Patron Survey September, 2010 Prepared by Sarah Cohn, Denise Huynh and Zdanna King Overview The Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition was at the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) from March 12, 2010 until October 24, 2010. The exhibition showcased a collection of 2,000 year-old documents that explore a little known period in Judeo-Christian religious history (Science Museum of Minnesota website, 2010). Also included is a display of The Saint John s Bible the first complete handwritten and illuminated Bible to be commissioned by a Benedictine Monastery in 500 years. In order to assess visitors experiences with the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition (DSS), the SMM Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning staff distributed surveys to 100 visitors exiting the exhibition between May 20, 2010 and June 4, 2010. A continuous random sampling procedure was utilized (i.e. once an interview was completed, the next eligible visitor to exit the exhibition was approached). Only visitors 16 and older were eligible for the survey, and only one member per visitor group was interviewed. Following are results from the initial evaluation; all n values represent the number of visitors responding to a given question. Visitor demographics are located at the end of the document. Results Exhibition Satisfaction Visitors were asked a number of questions related to their satisfaction with the DSS Exhibition. As illustrated in Table 1, a majority of visitors rated their DSS experience as excellent (60%). Most of the remaining visitors thought their experience within the exhibition was good (35%). Table 1: Overall Exhibition Experience (n=100) Excellent 60% Good 35% Fair 5% Poor 0% Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 1
When looking at visitor demographics and overall Dead Sea Scrolls experience ratings, a notable difference appears for visitors in different age groups. While most age groups rated the experience as excellent, with the exception of the 22-29 age group, the proportion of visitors who gave an excellent rating trended towards an older demographic (see Table 2). The 70+ age group gave the experience the largest proportion of excellent ratings (80%). One anomaly appears to be the 17-21 age group, which also gave a large proportion of excellent ratings (60%); however, this group contains the fewest number of visitors. Table 2: DSS Experience by Age Age Group n Excellent Good Fair Poor 17-21 5 60% 40% 0% 0% 22-29 17 35% 59% 6% 0% 30-39 8 50% 50% 0% 0% 40-49 12 50% 42% 8% 0% 50-59 19 63% 26% 11% 0% 60-69 20 75% 20% 5% 0% 70+ 10 80% 20% 0% 0% Overwhelmingly, guests thought the exhibit was as interesting or more interesting than they had expected (45% and 47%, respectively). Almost one tenth of visitors rated the exhibit as not as interesting as I thought it would be (7%). In order to understand if visitors thought whether what they paid was valuable for what they received, visitors were asked what they thought about the admission price both before and after they attended the exhibition. The largest value ranking of admission price was as a fair value before seeing the exhibition (40%) and increased to a good value (42%) after experiencing the exhibition (see Table 3). Table 3: Perceived Value of Admission Cost (n=96) Before Attending After Attending A great value 10% 22% A good value 32% 42% A fair value 40% 28% A poor value 4% 4% Didn t know admission price 13% 4% Individual visitor value ratings were compared to find if there was a change before and after attending the Dead Sea Scrolls. Visitors were evenly split down the middle, with half of all visitors reporting a change in their perceived value of the exhibit after visiting it (50%). Most visitors who gave a poor or fair value before attending expressed an increase in perceived value after experiencing the exhibition (75% of poor ratings increased, 56% of fair ratings increased; see Table 4). The majority of those who rated the exhibition as great or good prior to attending did not change their rating after attending (80% and 71%, Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 2
