Chicago Children's Museum

The Chicago Children’s Museum will develop a multimedia Story Hub that allows visitors to create and share video documentaries of their museum experiences. The onsite Story Hub will allow visitors to verbalize their understanding of the meaning and value of their experience with the museum’s exhibits by creating and recording a reflective narrative, accompanied by photos of different exhibits. Visitors will also be able to access these videos from the Internet after their visit. The project is based on research that shows that learning is more complete when experiences can be processed verbally, reflected upon, and shared. The videos will also provide museum staff with valuable information about the impact and perceived value of specific exhibits and activities to inform planning for the museum’s expansion. The Story Hub will provide a model for other museums seeking strategies to learn how their visitors understand and value their offerings.