MUSEUM VICTORIA | Scienceworks | Audience Insights
PALAEONTOLOGY LECTURE
Report No. 973
SURVEY PERIOD: ONLINE SURVEY JULY 2015 | RESPONDENTS: 40 | NOTE: VISITOR’S EMAILS COLLECTION ONSITE AT EACH OF THE
LECTURES. A FOLLOW-UP EMAIL INVITATION WAS SENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY. EMAIL ADDRESSES WAS ALSO GATHERED
FROM BOOKINGS.
3 Adult Program lectures were held at Scienceworks in the month of July. The lectures were part of
the programming for the Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family exhibition. Entry into the exhibition was
included with the lecture. A total of 40 surveys were completed.
The survey has been divided into two sections:
1. Evaluation of the lecture
2. Adult programming at Scienceworks.
Attendees to the lecture that were identified as previously having completed the survey were given
an abridged version of the survey that only asked questions pertaining to the first section. 6
respondents were in this category.
Dates of lectures:
Wednesday 15th July – Dr Tom Rich
Wednesday 22nd July – Dr Rolf Schmidt
Wednesday 29th July – Travis Park
59 attendees
61 attendees
45 attendees
19 surveys
13 surveys
8 surveys
Section 1: Evaluation of the lecture
Before today, when was your last visit to Scienceworks?
Never, this is my first visit
Within the past 12 months
1 – 3 years ago
Over 3 years ago
Lecture 1
22%
44%
11%
22%
Lecture 2
23%
15%
31%
31%
Lecture 3
75%
13%
13%
Exc. lecture
22%
27%
24%
27%
LECTURE 2 ONWARDS: Have you been to a previous lecture in this series?
yes ....................................................... 62%
no ........................................................ 38%
Respondents were familiar to Scienceworks with 3 in 4 having been to Scienceworks before. The
frequency of visitation was fairly evenly spread between the different time periods. There was a high
number of people who attended multiple lectures and this is also reflected in the bookings data.
How did you hear about the Palaeontology Lecture?
The most common source of awareness was through the museum’s own ‘owned’ channel – the
museum e-news (45%). This was followed by Facebook (30%), which connected with the younger
adults in general. Other sources of awareness was through the radio which targeted two different
audiences: the older audience in their 50s on 774 ABC Melbourne radio (8%) and the younger
audience in their early 30s on Triple R radio (5%). Other sources include recommendation through
word of mouth (8%), followed by individual responses of the Scienceworks website, volunteer
newsletter and cross-awareness with the Planetarium lectures.
“Dinosaurs have always fascinated me. I heard the Irish palaeontologist on ABC 774 and thought it
would be of interest.” – 51 year old female (connected)
Why did you attend this lecture?
The primary motivation to attend the lecture was an interested in the topic matter: people who have
a general interest in dinosaurs/palaeontology along with people who are a little bit more invested
and want to learn more about science, national history, extinction, evolution etc.
Some attendees had more of a personal connection to dinosaurs, being past, current or potential
students in this field and others had work relations to this field. There was some connection to
museums, being either a past visitor to Scienceworks, an event at Melbourne Museum (lecture or
SmartBar) or been meaning to visit Scienceworks and this provided a good opportunity for it.
Other responses include ‘sounded like fun’, Tom Rich and capitalising on limited educational
opportunities available to the public.
“I am very interested in natural history & palaeontology and saw this lecture which looked really
interesting.” – 37 year old female (informed)
Which statement best describes your purpose of visit?
Overwhelming the lecture was the driver for people to visit with 92% of respondents coming
especially to hear the lecture and the exhibition viewing was a bonus. The remaining 8% came for
both the exhibition and lecture.
This suggests that lectures do not necessary have to be in conjunction with an exhibition.
Specifically for repeat lecture visitors who would have seen the exhibition on the first lecture
session. The exhibition is not the primary driver for visitors.
How do you rate the following aspects of the lecture?
mean
(out of 5)
Value for money
Content
Learning
Speaker
Holding your interest
Room / facilities
Overall experience
4.6
4.6
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.2
4.6
very good
good
neither
poor
very poor
60%
65%
58%
58%
55%
25%
63%
33%
25%
33%
30%
33%
65%
30%
8%
3%
5%
8%
5%
8%
3%
8%
5%
5%
8%
3%
5%
-
In general all aspects tested in this evaluation were rated very highly rated which indicates it was a
successful lecture series. Respondents thought that the lectures represented high value for money
giving it a mean of 4.6 out of 5 and being the highest rating aspect of the lecture. This suggests that
the lecture was correctly priced. The other aspects: content, learning, speaker and holding your
interest, all rated highly at 4.5 and 4.6 out of 10. This largely is determined by the speaker and their
ability delivery on the subject matter in a way that meaningfully engages the audience.
