the impact of exhibit design on the museum guest experience.