Final Report Summary - DISCOVERY DAYS (Advanced Technology meets Science and Culture. Using advanced technological applications to improve visitors experience in museums, science centres?)
DISCOVERY DAYS underlined the significant achievements that have been made in the implementation of DISCOVERY DAYS events across Europe. A total of nine major DISCOVERY DAYS events across Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Finland and Greece took place, as well as the major international conference in Athens, two follow-up events in Denmark and Portugal.
Six of these events targeted the general public and young people directly, while three targeted specific audiences including policymakers, science centre and museum professionals, education professionals and stakeholders, the so-called multipliers, whose role enables them to transfer the impact of such an event to a much greater audience.
The communication of these events through the video news release and project website, as well as through local and European dissemination by individual project partners, goes to ensuring that this positive impact is multiplied. The results of the evaluation of the Finnish event in particular confirm the impact on the visitors to the DISCOVERY DAYS themselves, with an extremely positive assessment all round. Notable are the high ratings given by both boys and girls, showing that these events used technology to heighten the experience of visiting science centres in a way which appeals to young people regardless of their gender. We see also from this evaluation that teachers see the importance of these technologies, which enhances links between schools and science centres; a crucial partnership for young people.
The project therefore achieved its objectives both directly, by demonstrating to a large number of key professionals and general public the opportunities that advanced technologies can offer in enriching the experience of visiting science museums to young people at the events, but also indirectly, through the strategic communication campaign and dissemination events, raising European awareness on future possibilities in this field.
Six of these events targeted the general public and young people directly, while three targeted specific audiences including policymakers, science centre and museum professionals, education professionals and stakeholders, the so-called multipliers, whose role enables them to transfer the impact of such an event to a much greater audience.
The communication of these events through the video news release and project website, as well as through local and European dissemination by individual project partners, goes to ensuring that this positive impact is multiplied. The results of the evaluation of the Finnish event in particular confirm the impact on the visitors to the DISCOVERY DAYS themselves, with an extremely positive assessment all round. Notable are the high ratings given by both boys and girls, showing that these events used technology to heighten the experience of visiting science centres in a way which appeals to young people regardless of their gender. We see also from this evaluation that teachers see the importance of these technologies, which enhances links between schools and science centres; a crucial partnership for young people.
The project therefore achieved its objectives both directly, by demonstrating to a large number of key professionals and general public the opportunities that advanced technologies can offer in enriching the experience of visiting science museums to young people at the events, but also indirectly, through the strategic communication campaign and dissemination events, raising European awareness on future possibilities in this field.
