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摘 要:德國曼海姆科技馆作为致力于科学与工业革命的博物馆,借助不同工作种类的人员配置,演示亲身实践的设施并解释现象背后的原理,在展览中起到了积极调动公众参与的作用。每两年一次的观众调查有助于更好地认识观众,同时也反映了一些常见的问题。以啤酒特展为例,从展教活动的角度,探讨曼海姆科技馆对待困难话题的策略与方案。
关键词:教育活动 交互展项 观众调查
Abstract In this article, the TECHNOSEUM in Mannheim, a museum for science and the industrial revolution is introduced to outline its special way of handling the visitors through a set of different type of employees, who are working in the exhibition to engage the public by showing hands-on stations and explaining the technology behind them. It is aimed at showing some ideas about challenging topics for educational purpose. Author will briefly introduce the conduction of surveys at first, which is for the purpose of gaining a better understandingof the customers, and shows difficulties with getting to know the "non-visitors", followed with a interpretation of a living example: an exhibition about beer.
Keywords educational activities, interactive stations, Survey of the visitors
0 Introduction
The TECHNOSEUM, opened in 1990 as a state museum of science, industry and the workplaces and workers living conditions, has a exhibition on the history of industrialization that covers 9 000 m2. It shows the advances in natural sciences and technology from the 18th century until today, but also the social and economic changes that followed the industrialization in Germany. For instance, one gets insights into how a steam engine works, but also learns about the consequences that the introduction of steam power had on people’s life. Many of the historical machines are still in use, and specially trained technicians will demonstrate and explain work sequences and answer visitors’ questions.
Visitors can try things out by themselves in the three interactive elemental exhibitions shaped in the style of a science center. In one aspect, it is very different from any science centers in the world: the subject matter of these interactive stations is connected to the narrative of the museum and there are real historical objects to underline this connection. Also, the museum has a number of on-site employees of different categories to help engage visitors and assist them in getting the most out of their experience.
1 Special employees for a personal approach
There are three levels of on-site employees in the exhibition space:
(1) Guards. They watch the originals and make sure visitors find their way. They also guard the originals. Dressed in their blue and white uniform, they are easy to make out in case anyone needs to ask for help. (2) TECHNOscouts. These guides are dressed in branded bright red polo shirts to make them easy to find. Positioned at certain busy points in the special exhibition, they are here to engage with the visitors, offer assistance in the use of the interactive stations and explain more complex connections and scientific questions. They have a good understanding of the exhibition and can also answer questions concerning the content. Ideally, they can communicate with the visitors in a non-invasive way and offer to show certain experiments that can only be used with their assistance, for example, the collaborative robot "Yumi" who can built a little model car together with the visitor. The TECHNOscouts are trained and get paid for preparation time to be able to get familiar with new topics. Learning materials and educational training is provided by the research staff and the educational team. They are usually recruited from a pool of university students of mathematics or other scientific fields.
(3) Staff for the demonstration of historical machines. These employees have special knowledge about the historical machines still in action in TECHNOSEUM, like the paper mill, where visitors can produce their own piece of paper, the 200-year-old steam-train that runs on its tracks inside and on a little tour outside of the museum every day or the printing press from the 1800s. These machines and procedures will be presented at a set schedule, so that visitors can follow these scheduled times on their tour through the museum. All senses are addressed that the motion draws the eye, the machine oil attracts the sense of smell, and the sense of hearing will be drawn to the unfamiliar and surprising sound of the watermills rushing water or the squeaking of the wooden paper mill, so there is always some wheel turning or some machine that makes noise to draw attention! By engaging the visitors in some of the action, whether it is riding the train or weaving the cloth, the sense of touch is also appealed to the visitors.
2 Survey of the visitors
The TECHNOSEUM has worked with a professional institute in producing their surveys. The contracted company has done every two years, with some questions that were asked to target certain topics, such as: did the visitors like the new aspect of the museum (e.g. the interactive stations)? how did they hear about the special exhibition? how would they rate the friendliness of the staff?
