1. Sharing Planetary Science
Understanding Audience Goals
LPI Education and Public Engagement
October 16, 2018

2. Online Participants Joining online?
Please share your thoughts and responses throughout the session in the chat box.
You are a “discussion group.”
Be sure to use the drop box while chatting
to direct responses to all attendees,
not just the host.
Having trouble hearing? Call in to join by phone:
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3. Public Engagement Goals
When you give a presentation or conduct an activity about planetary science with a group:
What are your audience’s goals?
What are your goals?

4. Small Group Activity Please work in small groups.
Each group will have a different audience:
A class of 4th grade (9 year old) students
A class of high school astronomy students
An amateur astronomy club meeting
A family event at a park or library
A public event for adult audiences at a museum

5. (Online participants, share your thoughts in the chat box.)
Small Group Activity
Imagine that you are giving a presentation on planetary science to your group.
What would their goals be in attending and participating? (Discuss one to three)
What would your goals be for giving your presentation? (Discuss one to three)
Record your group’s goals on a paper; we will discuss them together in 6 minutes.
(Online participants, share your thoughts in the chat box.)

6. Group Discussion: Goals
What goals do 4th grade students have?
High school astronomy students?
What goals might amateur astronomers have?
Families’ goals?
An adult audience’s goals?

7. Goals and Motivations
Falk and colleagues (2008) described five museum-goer identity categories: a combination of a person’s motivations, expectations, needs, interests, and desired roles for a particular visit.
(a) Explorers: curiosity-driven, generic interest
(b) Facilitators: enabling the experience and learning of others
(c) Professional Hobbyists: desire for specific content
(d) Experience Seekers: destination
(e) Spiritual Pilgrims/Rechargers: seeking contemplative or restorative experience
Falk, J.H., Heimlich, J.E., & Bronnenkant, K. (2008). Using identity-related visit motivations as a tool for understanding adult zoo and aquarium visitor’s meaning making. Curator: The Museum Journal, 51(1), 55–79. doi: /j tb00294.x
Falk, J. H. (2009). Identity and the museum visitor experience. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.

8. Meeting Audience Goals
How can you best prepare for meeting your audience’s goals?
Ask for more information about the audience in advance.
Partner with member(s) of audience as you prepare.
Prepare with input from education specialists.
Other ideas?

9. Concluding Discussions
Your top insights about communicating with audiences that you’d like to share?
What questions do you have that you’d like us to discuss?
What questions or topics would you like us to work on for future sessions?

10. Thanks!
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Feel free to contact us with your thoughts and suggestions!