respectively). About 13% of visitors did not know what the admission price was prior to arriving at the museum. After attending, most of these visitors rated the admission value as good or great (50%), while two fifths reported it was a fair value (42%) and one quarter noted no change (25%). A little less than one tenth of visitors reported a decrease of perceived value after attending the exhibit (7%). Most of these respondents decreased their ratings by one level (86%), but one guest noted a drop of two levels from good to poor. No differences were identified in how SMM members and non-members rated the value of DSS after attending the exhibition. Table 4: Value Rating Changes Between Before/After Attending Value Percent Change Increase Decrease No Change Value Before A great value (n=10) N/A 20% 80% A good value (n=31) 19% 10% 71% A fair value (n=39) 56% 5% 38% A poor value (n=4) 75% N/A 25% Didn t know admission price (n=12) 75% 0% 25% Another indicator of visitors enjoyment of the DSS Exhibition was whether or not they would recommend visiting the exhibition to family and friends. Visitors were asked to estimate the likelihood that they would recommend DSS on a ten-point scale, with 1 being not at all likely and 10 being very likely. The majority of visitors gave a numeric response between 7 and 10 (88%: see Table 5). No visitors gave a numeric response below 4. These results indicate that the majority of DSS attendees enjoyed the exhibition and wanted others to have a similar experience. Table 5: Recommend to Family and Friends (n=99) 1-6 12% 7-10 88% Exhibition Content Visitors were asked whether anything within the DSS exhibition surprised them. Over half of the visitors answered this question, often providing more than one response. Over one quarter of the answers related to new information the visitor learned through the exhibition learned (28%) (see Table 6). A number of visitors were surprised how small the actual scrolls were (13%) as well as how few of them there were to see (11%). Additionally, visitor comments referred to logistics of the exhibition, the presence of the Saint John s Bible, and the absence of the Book of Esther. One of the responding visitors did not realize that the scrolls were actually in the exhibition: The scrolls were not here. I had not realized that. Refer to Appendix A for a complete list of coded responses. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 3
Table 6: Exhibition Surprises (n=57*) Large Amount and/or Depth of Information 25% No Surprises 17% Small Size of Scrolls 13% Few Number of Scrolls 11% Exhibit Logistics 9% St. John s Bible 8% Facts Learned in the Exhibit 6% More Interested/Learned than Expected 5% Book of Esther 3% General Comments 2% Misconception 2% *Some visitors provided more than one response. Exhibition Surprises Theme Examples Large amount and/or depth of information More depth than I expected. A LOT of material to read. No surprises No, not really. No, but it added depth to my knowledge. Small size of scrolls How small and incomplete and dark the samples were! Scrolls were very small and difficult to analyze but understood the reasons. Few number of scrolls I saw the shrine of the book in Jerusalem and I expected to see more of the scrolls but now understand the difficulties in transport. I enjoyed all the other artifacts and history. Would have liked to see more fragments after all of the build up. Exhibit logistics How cold the rooms are. The flow of people was good. 9% (5) Saint John s Bible Also the King James [Visitor meant Saint John s] Bible exhibit at the end! Love being able to see the St. John's Bible display. Facts learned in the exhibit How close they were all found to each other. Small size of script. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 4
More interested/learned than expected Was much more interesting than I thought it would be! I am really glad I came! Yes, I learned a lot. Book of Esther The book of Esther was omitted. The Book of Esther. General Comments Great regional artifacts. Misconception The scrolls were not here. I had not realized that. Visitor Attendance Motivation Visitors were asked to rate their interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls prior to their visit to the exhibition at the museum (see Table 7). Nearly two thirds of visitors reported that they were very interested in the DSS topic (63%) before visiting the museum. Only a few visitors reported that they were not that interested (3%), showing that the majority of surveyed visitors already had a high level of interest in the topic prior to attending the exhibition. Table 7: Interest in the Scrolls Before Visiting (n=100) Very interested 63% Somewhat interested 34% Not that interested 3% Visitors were given a list of factors from which to choose as to what played an important role in their decision to attend the exhibition. As seen in Table 8, visitors often identified multiple reasons for coming to the exhibition. The most common response among visitors was that they were interested in history (67%). Half of the visitors also reported that because the scrolls are an important part of numerous religions or faiths (51%), they wanted to come to the exhibition. Only two fifths held the view that the scrolls are an important part of my religion or faith (39%). Visitors identified their interest in science (43%) and in learning more about the scrolls (43%) more often than the importance of their personal faith as factors for visiting the exhibition. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 5
