A full summative evaluation of the Lemur Forest included entrance surveys, cued exit surveys, a tracking and timing study and dwell time analysis. Results showed astounding increases in visitor knowledge about lemurs, their status and their environment, and we found visitors using positive affective terminology at exit. Visitors also reported feeling that protecting lemurs is important.
This project is a good example of the importance of proto-typing your research protocols. Initially, we tried to conduct exit surveys without cuing visitors at entry. That failed because exhibitry at animal habitats is somewhat new; visitors aren’t accustomed to it. Without being cued at entry about an exit survey at the exit, visitors simply were not attending to the exhibit elements in their eagerness to find the cute lemurs.
