What Learning Goals are Being Met at Self-Guided School Visits

Woodland Park Zoo

Formative Evaluation

Autumn 2011

Michelle DelCarlo, Eric LaPlant & Siri Linz

The Teachers, The State, and The Zoo:

• Formative evaluation: This type of evaluation provides information about how well a program or exhibit functions and how well it communicates intended messages.

• Self-guided tour: At Woodland Park Zoo, these tours are available for school groups who choose not to be guided by a staff member during the visit. These groups generally tour the zoo grounds with school teachers or chaperones.

Frequently Used Terms

Purpose StatementThe purpose of this

evaluation is to determine if K-12 teachers’ goals for their self-guided visits at WPZ are being met. The results will be used to prioritize zoo resources to facilitate successful self-guided zoo visits.

What are K-12 teachers goals for self-guided visits?

How do teachers prepare for self-guided tours?

Are the teachers goals being met?What motivates the teachers to participate in

self-guided tours?Are the zoo’s resources for self-guided visits

effective in helping teachers meet their goals?

Evaluation Questions

Project BackgroundWhere? WPZ

groundsWho? K-12 teachersWhy? This audience

is of interest to WPZ because materials have been created to enrich self-guided visits, yet WPZ does not know what value these materials provide.

Literature Review

Anderson, D. , Kisiel, J., & Storksdieck, M. (2006). Understanding teachers perspectives on field trips: Discovering common ground in three countries. Curator, 49(3), 365 - 386.

Mortensen, M. F., & Smart, K. (2007). Free-Choice Worksheets Increase Students’ Exposure to Curriculum during Museum Visits. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. doi:10.1002/tea.20206

Instruments, Sample Size and Sampling Method

METHODS

Instruments(During)

Instruments(Post)

Sample Size

During: 100 observations

Post: 20-30 teachers

Sampling Method

Convenience Sampling method

Questions?