Table 8: Importance in Decision to Come to DSS* (n=98) I am interested in history. 67% The scrolls are an important part of numerous religions or faiths. 51% I am interested in learning more about the Dead Sea Scrolls. 43% I am interested in science. 43% The scrolls are an important part of my religion or faith. 39% A friend, colleague, or family member recommended it highly. 21% It seemed like a good family outing. 20% I have seen so much advertising for it I wanted to see it for myself. 8% I received a discount. 6% Other reason 11% *Visitors were asked to check all that apply. Other reasons Anthropology major. I have read books on them. I read a book about them in the 60s and have been interested in what has been learned since then. I am old enough to remember their discovery. Interest in the region. Tourist also, I m studying the Old Testament now at church. The awe of seeing something that old with my own eyes. Important historical documents. Family member wanted to see it and I came along. My son was very interested. Visitors were later asked to rate their level of interest in science on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents I have no interest in science and 10 represents I am extremely interested in science (see Table 15 in Visitor Demographics section). These ratings were crossed with the reported motivations for attending the Dead Sea Scrolls (in Table 8) in order to better understand the difference in motivation between those who report a lower interest in science (1-6) and those who report a higher interest in science (7-10). A few interesting data points stand out (see Table 9). Those who reported a higher level of interest in science (between 7 and 10) also reported being more interested in the educational components of the exhibition, such as history (71%), science (51%), and the Dead Sea Scrolls as an important part of numerous religions or faiths (54%). Those who reported a lower level of interest in science were also interested in the educational components of the exhibit, but at lower rates than those whose interest in science is between 7 and 10. The only motivational category for visiting the exhibition that visitors with a lower interest in science identified more frequently than those with a higher interest in science was A friend, colleague, or family member recommended it highly (27%). There was not a large difference between level of interest in science and the importance of the scrolls to visitors religion or faith. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 6
There was a statistically significant correlation between those who rated their interest between 7 and 10 on the provided scale and those that noted one of their motivations for attending the DSS exhibit was an interest in science (p<0.05). Our sample did not reveal any other statistically significant differences in the motivations for visiting the DSS exhibit and the visitors science interest ranking. Table 9: Level of Interest in Science and DSS Motivation* (n= 91) 1-6 (n=22) 7-10 (n=69) I am interested in history. 55% 71% The scrolls are an important part of numerous religions or faiths. 50% 54% I am interested in science. 18% 51% I am interested in learning more about the Dead Sea Scrolls. 36% 45% The scrolls are an important part of my religion or faith. 36% 39% A friend, colleague, or family member recommended it highly. 27% 22% It seemed like a good family outing. 18% 18% I have seen so much advertising for it I wanted to see it for myself. 5% 9% I received a discount. 5% 6% Other reason 9% 13% *Visitors were asked to check all that apply. Exhibition Components Visitors were interviewed about some specific exhibition components. Visitors were asked what they thought about the live introduction component of the exhibition and how it affected their visit to the Dead Sea Scrolls. The live introduction was a theatrical piece lasting 5-10 minutes; as the actor gave background information on the scrolls, pictures flashed on a screen behind them. Visitors were also asked how the live introduction component compared to having an introductory video. The majority of visitors felt the live introduction was informative or interesting (76%) as well as better than a video (65%) (see Table 10). One quarter of visitors were neutral (25%) about the subject, and slightly more than one quarter thought the component was about the same as a video (28%). Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 7
