ERIC Number: EJ1474728
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2154-8455
EISSN: EISSN-2154-8463
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Best Fit for Your Audience: Using Integrated Evaluation Methods for Data Collection at Informal Science Events
International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement, v15 n2 p325-339 2025
Carefully designed evaluations of informal science events are key to gaining insights into their efficacy and impact on audiences. However, traditional approaches to evaluation, such as interviews and questionnaires, can be disruptive to the audience experience of science events. There is therefore a need to develop and implement new evaluation methods that match the dynamic and transient contexts of informal science events, and that are integrated into the experience of the event. In this article, we outline the development and implementation of a set of novel integrated evaluation methods used to evaluate performances of "Lines of Best Fit," a science-themed improvised comedy show founded in Sydney, Australia. We outline the methods used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from audiences at these events and provide reflections on the benefits and limitations of this approach based on our experiences of implementation across nine performances in different venues.
Descriptors: Informal Education, Science Education, Evaluation Methods, Data Collection, Audiences, Integrated Activities, Comedy, Foreign Countries
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Chemistry, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia