Evaluating the long term impact of live science demonstrations in an interactive science show
Science shows are a popular format for communicating science that are used widely across the world, yet there is little literature about the long term impact they may have. This research investigated the short and long term impact of a specific science show called 'Music to your ears' which was written and performed throughout the UK for students aged 11 16 years on behalf of the Institute of Physics. The impact is measured using the immediate reaction to the show, the number (and type) of demonstrations that were recalled long term, and the application of any memories since seeing the show. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered using questionnaires immediately after the show and from focus groups that were held two and a half years later. In addition, interviews with professional presenters were conducted to allow for triangulation of data. Five science demonstration categories were developed to describe the essence of a demonstration; curiosity (C) human (H) analogy (A) mechanics (M) and phenomena (P) These categories were then used as a framework to discover which had the biggest impact over a long period of time. It was found that even after two and a half years, almost 25% of demonstrations from the show could be recalled without prompting. When prompted with verbal and visual clues, the group tested could recall more than 50% of the demonstrations from the original show. In addition, around 9% of the demonstrations were recalled in an alternative context to the show, suggesting that some cognitive processing may be happening with the most memorable elements of the show.