You Ll Be Graded on Completing the Assignment and Following Instructions

ASSIGNMENT #1

SURVEYS

Each student is to conduct a minimum of 10 visitor survey, using the form developed in class, and following the how-to guidelines.

You’ll be graded on completing the assignment and following instructions.

GRADING: This assignment is worth 15 points.

ASSIGNMENT GIVEN: The survey form will be developed as an in-class exercise on Wednesday, May 14, and posted to the course website by 9:00 a.m. Friday, May 16. Print that form and make as many copies as you need.

ASSIGNMENT DUE: A data collection form will also be posted by Sunday, May 18. Fill in that form and e-mail it to the instructor at NO LATER THAN 8:00 p.m. Monday, May 26.

ASSIGNMENT #2

MAIN MESSAGE – TEAM ASSIGNMENT

Each Team will produce a Main Message for the exhibit they are developing, using the criteria presented in class.

A Main Message is a single sentence – clear, direct, simple – that will guide exhibit content. While it reflects institutional goals, it must be in the visitors’ language – it is the message we are attempting to convey.

This is a team effort. The team will present one Main Message, and all members will receive the same score for their individual grades.

NOTE: Once the Main Message is set, you will use it throughout the remaining exercises. There is no going back. That’s why this one sentence is worth so many points – it will effect everything that follows. A good Main Message will make later exercises easier.

GRADING:

The Main Message will be worth a maximum of 30 points. Each individual team member will receive that number of points toward their individual grade. Example: a three-member team presents a Main Message that receives a grade of 24 points. Each member will get 24 points – it will not be divided into 8 points each.

ASSIGNMENT GIVEN: Wednesday, May 28

ASSIGNMENT DUE: Monday, June 2

ASSIGNMENT #3

EXHIBIT REVIEW

Select an interpretive exhibit (one that is attempting to convey information). Review it terms of the D – P – R formula discussed in class. Be sure to cover:

Receiver – whom this exhibit is for

Proposition – what message it is trying to get across

Dramatization – how it presents that message

Include in your paper specific examples from the exhibit – what did they actually put on the floor that makes you think this is their audience, this is their message, etc.

These issues are interconnected. Is the proposition appropriate for the intended audience? Is the dramatization appropriate for the audience and the proposition? These are issues you may wish to explore.

The point is not to get a “right” or “wrong” answer. Rather, I am primarily looking for how well you make your points, how well you understand the terms “dramatize,” “proposition,” “receiver,” etc. as they relate to museum exhibits. An exhibit is a form of communication. Tell me how well (or how poorly) this one communicated.

It is not necessary to get into the communications cycle (encoding – transmission – decoding – feedback), but if it helps you make your point, go right ahead.

NOTE: It would be helpful if you chose an exhibit from a local Lansing museum: MSU Museum, Michigan History Center, Impressions 5, RE Olds Transportation Museum, Supreme Court, Potter Park Zoo. You are free to choose any museum in the world (that you can physically visit in the next 10 days), but I am familiar with the museums above and thus will be better able to grade your paper.

LENGTH: Minimum 3 full pages, typed, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.

ILLUSTRATIONS: Not at all necessary, but helpful, especially if you chose a museum not listed above. Cheap snapshots or b/w prints from a digital camera are fine – don’t go overboard.

GRADING: Report is worth 30 points toward your final grade.

ASSIGNMENT GIVEN: Friday, May 30

ASSIGNMENT DUE: Wednesday, June 11

ASSIGNMENT #4

STORYLINE AND BUBBLE PLAN – TEAM ASSIGNMENT

Using the criteria presented in class, each team will develop a storyline and a bubble plan for their exhibit.

A bubble plan is a very general floor plan. Take the blank layout of the exhibit gallery and indicate where each exhibit section is. Your exhibit must have at least four sections, one of which must be an introductory experience. You may have more, but if you have more than six or seven sections, you may want to consider whether your plan is too complicated.

The bubble plan will be graded on how well the exhibit information flows in the physical space – will the visitor be able to make sense out of this layout, or will they be confused by wildly disparate ideas appearing next to one another. The sequence of information is key.

A storyline is a narrative description of the exhibit experience. It is not an outline. It starts with the Main Message. It is then divided by exhibit sections. For each section, start with a few sentences describing the visitor experience. You need not be extremely detailed, and you can always change your mind. But you should include some general statements, like “visitors will walk onto a recreated beach scene” or “visitors will enter a bright, lively room full of interactives.” Describe some of the things visitors might do and learn, and how the activity relates to the learning. Conclude each section with a Section Theme (like a Main Message for the Section), and 2 or 3 bullet points of specific content points you hope to convey in the section.

You will be graded on how well the information flows – both conceptually (do the ideas follow in a logical sequence? To supporting points fit under the larger points?) and physically (how well do the proposed experiences relate to the content? Does the visitor path through the exhibit make sense?) And, as always, appropriateness for the audience will also be considered.

NOTE: All team members are expected to contribute to this entire assignment. However, for the next two assignments, team members will each take one section and work on it themselves. Only one team member per section. After completing this exercise, it would be a good idea to assign one section to each team member for the remaining assignments.

