Association of Science and Technologies Centers

Changing Practices: Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Science Museums

/ Dimensions, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion /

By Christine Reich From Dimensions November/December 2012 Science museums hold great promise for engaging learners of a broad range of abilities and disabilities in informal science learning. As institutions known for their interactive and self-directed activities, science museums already exhibit many of the principles of universal design for learning that foster equitable learning environments for […]

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Dimensions, November/December 2012—Accessibility: Breaking New Ground

/ Dimensions, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion /

IN THIS ISSUE November/December 2012 In recent decades science museums have made significant progress in meeting the needs of visitors with a range of disabilities—physical, cognitive, and behavioral. But much more remains to be done for the inclusion of people with disabilities to become the norm. In this issue, we explore what it means to

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Pacific Science Center, Bootheel Youth Museum, Long Island Children’s Museum among 2012 National Medal recipients

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

ASTC members Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington; Bootheel Youth Museum in Malden, Missouri; and Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City, New York, were among the 10 libraries and museums selected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to receive the 2012 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Medal

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In your opinion, what should every museum be able to provide for the “ideal” museum experience?

/ Dimensions /

This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the November/December 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. My ideal museum experience is memorable. It requires only one cool exhibit experience where I spend significant time, engaged in a way that taps into previous interests and expands my thinking. It makes

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Should exhibitions be the central focus of what science centers and museums do?

/ Dimensions /

This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the September/October 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. The central focus for science centers is serving the communities in their region. Many of the science festivals popping up in the United States are led by museums, reflecting the responsibility that science

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Dimensions, July/August 2012—On the Horizon: Current and Future Trends in the Science Center Field

/ Dimensions /

IN THIS ISSUE July/August 2012 As a key part of our commitment to our members, ASTC is dedicated to providing vision and direction by anticipating trends and helping our member institutions to prepare for new opportunities and challenges. In this issue, we look at a selection of current and future trends that shape and influence

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Do you think “deal of the day” services like Groupon and LivingSocial help or hurt museums?

/ Dimensions /

This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the July/August 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. Groupon and LivingSocial are neither good nor bad for museums. However, they are a tool that must be used with great care. As museum professionals, we must ask: What is the value to

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Science Gallery: Creative Collisions of Art and Science

/ Dimensions /

By Michael John Gorman From Dimensions March/April 2012 The explosive cocktail of art and science has been with us for millennia. We have long had individual practitioners—from Pythagoras to Steve Jobs—who defied disciplinary boundaries, but I personally think there is something very exciting going on now that makes art-science in the 21st century different. What

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An Art and Science Gallery

/ Dimensions /

This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the March/April 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. Science center and museum professionals, artists, and educators from around the world share their projects, programs, exhibitions, and initiatives that combine science and art. In our new Art of Science Gallery, the Academy of Natural Sciences of

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How should a science center or museum’s success be measured?

/ Dimensions /

This discussion was originally published in the Viewpoints department of the March/April 2012 of Dimensions magazine. Along with traditional measures of financial performance and customer satisfaction, a successful science center needs to show how it achieves its mission of engaging the public in science and technology. An innovative approach would be to convert evaluation studies into

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Dimensions, January/February 2012—Science Center Exhibitions: Views from the Field

/ Dimensions /

IN THIS ISSUE January/February 2012 Exhibitions are perhaps the most quintessential and exciting element of science centers’ work. In this issue of Dimensions, we examine the exhibition philosophies of various institutions, as well as the design principles that lead to great exhibition experiences. In addition, we explore the advantages of tinkering and prototyping in house,

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Internal Capacity: Making a Good Museum Great

/ Dimensions /

By Paul Orselli From Dimensions January/February 2012 When I think about the most enjoyable and memorable places—truly great museums—that I’ve visited over a lifetime of avid museum-going, the ones that bubble to the top include the City Museum, St. Louis; the  Exploratorium, San Francisco; the Minnesota History Center, St. Paul; and the Children’s Museum of

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What is your institution’s exhibition philosophy?

/ Dimensions /

This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the January/February 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. We map our audience’s attitudes, knowledge base, and expectations—not in order to meet those expectations, but rather to overcome them, to surprise our visitors, and to create the aha! of the Heureka experience. More than designing objects,

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Should science centers and museums adopt ethical guidelines regarding corporate sponsorships? If so, what should these guidelines be?

/ Dimensions /

This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the January/February 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. Science centers and museums should adopt overarching gift acceptance and ethical fundraising policies that should be approved by their governing boards.  In addition, in order to ensure accountability and informed decision-making regarding corporate

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