Table 10: Ratings of Live Introduction (n=100) Informative or interesting 76% Neutral 24% Unnecessary or bothersome 0% (n=98) Better than a video 65% About the same as a video 28% Not as good as a video 7% Several questions regarding the exhibition s audio tour were posed to visitors through the survey. The audio tour supported numerous exhibits within the DSS Exhibition through extending the depth of information available to visitors. Eleven of the twenty stops included multiple levels of information, and there were two versions of the audio tour: an Adult Tour and a Family Tour. The handset used to access the audio tour was offered freely to every visitor as they entered the exhibition. Nearly all visitors shared that they used the audio tour (90%). Since the audio tour was provided for all exhibition visitors, 90% usage of the technology is not unusual. Visitors were asked about which audio tour they listened to while walking through the exhibition. Almost all of the visitors listened to the Adult Tour (96%), while a few listened to both tours (3%). The Family Tour was rarely used; adults seem to have preferred listening to the Adult Tour rather than the listening to the Family Tour, even though over half of the visitors surveyed reported being in adult/child groups (57%, see Table 16). Visitors were asked about the total number of stops they listened to during Dead Sea Scrolls (see Table 11). Over half of responding visitors listened to over half the stops (60%). High levels of engagement and interest may be indicated, as the largest percentage of visitors listened to 17-20 stops (27%). Table 11: Number of Stops Listened (n=93*) Number of Stops 17-20 27% 14-16 15% 11-13 17% 7-10 22% 5-6 11% 3-4 5% 1-2 3% *Two visitors who expressed not having listened to the audio tour or skipped that question, also identified that they listened to the audio tour at 1-2 stops. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 8
Up to three layers of information were available for each of the stops on the audio tour. Four fifths of the visitors who used the audio tour also listened to more than one layer of information (80%). This is another indicator that guests were deeply interested in the tour, as most spent a prolonged period of time at each audio stop. Visitors expressed an interest in the continued use of audio tours in future exhibitions (90%). Layout and Exhibition Staffing When asked about the ease in moving through and around the DSS Exhibition, over half thought that moving around the exhibition was pretty simple. I may have gotten mixed up a few times (51%)(see Table 12). Nearly half of visitors thought it was easy to follow the right path through everything (43%), while a handful of visitors had some trouble moving through the exhibition (6%). Table 12: Wayfinding Within Exhibition (n=100) Easy to follow the right path through everything. 43% Pretty simple. I may have gotten mixed up a few times. 51% Relatively hard. I went the wrong direction a number of times. 5% Difficult. I gave up trying to go in the intended sequence. 1% Visitors were asked to rate the performance of museum staff based on interactions. One tenth of visitors had no interactions with staff while in the exhibition (see Table 13). Of those that engaged with museum staff during the exhibition, nearly all found museum staff to be very helpful or helpful (87%) with over half finding staff very helpful, polite, and informative (56%). All responding visitors reported that staff was very enthusiastic or appropriately enthusiastic (100%) while presenting various activities within the exhibition hall. Table 13: Engagement of Museum Staff (n=90) Very helpful, polite, and informative 56% Helpful, polite, and informative 43% Somewhat helpful, polite, and informative 1% Not helpful, polite, or informative 0% (n=80) Very enthusiastic and engaging 44% Appropriately enthusiastic and engaging 56% Not enthusiastic and engaging 0% Other Information The final question asked visitors for any information the survey may have missed. A handful of visitors used this space to give general praise (20%), but a large number of visitors had comments related to issues of usability and comfort within the exhibition (43%) (see Table 14). Some of the common issues that arose were issues of temperature within the exhibition, Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 9
