Observations ... and informal learning

Much of our learning unfolds in "abstract" situations or informally; museums, zoos, and marine parks are just a a few of the settings that come to mind. Observations are critical in such settings -- but they're challenging to design and difficult to conduct.

Imagine you've been tasked with observing traffic patterns for a new exhibit at the San Diego Zoo--the goal being to help exhibit planners (and the performance technologists with whom they work) determine what signage to create and how best to position it, ways to ensure visitors also have a clear line of sight, and techniques for "infusing" the zoo's subliminal messages (about the importance of wildlife and environmental conservation) into the mix.

Take a look at some of the resources listed here (and DEFINITELY feel free to share gems you find on your own) ... and then ... share your ideas about protcool design.

What would your protocol look like? On what themes, ideas, or issues would it focus?

-- Bob Hoffman on informal learning (Info-Line)
-- Digital Youth Research (Kids' Informal Learning with Digital Media)
-- VicariousLearning.com
-- Mobile learning in informal science settings
-- A Week in the Life of a High School (a provcative observational sojourn)