What did you like most about the lecture?
The speakers were the highlight of the lecture for many. This covers a wide range of areas
including the way the speaker choose to present the information in both an engaging, humorous and
informative manner. This approach made the speaker easy to listen to and more accessible with
their passion, dedication, experience and knowledge in this topic clear to many.
The learnings and information attendees took away from the lecture was also very well commented
on. Visitors gained insights into the personal experience of a palaeontologist and learning new
information about dinosaurs local to Victoria.
Other commented on the viewing of the exhibition, making the plasticine dinosaur models, the
question and answer time at the end (including the way the lecturer was able to respond to them)
and then in general the content/ interesting subject.
Respondent’s verbatim are provided at the end of this document.
“the main thing that stood out was the excellent choice of lecturer as Travis delivered it with humour
and intellect which is a great blend. He held all our attentions and was very good when dealing with
the Q&A at the end which can normally throw the best of them off track a little.” – 43 year old male
(informed)
What could be improved about the lecture?
The strongest improvement was in the logistics of the lectures. The venue setup was not optimal to
many with requests for greater consideration in the setup of the room (rows are not tiered which
made viewing the screen and presenter difficult for people not sitting in the front rows). Other
comments along this similar thread included the noise filtering in from the cleaning crew outside,
lighting levels, more comfortable chairs and clearer communication on the commencement time of
the lecture as people had to wait outside in the cold.
Other suggested improvements include a longer session (with a break), more engaging speakers
and presentation.
Respondent’s verbatim are provided at the end of this document.
“It was hard to see some of the graphs from the back because of people's heads being in the way,
but I will just sit down the front for the next one :)” – 34 year old female (obligated)
Segments
Elite
15%
Curious
9%
Easy
9%
Connecte
d
14%
Obligated
12%
Informed
41%
3 words that best describe what you want to
experience and feel from a visit to a museum.
Fun ...................... 12%
Being informed..... 44%
Relaxed ............... 15%
Excited ................. 38%
Facts and figures . 12%
Enriched .............. 29%
Cultured ................. 9%
Intellectual............ 29%
Nostalgia................ 6%
Latest thinking ...... 26%
Sophisticated ......... 6%
Comprehensive
At ease .................. 3%
understanding . 26%
Comfortable ........... 3%
Understanding ..... 24%
Treat .......................... Emotionally
Assertive .................... connected........ 18%
Which ONE of these statements best describe your main reason for visiting a museum?
To reinforce and expand my intellectual understanding .................................................... 47%
To share and experience world and natural history with others ......................................... 24%
To enjoy myself in a casual atmosphere in a cultural location ............................................. 9%
To be around like minded people in a relaxed, culture environment .................................... 9%
To be involved in a unique and exclusive event and location .............................................. 9%
To be involved in a culturally important place ...................................................................... 3%
Who did you come with?
Nearly half (45%) of all respondents came with their partner or spouse to the lecture. There was a
strong number of respondents who came to the lecture by themselves (33%) and these tended to
be older adults with a slight male bias. 23% came with adult friends and the remaining 5% came
with an adult child or with other family members.
Demographic
There was a bias towards females with 67% of the audience female and 33% male. However
many stated that they attended with their spouse so it is likely that the gender spread is more
even.
The lectures attracted a broad audience with the average age of the attendee 42 years old. The
youngest person was 18 years old and the older person was 73 years old. 39% of attendees
were over the age of 50, however there was a young adult element with 18% 25 years and
younger.
As the lectures were targeted towards an adult audience, 90% of attendees did not have any
children. This suggests that the audience has minimal cross-over with the general Scienceworks
audience.
Scienceworks is located in the West Melbourne Statistical Division. Visitors to the lectures came
from all over Melbourne. 1 in 5 respondents were from the same area as Scienceworks, but the
most popular region was Southern Melbourne. Note this had a high number of repeat visitors.
Statistical Division
Inner Melbourne
Eastern Middle
Melbourne
Eastern Outer
Melbourne
Moreland City
Northern Middle
Melbourne
South Eastern Outer
Melbourne
Southern Melbourne
Greater Geelong
City
Hume City
Western Melbourne
#
7
4
1
1
2
1
11
2
1
8
Section 2: Adult Programming at Scienceworks
The following section scopes out the role Adult Programming has at Scienceworks. Respondents
who had previously filled out a survey to any of the previous lectures were not asked to fill out this
section. The sample size is 34.
Scienceworks is interested in expanding our current offering to adult audiences. The
following questions are about your perception of the museum and programming.
Which words would you use to describe Scienceworks?
science focused .... 62%
fun .......................... 53%
child focused ........... 44%
inspiring .................. 35%
childish ...................... 6%
not for me ................. 0%
exciting ................... 29%
playful..................... 26%
technology focused 24%
experimental ........... 18%
Based upon your current perception of Scienceworks, do you agree or disagree with the
following statements.