specifically that the space was too cold. A number of visitors were also confused by some elements of the audio tour. Some complained about the flow of traffic and problems with other visitors at the museum. A few visitors also had specific suggestions for inclusion of more indepth content. Refer to Appendix B for a complete list of coded responses. Table 14: Anything Else Missed (n=30*) Usability and Comfort 43% Praise 20% Exhibition Content 17% No Changes 23% *Some visitors provided more than one response. Anything Else Missed Examples Usability/Comfort It was freezing cold! It made me hurry. I would have liked the audio numbers to be bigger - I had trouble finding what number to listen to. No changes None. Nothing - well done. Praise The exhibit was great. The volunteers were very informative and helpful. They really helped to answer questions and point out interesting facts. Exhibition content This 3x the cost of a movie - the displays were NICELY done but lacking in any deeper content, or any INTERACTIVE content. TOPIC is still interesting to me but I was disappointed in the exhibit. Scholarship debate - higher level thinking and context. Visitor Demographics The following visitor demographics were self-reported at the end of the Dead Sea Scrolls survey. A selection of these responses are compared and contrasted, depending upon available data, with comparable data from other Science Museum of Minnesota special exhibits and general SMM visitor data. The data for the general SMM visitor was collected through a lobby survey conducted from April 7, 2006 to June 26, 2007. When looking at interest in science, with 1 being no interest and 10 being extreme interest, most Dead Sea Scrolls visitors (84%) expressed levels of interest at 6 or higher (see Table 15). The majority of visitors for each exhibition reported relatively high levels of interest in science. When compared across exhibitions, DSS visitors reported a lower interest in science than either Titanic or Body Worlds visitors. Overall, all the exhibitions bring in visitors who have a lower interest in science than the general SMM visitor. Titanic, Body Worlds, and general SMM Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 10
visitors were not significantly more or less likely to be interested in science than DSS visitors (p<0.287, p<0.468, p<0.208, respectively). Table 15: Interest in Science DSS (n=93) Titanic (n=380) Body Worlds (n=210) SMM Visitor (n=544) 1-6 24% 27% 19% 16% 7-10 76% 73% 81% 84% Over half of visitors reported coming to the DSS Exhibition in a group that contained both adults and children (57%) (see Table 16). About one third of visitors came in a group with only adults (32%). The remaining people came in school or tour groups (6%) or came to the exhibition alone (5%). Compared to the general SMM and Body Worlds visitors, DSS saw a larger proportion of adult/child groups (44% and 23%, respectively). However, DSS did not attract adult/child groups as strongly as the Titanic exhibit (84%). Table 16: Museum Group DSS (n=93) Titanic (n=397) Body Worlds (n=211) SMM Visitor (n=544) Adults and children 57% 84% 23% 44% Adults only 32% 11% 73% 52% School or Tour group 6% 3% 0% 1% Alone 5% 2% 4% 3% DSS survey respondents ranged from 17 to 76 years old, with an average age of 48 years. When divided by age group, most visitors fell between 50-59 (19%) and 60-69 (17%) years old. A transexhibit comparison reveals that special exhibits, like DSS, tend to attract older guests than the general SMM exhibits, whose most frequent guests fall between 22-29 (15%) and 30-39 (15%) years of age. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 11
Table 17: Age DSS (n=527) Titanic (n=1392) Body Worlds (n=422) SMM Visitor (n=1647) 0-5 2% 5% 2% 7% 6-8 2% 5% 4% 7% 9-12 2% 10% 7% 9% 13-17 3% 7% 7% 4% 18-21 6% 5% 6% 5% 22-29 17% 12% 16% 15% 30-39 8% 14% 10% 15% 40-49 14% 16% 14% 13% 50-59 19% 10% 20% 13% 60-69 17% 11% 9% 8% 70+ 11% 6% 5% 4% Approximately three fifths of DSS attendees were female (64%). This is constant across special exhibitions and SMM visitors (see Table 18). Table 18: Gender DSS (n=92) Titanic (n=396) Body Worlds (n=212) SMM Visitor (n=546) Female 64% 66% 59% 60% Male 36% 34% 41% 40% When looking at ethnicity of visitors, the DSS Exhibition appears to be attracting a more diverse audience than previous exhibitions have, as illustrated below in Table 19. Given the number of visitors surveyed in each study, statistical significance is unable to be run at this time. Table 19: Ethnicity DSS (n=92) Titanic (n=396) Body Worlds (n=212) SMM Visitor (n=540) White 88% 96% 96% 91% Hispanic 4% 1% 1% 2% African-American 3% 1% 1% 1% Other 3% 2% 1% 3% Asian 1% 2% 0% 1% Native American 0% 1% 0% 0% The proportion of SMM members who attend special exhibitions is somewhat lower than for general SMM visitorship. As seen in Table 20, this trend has continued for DSS, suggesting that Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 12
