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West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
The Interpretive Approach to Communication
National Extension Tourism Conference Princeton, NJ August 9, 2017
• Doug Arbogast – WVU Extension Service
• Dr. Dave Smaldone – WVU Recreation, Parks, and
Tourism Resources Program
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
What Is Interpretation?• “. . .an educational activity which aims to
reveal meanings and relationships through the use of original objects, by firsthand experience, and by illustrative media, rather than simply to communicate factual information" Freeman Tilden, 1957
• "...a mission-based approach to communication aimed at provoking in audiences the discovery of personal meaning and the forging of personal connections with things, places, people, and concepts" Sam Ham, Interpretation - Making a Difference on Purpose, 2013
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
How Is Interpretation Different From Formal Instruction?
Interpretation
• Interpreters use facts
sparingly, only when
they enhance the
material.
• Interpreters use stories
and props to illustrate
their point.
• Audience will generally
not take notes.
• Attendees are a
noncaptive audience.
Formal Instruction
• Teacher relies on facts
students must memorize.
• Teacher lectures,
writes/illustrates on
a blackboard.
• Students take notes,
knowing they will be
tested.
• Students are a captive
audience.
Commercial Outdoor Recreation TrendsLess adventuresome, more learning and creature comforts
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00
Zip lines, rope…
Class IV-V…
Horseback riding
Guided fishing…
Guided kayak…
Campgrounds
Guide education…
Hiking and…
Segments with Declining Demand
2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8
Retail
Class II-III…
Environmental…
Canoe, kayak rentals
Interpretive trips
Standup-paddle…
Lodging or cabin…
Segments with the Strongest Demand
9 End of Season Annual Survey, America Outdoors Association, 2016.
Presented by David Brown, V.P. of Government Affairs for the American Outdoor Association at The Nature Conservancy Recreation Economies Summit June 12, 2017
West Virginia Interpretive Guide
Heritage Steward Training
This course is designed to give West Virginia guides the knowledge and skills needed to engage visitors in a positive and constructive way with West Virginia resources.
The course provides training on effective interpretation techniques, which will contribute to more effective communication with the visitor.
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
National Certification Programs• Barriers to participation
– Cost
– Travel
– Time
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
WV Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
• Low-cost ($50)
• Blended course – in-person and online
• In-person skill assessment
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Course Format 2017Introductory Workshop
Prior to beginning the online units, course participants are required to attend a 4 hr. workshop. This workshop will be used to introduce the course instructors, discuss the syllabus, answer any initial questions, and ensure all participants move through the course smoothly.
Online Units
Following the introductory workshop course participants will work through 5 online units at their own pace. The units should take no more than 5 hours to complete. Participants will have approximately 10 weeks to complete the online portion.
In-person workshop
All participants are required to attend an in-person workshop at West Virginia University. The
workshop will consist of a brief introduction and question-and-answer section delivered by course instructors, followed by presentations by each of the course participants. Each participant will deliver a 10-minute interpretive talk, which will have been developed throughout the online portion of the course. Participants will receive feedback immediately after the talk, as well as written feedback from course instructors and other course participants.
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Participants• Canopy Tour Guides
• Master Naturalists
• Park volunteers
• Whitewater river guides?
• Mountain bike guides?
• Docents?
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Online modulesOffered through WVU Extension Services’ Online Community Learning System (extcommunity.wvu.edu)
Topics covered include:
– Definitions, purpose, and history of interpretation
– Principles and techniques for effective interpretation
– Topic, theme, and sub-theme development
– How to research interpretive topics and apply brainstorming techniques
– How to develop, organize, and deliver effective interpretive talks
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
4 Qualities of Good InterpretationGood Interpretation:
1. has a theme.
2. is relevant to the audience.
3. is enjoyable to process.
4. is organized for easy processing.
Following these four qualities can help you create a talk that is enjoyable, relatable, easy to understand, and cohesive.
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Developing a Theme• Answers the “So What” - the main message
(like the moral of the story)
• Must be a complete sentence (or two) with
a single whole idea.
• Make it specific, relevant & interesting!
• Your theme provides direction for your
program and will help you plan your
presentation.
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Linking Tangible Resources to Intangible Meanings and Universal Ideas
• Your theme statement should connect a tangible
resource to a corresponding intangible meaning.
– In this case, bird nests are the tangible resource.
– The intangible meaning could be “how birds make or find
shelter.”
• The theme statement should also relate to a
universal concept.
– In this case, everyone can relate to the need for secure shelter.
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Relevancy is key to connections
Relevant Communication— must relate to,
& connect with the audience
Two parts to relevance:
1) Meaningful
2) Personal
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Being Meaningful connects info in our brains• make sure info has a context by connecting it
to something already inside your visitors brain
• When something we hear or see doesn’t
connect with anything we already know, it’s
meaningless to us
• fosters INTELLECTUAL CONNECTIONS!
