NSCF ConferenceWhen do visitors learn at

science centres?

NSCF ConferenceWhen do visitors learn at

science centres?

Asger Høeg

NSCF ConferenceWhen do visitors learn at

science centres?

Asger Høeg

Executive Director of Experimentariumsince April 1988

External Associate Professors

atCopenhagen Business School

External Associate Professors

atCopenhagen Business School

Member of the Norwegian Science Centre Committee

Since we ate the apple from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden some 30.000

years ago, mankind has experienced a development in technology, never seen

before on Earth

With the help of technology, we have climbedthe Pyramid ofMaslow

Today, the young people of the Western World is sitting on the

very top of the Pyramid of Maslow, with only one challenge:

Today, the young people of the Western World is sitting on the

very top of the Pyramid of Maslow, with only one challenge:

How to realize them selves!!

In the old days,we spent most of our time to

REPRODUCEour selves

In the old days,we spent most of our time to

REPRODUCEour selves

In the future,we will spent all our time to

REALIZEour selves!!

Visitors to science centres learn something when the outcome of the visit is not only an experience but a

transformational experience

The next slide is extremely important!

The next slide is extremely important!

And tells all aboutthe Progression

of the economic valueof an offering

Extract commodities

Make goods

Deliver services

Stage experiences

Pricing

Competitiveposition Needs of

customers

PremiumMarket

Differen-Tiated

Blue Ocean

ReadoceanUndiffe-rentiated

Relevant to

Irrelevantto

Guide transfor-mation

Customize

Customize

Customize

Customize

Commoditize

Commoditize

Commoditize

Commoditize

Science centres must focus on being sure that our visitors not

only get an experience but get a transformational experience

Science centres must focus on being sure that our visitors not

only get an experience but get a transformational experience

It is the magic step from an experience to a transformational experience that characterize a

science center

The visitors to a science centre are aspirants

The visitors to a science centre are aspirants

They come to learn more about science and technology

The visitors to a science centre are aspirants

They come to learn more about science and technology

They visit us to come one step further in their self realization

process

Slogan before 2006:

Experimentarium -a new experienceevery time

Now, the slogan is:

Experimentarium -funny enoughyou getsmarter!

The customer is the product!

You stage an experienceto a guest

You stage an experienceto a guest

You guide an aspirantthrough a transformation

To guide an aspirantthrough a transformationPine & Gilmore suggest

that it requires three phases

To guide an aspirantthrough a transformationPine & Gilmore suggest

that it requires three phases

Diagnose aspirations

To guide an aspirantthrough a transformationPine & Gilmore suggest

that it requires three phases

Diagnose aspirationsStage the experience

To guide an aspirantthrough a transformationPine & Gilmore suggest

that it requires three phases

Diagnose aspirationsStage the experience

Follow through

Absorption

Immersion

Passiveparticipation

Activeparticipation

Absorption

Immersion

Passiveparticipation

Activeparticipation

Entertainment

Absorption

Immersion

Passiveparticipation

Activeparticipation

Entertainment Educational

Absorption

Immersion

Passiveparticipation

Activeparticipation

Entertainment Educational

Aesthetic

Absorption

Immersion

Passiveparticipation

Activeparticipation

Entertainment Educational

Aesthetic Escapist

When you conceive your transformational experience, make sure that all four kind of experiences are included

in your offering

When you conceive your transformational experience, make sure that all four kind of experiences are included

in your offering

Then the visitor is in the “Sweet Spot”

When you conceive your experience,remember

the four “S”

Customer satisfaction=

What customers perceives he gets

- What customers expected to

get

Customer sacrifice=

What customer wantsexactly

-What customer settles for

Customer surprise=

What customer gets to perceive-

What customer expects to get

Customer suspense=

What customer does not yet know

-What customer remembers from

past

Increase customer satisfaction

Increase customer satisfaction

Eliminate customer sacrifice

Increase customer satisfaction

Eliminate customer sacrifice

Create customer surprise

Increase customer satisfaction

Eliminate customer sacrifice

Create customer surprise

Built up customer suspense

Kubovy has produced a paper where he describes what kind of

experiences that create pleasures of the mind

Kubovy has produced a paper where he describes what kind of

experiences that create pleasures of the mind

Curiosity

Kubovy has produced a paper where he describes what kind of

experiences that create pleasures of the mind

CuriosityVirtuosity

Kubovy has produced a paper where he describes what kind of

experiences that create pleasures of the mind

CuriosityVirtuositySociality

Kubovy has produced a paper where he describes what kind of

experiences that create pleasures of the mind

CuriosityVirtuositySocialityNurturing

Kubovy has produced a paper where he describes what kind of

experiences that create pleasures of the mind

CuriosityVirtuositySocialityNurturingSuffering!

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Have introduced the concept ofFLOW!

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Have introduced the concept ofFLOW!

100% involved, focused and concentrated

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Have introduced the concept ofFLOW!

100% involved, focused and concentrated

Having a feeling of ecstacy and superior to everyday life

Feel in control

Feel in controlYes, you can!

Feel in controlYes, you can!

Forgets all around you

Feel in controlYes, you can!

Forgets all around youNo feeling of time

Feel in controlYes, you can!