the special exhibitions continue to attract more non-members to the museum. It also does not more strongly influence visitors into getting memberships to see it. Table 20: SMM Membership DSS (n=93) Titanic (n=394) Body Worlds (n=211) SMM Visitor (n=544) Yes 20% 21% 11% 25% No 79% 79% 88% 75% Unsure 1% 0% 1% 0% Visitors who attended Dead Sea Scrolls were asked how often they visited the museum within the last two years (see Table 21). The majority of these visitors said either none or 1-2 times (73%). Over one third of surveyed visitors were at the museum for the first time in the last two years to see the DSS Exhibition (37%). Table 21: Visits in the Last 2 Years DSS (n=94) Titanic (n=393) Body Worlds* (n=208) SMM Visitor* (n=546) None 37% 38% 38% 34% 1-2 times 36% 36% 39% 32% 3-4 times 20% 17% 18% 1 22% 1 5 or more times 6% 8% 4% 2 13% 2 *Body Worlds and SMM Visitors had a different set of available responses. 1 : Percentage reflects how many visitors had visited between 3 and 5 times in the last 2 years. 2 : Percentage reflects how many visitors had visited 6 or more times in the last 2 years. When asked how they heard about the museum, almost half of DSS visitors responded that they had always known about the museum (47%). The remaining responses are listed in Table 22. Due to low numbers of responses, this was not compared to other exhibitions. Table 22: How DSS Visitors Heard about the Museum (n=19) I have always known about the museum. 47% A friend or colleague told me to come. 21% I am a member. 21% I saw an advertisement. 11% In a class or through school. 0% Visitors that reported their membership status and how they heard about the museum composed 18% of the total respondents. Out of these visitors, SMM members were most likely to say that they had heard about the museum by [being] a member (80%). A majority of the nonmembers said that they had always known about the museum (62%). Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 13
Some visitors were asked about the primary reason they came to the museum. Two thirds of visitors came for the DSS Exhibition (65%) and one quarter came to entertain family and friends (24%). One visitor listed that it s been a long time since I ve been here (12%) (see Table 23 and their responses below). Table 23: Primary Reasons Visitor Came to Museum (n=17*) Specific Content 65% Social 24% Entertainment 12% General Context 12% *Some visitors provided more than one response. Primary Reason for Museum Visit (n=17*) *Some visitors provided more than one response. Specific Content The Scroll exhibit. For the Dead Sea Scrolls. Specifically to see the exhibit. Dead Sea Scrolls. I was in town and wanted to see [the] exhibit. Dead Sea Scrolls. My son wanted to see the scrolls. I wanted to see the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit and took a day off work for this and a couple other things I've wanted to see. Dead Sea Scrolls. Because of Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition. I was in town and wanted to see [the] exhibit. Social Out of town family came for a graduation - we planned the visit to coincide with their trip. My parents are in town and visiting. Daughter brought me. Came with family. Entertainment We were visiting relatives who had to go to work today. We were guests being entertained. General Context It has been a long time since I have been here. I was in town and wanted to see [the] exhibit. The highest percentage of Dead Sea Scrolls visitors fell into the $60,000-$79,999 bracket (22%) for annual income (see Table 24). Only slight differences emerge when comparing average household income levels between DSS, Titanic, Body Worlds, and the average SMM visitor. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 14
Table 24: Household Income DSS (n=79) Titanic (n=342) Body Worlds (n=199) SMM Visitor (n=499) Under $10,000 4% 3% 8% 7% $10,000 to $39,999 18% 15% 17% 15% $40,000-$59,999 10% 21% 16% 19% $60,000-$79,999 22% 14% 18% 16% $80,000-$99,999 13% 17% 14% 15% $100,000 to $149,999 18% 16% 14% 15% $150,000 or more 15% 15% 15% 13% Of these three exhibitions, DSS respondents have completed the highest level of education, with almost two fifths reporting they completed post-graduate degrees (38%) (see Table 25). Further data collection must be conducted to determine whether DSS visitors have statistically more education than prior special exhibition attendees. Table 25: Education (n=93) DSS (n=93) Titanic (n=391) Body Worlds (n=212) SMM Visitor (n=545) Less than High School 1% <1% 1% 1% Completed High School 3% 11% 5% 6% Some College or Technical Education 23% 23% 26% 24% College Degree 36% 41% 40% 41% Post-Graduate Degree 38% 24% 29% 29% Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 15