The report of these surveys is very detailed and about 150 pages long. The analysis of the survey takes a lot of time and expert study, but it can guide the staff in the right direction for change and is considered as very valuable feedback. It has also shown that it would be even better to do these surveys in-house, as to have a better and closer control of their direction and quality.
关键词:教育活动 交互展项 观众调查
Abstract In this article, the TECHNOSEUM in Mannheim, a museum for science and the industrial revolution is introduced to outline its special way of handling the visitors through a set of different type of employees, who are working in the exhibition to engage the public by showing hands-on stations and explaining the technology behind them. It is aimed at showing some ideas about challenging topics for educational purpose. Author will briefly introduce the conduction of surveys at first, which is for the purpose of gaining a better understandingof the customers, and shows difficulties with getting to know the "non-visitors", followed with a interpretation of a living example: an exhibition about beer.
Keywords educational activities, interactive stations, Survey of the visitors
0 Introduction
The TECHNOSEUM, opened in 1990 as a state museum of science, industry and the workplaces and workers living conditions, has a exhibition on the history of industrialization that covers 9 000 m2. It shows the advances in natural sciences and technology from the 18th century until today, but also the social and economic changes that followed the industrialization in Germany. For instance, one gets insights into how a steam engine works, but also learns about the consequences that the introduction of steam power had on people’s life. Many of the historical machines are still in use, and specially trained technicians will demonstrate and explain work sequences and answer visitors’ questions.
Visitors can try things out by themselves in the three interactive elemental exhibitions shaped in the style of a science center. In one aspect, it is very different from any science centers in the world: the subject matter of these interactive stations is connected to the narrative of the museum and there are real historical objects to underline this connection. Also, the museum has a number of on-site employees of different categories to help engage visitors and assist them in getting the most out of their experience.
1 Special employees for a personal approach
There are three levels of on-site employees in the exhibition space:
(1) Guards. They watch the originals and make sure visitors find their way. They also guard the originals. Dressed in their blue and white uniform, they are easy to make out in case anyone needs to ask for help. (2) TECHNOscouts. These guides are dressed in branded bright red polo shirts to make them easy to find. Positioned at certain busy points in the special exhibition, they are here to engage with the visitors, offer assistance in the use of the interactive stations and explain more complex connections and scientific questions. They have a good understanding of the exhibition and can also answer questions concerning the content. Ideally, they can communicate with the visitors in a non-invasive way and offer to show certain experiments that can only be used with their assistance, for example, the collaborative robot "Yumi" who can built a little model car together with the visitor. The TECHNOscouts are trained and get paid for preparation time to be able to get familiar with new topics. Learning materials and educational training is provided by the research staff and the educational team. They are usually recruited from a pool of university students of mathematics or other scientific fields.
(3) Staff for the demonstration of historical machines. These employees have special knowledge about the historical machines still in action in TECHNOSEUM, like the paper mill, where visitors can produce their own piece of paper, the 200-year-old steam-train that runs on its tracks inside and on a little tour outside of the museum every day or the printing press from the 1800s. These machines and procedures will be presented at a set schedule, so that visitors can follow these scheduled times on their tour through the museum. All senses are addressed that the motion draws the eye, the machine oil attracts the sense of smell, and the sense of hearing will be drawn to the unfamiliar and surprising sound of the watermills rushing water or the squeaking of the wooden paper mill, so there is always some wheel turning or some machine that makes noise to draw attention! By engaging the visitors in some of the action, whether it is riding the train or weaving the cloth, the sense of touch is also appealed to the visitors.
2 Survey of the visitors
The TECHNOSEUM has worked with a professional institute in producing their surveys. The contracted company has done every two years, with some questions that were asked to target certain topics, such as: did the visitors like the new aspect of the museum (e.g. the interactive stations)? how did they hear about the special exhibition? how would they rate the friendliness of the staff?
The report of these surveys is very detailed and about 150 pages long. The analysis of the survey takes a lot of time and expert study, but it can guide the staff in the right direction for change and is considered as very valuable feedback. It has also shown that it would be even better to do these surveys in-house, as to have a better and closer control of their direction and quality.