Forgets all around youNo feeling of time

Having an inner motivation

In short terms:

If you challenge the visitor to some extend

- and she is capableto meet this challenge –

a feeling of flow starts growing

Anne Kahr, The University of Southern Denmark

Anne Kahr, The University of Southern Denmark

EgoTrap, an experience machine

Anne Kahr, The University of Southern Denmark

EgoTrap, an experience machine

If you create a narrative frame around a visit to a science

centre, the motivation is much stronger

And if you show interestin the visitor,

she becomes more interestedin experimenting the exhibits

The last theoretical suggestion

The last theoretical suggestion

The narrative frame must be”a good story”

The last theoretical suggestion

The narrative frame must be”a good story”

And a good story has a peak

The last theoretical suggestion

The narrative frame must be”a good story”

And a good story has a peak

And happy ending

So, when do visitors learn at science centres?

So, when do visitors learn at science centres?

If the teacher has got some help, so she can prepare the

visit to the science centre

So, when do visitors learn at science centres?

If the teacher has got some help, so she can prepare the

visit to the science centre

If the science centre defines a narrative frame for the visit

If the exhibition try to assess the visitor by asking some

questions

If the exhibition try to assess the visitor by asking some

questions

If the exhibition try to assess the visitor by asking some

questions

And then suggest what exhibits to experiment with

If the exhibition puts the visitor in the focus of the experiences

If the exhibition puts the visitor in the focus of the experiences

If the experiences are surprising, entertaining, educational, aesthetic,

escapistic

If the exhibition puts the visitor in the focus of the experiences

If the experiences are surprising, entertaining, educational, aesthetic,

escapistic

If the visitor feels satisfied

If the visitor is challenged,but not too much

If the visitor is challenged,but not too much

If the visitor is guided with suggestions and

recommandations

If the visitor is challenged,but not too much

If the visitor is guided with suggestions and

recommandations

If the visitor back homegets a follow up

from the science center

Strong exhibits

Strong exhibitsThe Lie Detector

Strong exhibitsThe Lie Detector

The Infrared Camera

Strong exhibitsThe Lie Detector

The Infrared CameraThe Genetic Mirror CabinetThe Co2 Fingerprint of your Everyday Consumer Product

Strong exhibitsThe Lie Detector

The Infrared CameraThe Genetic Mirror CabinetThe Co2 Fingerprint of your Everyday Consumer ProductThe White part on your TV

picture

Strong exhibitsThe Lie Detector

The Infrared CameraThe Genetic Mirror CabinetThe Co2 Fingerprint of your Everyday Consumer ProductThe White part on your TV

pictureThe Hopscotch Piano

Strong exhibitsThe Lie Detector

The Infrared CameraThe Genetic Mirror CabinetThe Co2 Fingerprint of your Everyday Consumer ProductThe White part on your TV

pictureThe Hopscotch Piano

Memory

Group of exhibits telling the same story

Group of exhibits telling the same story

The slinky

Group of exhibits telling the same story

The slinkySound patterns

Group of exhibits telling the same story

The slinkySound patternsThe hot air tube

See the tones of a guitar

Group of exhibits telling the same story

The earth quake simulator

Group of exhibits telling the same story

The earth quake simulatorBuilt a house and see if it is

earth quake proofed

Group of exhibits telling the same story

The earth quake simulatorBuilt a house and see if it is

earth quake proofedSee the tectonic plates moving

during the last 400 million years

Group of exhibits telling the same story

The earth quake simulatorBuilt a house and see if it is

earth quake proofedSee the tectonic plates moving

during the last 400 million yearsTangible Earth

What can we really do the be sure that most of our visitors learn at the science centre?

The answer my friend, is not blowing in the wind

The answer my friend, is not blowing in the wind

The personal exhibition!

The answer my friend, is not blowing in the wind

The personal exhibition!

Or should we call itThe individual Exhibition

John Falk talked about 5 categories of visitors

John Falk talked about 5 categories of visitors

I suggest that we try to give each visitor an individual

experience that transforms the visitor

The Individual Exhibition

An individual webpage is created for the regular visitors

All digital information occurring during the visit is saved on the

webpage

The webpage guides, challenge, helps, forms the narrative frame, follow up at home

etcetera

The webpage guides, challenge, helps, forms the narrative frame, follow up at home

etcetera

The Nordic and Baltic science centres should work together to

develop The Individual Exhibition

And a last comment on a very personal idea

And a last comment on a very personal idea

The Gesamt Concept

And a last comment on a very personal idea

The Gesamt Concept

Inspired by Richard Wagner

A science centre should include elements from other cultural

institutions

A science centre should include elements from other cultural

institutions

Living animals from Zoos

A science centre should include elements from other cultural

institutions

Living animals from ZoosArt from art museum

A science centre should include elements from other cultural

institutions

Living animals from ZoosArt from art museum

Artifacts from Natural History Museums

A science centre should include elements from other cultural

institutions

Living animals from ZoosArt from art museum

Artifacts from Natural History Museums

Artifacts from Technical Museums

A science centre should include elements from other cultural

institutions

Fish from Oceanariums

A science centre should include elements from other cultural

institutions

Fish from OceanariumsHistorical Icons from the

National Museum

A science centre should include elements from other cultural

institutions

Fish from OceanariumsHistorical Icons from the

National MuseumAnd amusement elements from

Tivoli

Thank you very muchfor your patience!!