Appendix A Did anything surprise you about the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition? Exhibition Surprises (n=57*) *Some visitors provided more than one response. 28% (16) Large amount and/or depth of information The amount of background information in addition to the information about the scrolls. More depth than I expected. The extensive volumes of information presented. Much more extensive/historical and archeological/geographical background than expected. The depth of interpretation. The context in the first part of the exhibit was very helpful and enjoyable. I was expecting a shorter exhibit with just the scroll fragments. Well done! The vast amount of historical information on the time period. The amount of context (archaeological, historical) included. The time period covered. Yes. The detail and authenticity. The historical preview. Lack of previous/background debates. A great introduction of Israel. A LOT of material to read. A little too much info to be taken in at one time. Detail. Seemed there was a fair amount of repetition and/or representation of the same info. 19% (11) No surprises No. (8) -- No, not really. No, but it added depth to my knowledge. 14% (8) Small size of scrolls How small and incomplete and dark the samples were! Size of pieces. Scrolls were very small and difficult to analyze but understood the reasons. How small the fragments were. I was expecting to see larger scroll samples. How small the actual pieces of scrolls were on exhibit. Yes, there wasn't much left of the scrolls to really see - most of exhibit was other stuff. The actual pieces were smaller. 12% (7) Few number of scrolls I saw the shrine of the book in Jerusalem and I expected to see more of the scrolls but now understand the difficulties in transport. I enjoyed all the other artifacts and history. Would have liked to see more fragments after all of the build up. Few scrolls. I thought there would be more of the actual scrolls. Not as many scrolls as I thought. The number of scrolls. I thought this would be more scrolls on display. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 16
11% (6) Exhibit logistics How cold the rooms are. The flow of people was good. Nice it was self-directed to go at your own pace. The brevity of the scroll room. The high tech utilization in this magnificent treasure. Illumination exhibit very interesting. 9% (5) Saint John s Bible Also the King James [Visitor meant Saint John s] Bible exhibit at the end! Love being able to see the St. John's Bible display. To see the St. John's Bible at the end. The St. Johns Bible information added in was neat! I didn't know about the St. John exhibit - very interesting and beautiful. 7% (4) Facts learned in the exhibit How close they were all found to each other. Small size of script. The conditions of where and by who the scrolls were written. How the women wore ink as mascara. 5% (3) More interested/learned than expected Was much more interesting than I thought it would be! I am really glad I came! We were more engaged in the exhibit than we expected to be. Yes, I learned a lot. 4% (2) Book of Esther The book of Esther was omitted. The Book of Esther. 2% (1) General Comments Great regional artifacts. 2% (1) Misconception The scrolls were not here. I had not realized that. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 17
Appendix B What have we missed? Tell us anything else that we should know about the exhibition to help us make future exhibitions better! 43% (13) Usability/Comfort Air conditioning not too low. It was freezing cold! It made me hurry. It was too cold for an old geezer like me! Comfortable places to sit. Was sofa point. Takes too long to get through. Need break and not allowed back in. I would have liked the audio numbers to be bigger - I had trouble finding what number to listen to. Some of the audio stops were laid out in a confusing manner - skipped around. More engaging graphical ways of linking parts of exhibit. Didn't like coming in on time and having to wait to enter. Wait time explanation. Prefer to move around on my own. Reverse the flow of traffic to make the exhibit more continuous. Skipped Saint John Bible display. Few scrolls. A group of school kids went through and the chaperones did not have good control of some of the more bored and active kids. It got annoying given the subdued atmosphere of the exhibit. One staff person seemed annoyed at my question. 23% (7) No changes?? Nothing. NO. None. Nothing - well done. Nothing. (2) 20% (6) Praise Did fine. It was good. Well done. Exhibit was most complete. The exhibit was great. The volunteers were very informative and helpful. They really helped to answer questions and point out interesting facts. 17% (5) Exhibition content This 3x the cost of a movie - the displays were NICELY done but lacking in any deeper content, or any INTERACTIVE content. TOPIC is still interesting to me but I was disappointed in the exhibit. Better instructions on the various "tech" exhibits - for a non-tech person. References to the other writings that were scheduled from the New Testament. Scholarship debate - higher level thinking an(d) context. St. John's Bible display and video - outstanding. I actually enjoyed this more so and would like more intensive display. Department of Evaluation and Research in Learning 18