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Simple techniques to be MeaningfulBridge the unfamiliar to the familiar with
• examples
• analogies
• contrasts
• similes
• metaphors
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Being Personal connects info to our hearts• Any interpretation that does not somehow
relate what is being displayed or described to something within the personality or experience of the visitor will be sterile (Tilden, 1957).
• must connect info to something audience cares about, not just knows about (meaningful)
• highly personal things include ourselves, family, home, health, values, etc.
• fosters EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS!
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Simple techniques to be Personal1) Self-referencing — getting people to think
about themselves & their own experiences as you give them new info
• use personal pronouns, “you”, “we”, “our”
2) Labeling — statement made about a “kind” of person or group of people in relation to some idea, point, or object you are trying to describe
• “Choosy mothers choose Jiff”
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Simple techniques to be more Enjoyable• Smile• Use active verbs• Show cause and effect• Link science to stories about people• Exaggerate size• Exaggerate timescale • Use an overriding analogy• Use a contrived situation• Use personification• Focus on an individual
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
All Talks must be Interactive!• Don’t just talk “at” your audience
• Must involve & engage the audience
actively & passively
(with the resource, each other, & you)
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Online Modules
• Each module contains readings from excerpts from
key textbooks on interp., supplemental readings,
and a presentation of key points to guide them in
developing their talk
• Recorded talks are included to provide course
participants with examples.
• Webinars are scheduled to answer questions,
discuss assessments, and provide peer-to-peer
feedback.
Offered through WVU Extension Services’ Online Community Learning System (extcommunity.wvu.edu)
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Structuring a Talk/Walk/Guided Tour
• Audiences want to be awakened by your words
and feed on a meaningful flow of ideas.
• Your talk should have the following structure:
– Staging period
– Pow (Intro.)
– Bridge
– Body (the stops or sub-themes)
– Conclusion
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
In-person Assessment• Guides deliver a 10-minute interpretive talk
(prepared during their online assignments)
• The workshops:
– give guides experience in personal interpretation
– provide a forum for guides to receive feedback
– introduce guides to the interpretive evaluation
process
• Participants receive feedback immediately
after their talk, as well as written feedback
from instructors and participants.
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
https://youtu.be/x_mjXKsUb1M
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Thematic interpretation helps everyone!
• Provokes your visitors to think & feel
• Thinking & feeling lead to connections
• Interpretation is an art! It is hard to do
well and requires a lot of practice
• however…anyone can be an interpreter!
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
3 outcomes of Interpretation• Enhancing experiences
• Facilitating appreciation
• Influencing behavior
“through intepretation, understanding…
through understanding, appreciation…
through appreciation, protection" Freeman Tilden, 1957
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
RecognitionGuides receive a certificate, pin & badge to
be recognized as a West Virginia Interpretive
Guide Heritage Steward
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Retrospective Post-then-Pre Survey Pretest Posttest
Outcome M SD M SD n t df
I can deliver an interpretive talk.
3.00 .78 4.21 .80 14 -5.09* 13
I can list and explain key principles used in effective interpretation.
2.21 .97 4.21 .70 14 -8.53* 13
I know specific interpretive techniques to make a talk more enjoyable and relevant.
2.64 1.01 4.57 .65 14 -8.71* 13
I can write an effective theme and subthemes.
2.46 1.27 4.38 .65 13 -4.81* 12
I can tailor a talk to meet the needs of an audience.
3.36 1.15 4.64 .50 14 -3.99* 13
I can effectively organize an interpretive talk.
2.71 1.07 4.50 .76 14 -5.34* 13
*=p<.01; Measured on a 5-point scale from 1=”not at all competent” to 5=”extremely competent”
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Learning Outcomes• Open-ended question was used to assess
the most important thing they learned.
• Responses were categorized, and the
most frequently mentioned included:
– how to develop a theme and subthemes (3)
– the core principles of interpretation (3)
– how to organize a talk (2)
– time management (2)
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
Challenges• Cost increase to $100-150 for NAI
certification
• Instructor time
• Industry buy-in
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training
References• Interpretation: Making a Difference on Purpose
by Sam H. Ham
• Conducting Meaningful Interpretation - A Field Guide for Success by Carolyn Widner Ward and
Alan E. Wilkinson
• The Interpreter's Guidebook - Techniques for Programs and Presentations by Kathleen Regnier,
Michael Gross, and Ron Zimmerman
• Communication Skills for Conservation Professionals by Susan K. Jacobson
• National Association for Interpretation:
http://www.interpnet.com/
Programs and activities offered by the West Virginia University Extension Service are available
to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, political
beliefs, sexual orientation, national origin, and marital or family status. Issued in furtherance of
Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Director, Cooperative Extension Service, West Virginia University
Thank You!
West Virginia Interpretive Guide Heritage Steward Training