Purpose of award (summary of the goals and objectives of the project):this project will investigate what elements are most commonly linked to more positive outcomes for visitors from live and…

This $937,213 cooperative agreement from the National Park Service will fund a research project conducted by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from July 2022 to September 2026. The goal is to investigate which elements of live and audience-centered interpretive experiences in the National Park System lead to more positive visitor outcomes. Over two phases, the university will develop consensus-based outcome measures, pilot test them, and conduct field research at multiple park sites to determine which interpretive approaches and contexts most effectively achieve desired visitor outcomes. They will provide two interim reports and a final report detailing methods, analyses, conclusions and recommendations. A $50,000 subaward to Clemson University will support related research activities. This award advances the goals of the National Park Service's Cooperative Research and Training Programs under the CFDA's Resources of the National Park System program to facilitate multi-disciplinary science informing park management.

Purpose of award (summary of the goals and objectives of the project):this project will investigate what elements are most commonly linked to more positive outcomes for visitors from live and audience-centered interpretive experiences in the national park service.project objectives -develop measures that reflect consensus-based outcomes that apply broadly to live interpretive programs and other audience-centered experiences across the NPS. Conduct field research to determine which approaches to live interpretation are most powerfully linked with desired visitor outcomes.conduct field research to determine which approaches to audience-centered experiences are most powerfully linked with desired visitor outcomes.determine whether certain approaches are context-specific. In other words, do different approaches relate to outcomes differently in different contexts (e.g., cultural VS. Natural focus; urban VS. Remote parks) or different audiences (e.g., different sociodemographic profiles)?summary of project specific activities:specific research phasesphase 1 (august 2022 - may 2024): the project team will conduct a participatory process, a pilot study and statistical analysis to develop measures appropriate for evaluating the outcomes of NPS interpretive programs.phase 2 (august 2024 - september 2026): the project team will design and conduct a research study over two field seasons to determine which approaches tend to lead to more positive visitor outcomes and report on the results.performance goals including milestones and expected outcomes:project deliverablesinterim reports: two interim reports will be produced: first interim report: one electronic version of an interim report will highlight the process, methods, and results of developing appropriate measures for assessing outcomes of live interpretation and audience centered experiences across the NPS. The report will include ready-to-use survey instruments.second interim report: one electronic version of an interim report will summarize the first field season, provide preliminary findings, and share suggested adaptations for the second field season.draft final report: one electronic version of the draft final technical report will be provided to the NPS for feedback.final report: the final report will detail all methods, analyses, conclusions, and recommendations. One electronic version will be provided to the NPS and another to the southern appalachian cooperative ecosystem studies units research coordinator.beneficiaries: this project will benefit the public, specifically ensuring that the over 300 million annual visitor experiences are enjoyable, educational, and relevant by assisting the NPS in evaluating and improving current interpretive efforts.