GRADING:

This assignment is worth a maximum of 30 points. Each individual team member will receive that number of points toward their individual grade. Example: a three-member team presents a Main Message that receives a grade of 24 points. Each member will get 24 points – it will not be divided into 8 points each.

ASSIGNMENT GIVEN: Monday, June 2

ASSIGNMENT DUE: Wednesday, June 11

ASSIGNMENT #5

EXHIBIT PLAN – INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

An exhibit plan is an elaboration of the section plan, listing the components planned for a section and the messages they convey. Since you only have two days to do this assignment, we’ll make it a bit simpler than usual.

This is probably only one page, maybe two if you have a lot of components. Start with the Main Message for the exhibit, the Section Theme for the section and a one- or two-sentence description of the environment. Then create two columns. Label the left one “Components” and the right one “Content.”

Under “Components,” list all the exhibit components for this section. You must include at least one object-based display, one interactive component, and one media element. You may include as many more components as are necessary. Give each component a name and a brief (one sentence) description. It is not necessary to list labels at this time. List photos only if the photo is a component in and of itself (that is, an artifact, or a photo mural that functions as a component.)

Under “Content,” give a one- or two-sentence description of the content points for this element. Examples:

Components / Content
Media element
Footage of piranhas in the wild / Visitors will see piranha feeding behavior at various times of the year
Interactive element
Over-sized piranha model; pull the lever and work the mouth / Visitors feel the strength of the piranha’s jaw
Object display
Preserved specimens of piranhas / Visitors will see the variety of piranha species from different parts of the Amazon

(NOTE: That’s a pretty bad outline. But it gives you the idea of the form.)

You will be graded on how complete your story is, how well it fits the Message and Theme, and how appropriate the components are for each content point.

GRADING: This assignment is worth 15 points.

ASSIGNMENT GIVEN: June 11

ASSIGNMENT DUE: June 13

ASSIGNMENT #6

FINAL PROJECT – CONTENT PLAN (SCRIPT) – INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

For this, you take the Exhibit Plan (where you listed just the components for a section) and flesh it out. Again, start with the Exhibit Main Message and the Section Theme. Again, have a two-column format: Components on the left, Content on the right. However, you must now include:

All labels for all components, with their hierarchy level

Any stand-alone graphic elements (intro panels and such)

All photos, illustrations, graphs, charts, maps, etc.

Place these in hierarchical order, starting with section overview label. Then go component-by-component in the order they would appear in the exhibit. Again, your list must contain at least one interpreted object, one interactive, and one media piece. May contain more if needed. Must tell a reasonable story.

For each component, a brief (1-2 sentence) description of visitor experience, in italics, in the component column. May describe setting, if appropriate.

Each component has one and only one Theme Label. Each component has one or more Focus Labels. Sidebars are optional. All objects must have ID Labels, all photos must have Captions – though whether these contain interpretive information is optional.

Then, in the right-hand column, just list bullet points: one, or at most two, messages for each label or activity. (The messages for objects and photos, etc., are conveyed through their labels. However, they need to be listed and briefly described.)

Write label copy for the Section Overview label. (If you are developing an Intro section, you may write an Exhibit Intro label.) Finally, choose one component (your choice, though it should have a sidebar). For that one component only, write all the labels.

FINAL PROJECT REPORTS: Each exhibit team makes a presentation. Several sections of the exhibit are fleshed out to the component level. Each student must turn in a script for one section, to be read / graded. However, team may also include drawings, models, floorplans, pictures of objects, whatever helps them get the point across.

GRADING: This is worth 50 points, the largest single chunk, 1/4 of your grade. Each student’s script is graded separately and independently. The class presentation play a role insofar as it puts your section in context and helps it make sense. But each student receives an individual grade for this; there is no sharing of “team points”

ASSIGNMENT GIVEN: June 13

ASSIGNMENT DUE: June 23

ASSIGNMENT #7

CLASS JOURNAL

Kris Morrissey wants all students to keep a journal. I’ll try to learn more from her, and/or have her explain it on the first day.

GRADING: 15 points

ASSIGNMENT GIVEN: May 12

ASSIGNMENT DUE: June 25

ASSIGNMENT #8

CLASS PARTICIPATION

Not really an assignment per se, but 15 points of your final grade will be based on class participation. This will include several in-class exercises as well as questions and other indicators of interest.

REVISED ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

May 10, 2003

No. / ASSIGNMENT / Pts. / GIVEN / DUE
1 / Surveys / 15 / May 14 / May 28
2 / Exhibit Review / 30 / May 30 / June 11
3 / Main Message (TEAM assignment) / 30 / May 28 / June 2
4 / Storyline / Bubble Plan (TEAM) / 30 / June 2 / June 11
5 / Exhibit Plan / 15 / June 11 / June 13
6 / Content Plan / 50 / June 13 / June 23
7 / Journal / 15 / May 12 / June 25
8 / Class Participation / 15 / May 12 / June 25
TOTAL / 200