Mastering Dialogic Interpretation

Doug KnappBrian Forist

Eric KnackmuhsIndiana University

Mastering Dialogic Interpretation

Doug KnappBrian Forist

Eric KnackmuhsIndiana University

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The National Park Service’s interpretive approach has tended to focus on fixed and final conclusions or “themes” that are supposed to guide interpretation over the long term. This approach has artificially sequestered interpretation from the original open-ended experiences of historical actors, from dynamic, ongoing patterns of scholarship, and from engaging visitors with flexible, multiple perspectives on interpretation…These dynamics predispose NPS to underestimate visitors and view them as people to be instructed rather than listened to and engaged.

Organization of American Historians report, Imperiled Promise: The State of History in the National Park Service. 2011

Interpreter Message / Content

TangiblesIntangiblesThemesUniversal meanings

Visitor

Interpreter Visitor Message / Content

Real life experiencesConnections to everyday lifeActive delivery of content

The Five Steps to Dialogic Interpretation

• Introduction• Visitor Orientation• Connection Assessment• Content Delivery• Final Articulation

…and you’ll be building your own two-way interpretive experience!

Step 1 - Introduction

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Step 1 - Introduction

This approach would necessitate a clear and articulate overview of the message/content that the interpreter would like to see covered. This should be brief but to the point with no more than a few main points to avoid overwhelming the visitors with too much information.

Your Turn…

Design your own introduction

Step 2 – Visitor Orientation

This phase would involve two primary objectives. First, it would enable individuals to offer their names and hometown information. But, more importantly, enable them to offer any immediate reaction/feedback related to the message/content.

Break up into groups of 10

Have someone be the “interpreter”

She / he will introduce their topic and then get introductions and find connectors from the “participants”

See how many connections you can make!

Richness

Evenness

Your Turn…

Develop questions related to your topics that will draw out visitor connections

Step 3 – Connection Assessment

Throughout an interpretive experience, the interpreter is constantly assessing and reassessing the trajectory of the dialogue based on his/her active participation with the visitors as they collectively come to understand the resources through the visitors’ knowledge and inquiry.

What skills have we built?

Listen!Let goRespondAccept and AcknowledgeBuildMake Connections

Step 4 – Content Delivery

With the use of one or more of the connection approaches the interpreter would then deliver a clear and concise overview of the message/content. As with any interpretive program, a variety of techniques/styles could and should be used to develop the topic.

“Proven” Program Strategies to Promote Dialogic Interpretation

Use Your Hooks

As the research studies and the results continued to grow, the author found that resource sites had “hooks” or particular tangible / intangible variables that helped them create lasting impacts. These variables were physical objects such as Carver’s home or Tusayan’s large painting of the Pueblo ruins. They were novel sightings such as Yosemite’s rock climbers or the sled dogs responding to interpreters at Denali.

Hands On

This is one of those findings that could be considered common sense. But it is a finding that seemed to be one of the most pervasive for both children and adults… As a profession we would much rather have the visitor retain the key topics / themes of the program and not that they picked up an antler! But since this seems to be the cruel realty of hands-on materials, further work needs to done to integrate the “props” with the subject matter.

Use Em If You Got Em… Kids That Is…

Several of the research studies found that a primary variable for adults to gain long term impact of a program was if their sons or daughters enjoyed the experience…Parents may not have recalled much about the program content but they did share that their kids either enjoyed touching the furs (deer program) or were amazed that bats don’t always suck human blood.

Your Turn…

Delivery Theater!!! Share your “tried and true” interpretive program technique!

Step 5 – Final Articulation

This element would give the opportunity for the interpreter to summarize key points brought up in the dialogue. More importantly, it would give the interpreter the final opportunity to summarize key points related to the message/content delivered. This would ensure specific site goals would be met even if the dialogue had “strayed” from the main points.

Summary Showdown!!!

• In groups of ten choose one of your own topics.

• Have each person write a reaction to the topic.

• Then have each person offer their summary of the reactions.

Who gives the best summary???

Your Turn…

Develop a summary for your dialogic interpretive program

Summary Points

This is NOT an easy process!

The five phases of this dialogic interpretive process would call on an interpreter to possess the following skills/elements:

Presence - being genuine and fully engaged in the specific interaction taking place.

Openness - recognizing and accepting the genuine being of the other person and understanding that the other is fundamentally different from oneself.

Emergence - understanding that the process and outcomes of dialogue are not predetermined.

Extraverted - marked by interest in and behavior directed toward others or the environment as opposed to or to the exclusion of self.

Knowledgeable - well informed regarding the resource site and the messages/content offered to the visitors.

And Now…Ranger Brian…