A new exhibit at Thanksgiving Point allows visitors to study thousands of butterflies from around the globe, 20 species of tarantulas, and many more beetles, bugs, and insects. This Saturday, those visitors are also being studied by Utah Valley University students.
The team of students is focusing on collecting qualitative data on questions such as, how do families interact with each other in the exhibit, what do they find most interesting? What do they spend the most time examining, and are they calling people over to look at something specific? This data will aid in the overall experience provided at the Butterfly Biosphere.
Prior to the grand opening, UVU students have been collaborating with research assistants and the director of creativity at Thanksgiving Point to create evaluation tools for the new exhibit. They’ve created a scavenger hunt, Qualtrics survey, focus groups, and an app to capture the data they’re collecting. Their third test group will visit the exhibit this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will be comprised of UVU faculty, students, and staff.
“Invaluable,” is how Lisa Petot, a junior studying psychology, describes the experience she and her team are gaining.
“The first thing that came to mind when I thought about psychology was therapy or social work,” she said. “This has opened us up to a whole new field of study on how people experience exhibits, museums, and cultural experiences.”
The most valuable aspect of the project is the practice it’s providing to Petot and her team. “We have a real-life client we’re creating something for, and the stakes are higher,” she said. “It’s not a hypothetical, classroom setting where we know we’re only doing it for a grade. We are equal partners, and we have great organic ideas in our group. We’re collaborating together to create the best tools we can.”
UVU faculty and staff successfully connect students with the surrounding community, as part of their mission of engaged learning. The connection between UVU and Thanksgiving Point has laid a foundation of future collaboration, to enrich the community and foster student success.
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About Utah Valley University
At nearly 40,000 students and growing, Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state of Utah, and one of a few in the nation offering a model that combines the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs, and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.
University Marketing & Communications:
Scott Trotter
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Barb Smith