100%
80%
3%
12%
97%
88%
50%
60%
40%
20%
50%
0%
for adults
for families
agree
for children
disagree
Respondents strongly perceive Scienceworks to be a family and child experience. They are split
evenly between agreeing and disagreeing that Scienceworks is for adults. This split may presents
a barrier for adult visitors who link the general museum as a child/family experience but not an
adult experience.
As an adult, how likely are you to visit Scienceworks . . .
100%
21%
26%
80%
24%
60%
40%
79%
32%
20%
18%
0%
general visitor
very likely
likely
unsure
specific adult program/ event
unlikely
not at all likely
Given that respondents attended the Palaeontology Lecture, many of them are interested in
similar type events and respond strongly when asked about visiting Scienceworks for a specific
adult program or event. When looking at Scienceworks in the capacity of an everyday visitor, half
of them have indicated that they would (very likely and likely) suggesting there is a potential
market amongst these respondents.
Respondents who selected ‘very likely’ did not perceive Scienceworks as ‘child focused’ and
when combined with those who said they were ‘likely’ to visit, 24% said Scienceworks was ‘child
focused’ verses 65% of respondents who stated they were ‘unsure’ or ‘unlikely’ to visit
Scienceworks as a general visitor.
What would stop you from visiting Scienceworks?
Barriers for visiting Scienceworks includes
¬ suitability: targeted towards children
¬ too many children, feeling out of place amongst families
¬ commute / distance / traffic
¬ if there were no exhibitions or lectures targeted towards adults, younger audience focused
exhibitions, lack sophisticated educational exhibits for adults
¬ static: nothing new on display
¬ lack of knowledge of events
¬ too busy with all the children, school holidays, need a quieter day
¬ other commitments
How suitable do you think adult focused
programs are for Scienceworks?
Would you be interested in any of these
other adult programs at Scienceworks?
Very suitable ....................................... 65%
Somewhat suitable.............................. 29%
Unsure .................................................. 6%
Not suitable ........................................... 0%
Not at all suitable .................................. 0%
Evening events for adults only............. 91%
Astronomy Classes ............................. 88%
Public Lectures ................................... 82%
Back of House tours ............................ 71%
Robot workshops ................................ 44%
Do you have any other suggestions for adult programs at Scienceworks?
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
SW version of SmartBar
Live Demonstrations
Local environment lectures (i.e. marine fauna)
Big Kids Night In
Evolution
Basics in physics
Anthropology
If you were to attend an adult program at Scienceworks, when would be your preferred
time?
Weekday evening .................................... 94%
Weekend evening .................................... 41%
Weekend day ........................................... 32%
Weekday day ........................................... 15%
Verbatim - What did you like most about the lecture?
¬ It was presented in a clear way that talked more about the knowledge gained from the
fossil record, rather than just how the fossils were obtained.
¬ Topic, some funny points
¬ Easy to hear the speaker
¬ The speaker was engaging, and presented information in a way that was easy to
understand.
¬ The obvious knowledge and enthusiasm of the presenter.
¬ I liked the scientific explanation and consideration of the evidence. I also thought the
presenter made it fun. I also liked that uncertain things were acknowledged.
¬ Learning something new, visiting the exhibition, playing with plasticine
¬ The price and insight into personal experience of someone in the field of palaeontology
¬ It was informative by someone who is clearly both passionate and well-educated by what
they were talking about.
¬ Very interesting topic, the speaker was great. Good questions by the audience.
¬ I liked the combination of lecture, exhibit, making a plasticine dino and the food and wine
¬ Tom
¬ Well-structured and Rolf spoke with common language and demonstrated some humour!
¬ Finding out that there are more polar dino fossils in Victoria than anywhere else in the
world - in other words the information that was new to me.
¬ The information. I liked making the little dinosaur too
¬ Interesting subject, good slide show
¬ harder to remember than the other two, so i suppose i leaned less
¬ Realising how many dinosaurs were in Victoria – and hearing about how sites are chosen.
¬ It was great to just have the chance to listen to this kind of lecture! There are not many
public lectures in Melbourne that are like this.
¬ The detail and ease of understanding for me as a non-Palaeontologist!
¬ Really interesting presentation with the right about of science. I was worried it would be
too simplified but it was great. I didn't know the exhibition was going to be open so it was
awesome to be able to see that too, especially without a ton of kids everywhere! The
wine was good :)
¬ We thought the speaker was very interesting and approachable
¬ I enjoyed the accessibility of the speaker and the informal setting where people can easily
ask questions.
¬ the plasticine activity to make your own dinosaur
¬ Loved hearing about the Experience and actual finding of the speaker.
¬ The interesting facts about dinosaurs
¬ The knowledge of the speaker
¬ content
¬ The amount of time for questions afterward, and the way he answered them
¬ being able to interact with the lecturer afterwards
¬ It was nice to be at the museum at night, without children (I am a parent!!), with glass of
champagne learning more about subjects I am interested in!
¬ The exhibition
¬ Tom was an amazing speaker. The content was interesting, but I was impressed with his
knowledge and experience, and his delivery was straightforward and easy to understand
for someone with no background in palaeontology. I thought it was amazing value for
money as well, and making the dinosaur diorama was an added bonus!
¬ very hard question to answer but if I need to pick I would say the main thing that stood out
was the excellent choice of lecturer as Travis delivered it with humour and intellect which
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
is a great blend. He held all our attentions and was very good when dealing with the Q&A
at the end which can normally throw the best of them off track a little.
The lecture was extremely interesting and very dedicated to his work which shone through
The engagement with the audience was good. It was light and accessible material. Good
speaker.
The exhibition
I found the speaker extremely accomplished and experienced. The content reflected the
advertised material and I found it very rewarding. I didn't realise the exhibition would also
be open to us, and the extra activities (plasticine models!)
Comic lecturers, taking it lightly but sharing their knowledge, making it more accessible
through humour - i went to the middle & last lecture
That it covered information about dinosaurs local to Victoria
Verbatim - What could be improved about the lecture?
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
A dedicated lecture space, or a room with tiered seating
Not so long, more visual content (less graphs)
Nothing
The seats were a bit too close together, although I understand you need to fit in as many
seats as possible. There was also a lot of noise coming from people cleaning outside the
theatre which was distracting. Otherwise it was awesome!
Being slow in thought and action, I would have liked a little more time to absorb the
information. (although it has given me directions for more research)
A dedicated lecture space or at least one with tiered seating.
This week was busy for MV members. I went to 3 events which made it a very full week.
A better defined question session
nothing comes to mind
Nothing!
Perhaps have the lecture notes available electronically to view afterwards? I would have
liked to look over some of the statistical data that was shown to gather a better
understanding. The cartoons were worth looking at again too.
Nil
The visuals weren't always very clear.
Screen needed to be higher
nothing
Nothing
Being only 5 ft, sitting middle 4th row back found it very difficult to view slide show. Felt I
had to weave to see to see, and probably annoyed the people sitting behind me. Would sit
front row next time!
lighting was a bit distracting. The speaker was often out of the spot light. This type of
lecture would have benefited just as well with general lighting
I have no knowledge of the topic, so some of the terminology was new to me, but I also
thought the level of the talk was quite good and relatively easy to follow. It also introduced
me to some interesting concepts I had never heard of!
very little!!
Healthy food options! It was hard to see some of the graphs from the back because of
people's heads being in the way, but I will just sit down the front for the next one :)
The lecture was great maybe an actual entry time could be specified as some people
arrived early and had to wait outside
not soo many graphs keep content entertaining, educational and interesting
¬ It would have been good if there were some books by the speaker available for sale at
the end of the lecture, or even something that would direct people to other references (i.e.
journal articles, websites, etc) if they were interested in learning more about the topic.
¬ The overall experience was excellent. If I had to suggest any improvements I would
suggest to close the door of the lecture room next time to keep out any outside noise /
distractions.
¬ More engaging speaker
¬ could be longer, say 90 min with a break
¬ Could be longer
¬ possibly better seating as it was hard to see the stage from the back row
¬ Nothing about the lecture (or the other two) but i really resented being made to wait for 15
minutes outside in the very cold wind, before they would let us in - surely we could have
been allowed in the foyer. We weren't a gang of eight year olds for goodness sake"!
¬ I liked the format... not too many bells and whistles. All about the content.
¬ More engaging speaker and needs to be more interactive with audience
¬ Comfier seats? Other than that, not much!
¬ Because I loved it (and the previous week too) I would have loved it to go a little longer
but in saying that I could have stayed all night.
¬ The lighting was not very good. I feel that it would be better to have the audience in the
dark and the speaker highlighted.
¬ The lecture itself was great - although the start time/doors opening time could be made a
little clearer upon booking - not that it bothered me, but there were some people
complaining about not being let in at whatever time they thought they should be which
was just rude and annoying. So to save us all from petulant, entitled people thinking they
can just enter the building whenever they like, make the doors opening time clearer? I
dunno, it seemed reasonable to me though :)
¬ Better speaker, less monotone
¬ Perhaps some more comfortable chairs, although they weren't "uncomfortable". Perhaps
a quick guided tour of the exhibit by the presenter for some extra information would be a
huge bonus also.
¬ Establish start & end times
¬ A little bit more in depth. I don't mind longer lectures as long as there is a small break.