Professional Development opportunities offered in the past are listed below. Please click on the opportunity for an event description as well as recordings and supplemental materials if available. Most Workshops are available for purchase.
Filter By Event Types
-
-
This year’s VSA conference will focus on applied methodologies and practical approaches to visitor studies. We’ll highlight a broad range of essential skills alongside innovative new methods to better understand and advocate for our visitors and communities. Having a toolkit of field-tested practices is vital in accurately representing the experiences of those we serve. This conference will be a deep dive into visitor studies as it is applied in the real world, from established best practices to creative methods. Our goal is to provide tangible takeaways that attendees can immediately implement at their own institutions.
-
AI continues to be a hot topic of conversation, so grab a hot coffee ☕ (cold coffee, tea, or any beverage of your choosing) and join us to talk AI. Some practical items we are prepared to discuss are engineering prompts that work and avoiding AI sycophancy, but please come with questions, resources, or experiences to share with the group! We acknowledge that AI evokes strong emotions. In this conversation, we promote curiosity, radical listening, and respectful dialogue. The session will not be recorded but resources will be shared afterwards and we anticipate hosting additional conversations based on the interests of participants.
-
Reading Group Discussion: Co-Construction of Iteration Through Failure Moments: Interactions Between Museum Educators and Visitors by Amber Simpson, Andrew Osterhout, Alice Anderson, Adam V. Maltese & Jacey Ruisi
-
Join us for the second installment of our intermediate Excel workshop series. Building on concepts shared in Part 1, this session dives deeper into the tools and techniques that can transform how you work with data. We'll cover: Automation, Pivot Tables & Dynamic Formulas
-
Most of us don’t struggle with Excel because the math is hard — we struggle because the data is complex. Text responses, mixed data types, evolving categories, and the need to work across teams and stakeholders all push Excel beyond “rows and columns.” This workshop focuses on building reusable systems for qualitative and mixed-methods data, so you can stop reinventing your workflows and start creating templates and tools that grow with your data.
-
Most of us don’t struggle with Excel because the math is hard — we struggle because the data is complex. Text responses, mixed data types, evolving categories, and the need to work across teams and stakeholders all push Excel beyond “rows and columns.” This workshop focuses on building reusable systems for qualitative and mixed-methods data, so you can stop reinventing your workflows and start creating templates and tools that grow with your data.
-
Join us for a fun (and educational) get together to watch the Excel Esports Battle 1 - Road to Las Vegas. The battle–which took place on January 20, 2026–is the first of nine battles happening through September in the lead up to the October World Championship competition! And if your co-workers wonder how is watching esports professional development? Just let them know: you need to level up your spreadsheet game to … Excel in your work. 😉
-
Interpretive communication is mission-driven and engaging—it shares information in ways that spark curiosity and reflection. It’s a powerful approach for deepening understanding and enriching visitor experiences. But, how do you know if your messages are actually connecting with visitors? In this mini course we will review the fundamentals of interpretation before diving into how to evaluate the effectiveness of interpretive messages through guided reflections and discussions with your peers and colleagues. In this course you will: Learn how to identify when interpretive communication is working well Practice evaluating the effectiveness of interpretive messages Learning objectives: Identify key characteristics of successful interpretation for your organization (or clients). Understand how to use Sam Ham’s Zone of Tolerance to evaluate interpretive messages. Open to all VSA members and non-members. This is a 1 hour and 45 minute mini course.
-
Are you interested in presenting at the VSA conference this year, but seeking inspiration, co-presenters, or the encouragement to submit that proposal? You are in the right place! Learn about the conference! This year’s conference will be in Kansas City, Missouri July 21-23! Event details are still being firmed up, but get the early word on what is in the works! Learn about the conference theme, Expanding Your Visitor Studies Toolkit. This year’s VSA conference will focus on applied methodologies and practical approaches to visitor studies. The goal is to provide tangible takeaways that attendees can immediately implement at their own institutions, recognizing the pivotal role that both the users and producers of visitor research and evaluation play. Find co-presenters and inspiration! Are you looking at the call for proposal and thinking, ‘I might have an idea’ or ‘I have no ideas but am curious about what others may be talking about it’? We will provide some information at the beginning but the rest of the session is space to network, ask questions, and toss around ideas with colleagues.
-
Please join us for a book club-style discussion of: “From Intermediaries to Connectors: A Critical Analysis of Proximity in Visitor Studies.” Conversation will be directed by the interests and input of participants. We encourage you to come ready to share your thoughts and raise questions! Members only
-
How can museums use evaluation to meaningfully advance accessibility for visitors with disabilities? And, what does it really take to make accessibility part of everyday museum work? This panel builds on the book Evaluating Accessibility in Museums by inviting three of its contributors to reflect on lessons learned from their original case study and highlight how evaluation has continued to shape their projects, decisions, and visitor experiences. You’ll hear how the Denver Art Museum is using process evaluation to guide staff learning as they work with disabled community members as part of their project, Designing for Accessiblity, how the Museum of Science, Boston keeps involving people with disabilities in testing and feedback even when timelines are tight, and how the Intrepid Museum is working with accessibility experts and self-advocates on VR and multimedia projects. Join us for real-world stories about what worked, what’s still in progress, and how evaluation can help museums stay accountable, responsive, and creative in making accessibility a priority. We’ll wrap up with a Q&A and after-mingle so you can ask questions, share your own experiences, and chat with the panelists.
-
Join us to talk about takeaways, things you are still pondering, and what is inspiring action in your work! Recordings are still available to watch and rewatch!
-
In February 2021, VSA ended its regular “support group” that had been active starting March 20, 2020, a week after many of us began a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal for the support group was to make a space for visitor studies professionals to wrestle with the challenges they were facing in such an uncertain time. We feel there is a new need for this space as professionals are navigating new policies that affect funding, systems, and practice. As before, we will hold a regular time slot for VSA members to ask questions, share information, and connect with others. The discussions will be directed by participants. We will not be recording these conversations. We plan to hold the discussions every three weeks but can adapt the frequency as needed.
-
Join us to talk about your takeaways from the VSA Conference, things you are still pondering, and what is inspiring action in your work!
-
In February 2021, VSA ended its regular “support group” that had been active starting March 20, 2020, a week after many of us began a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal for the support group was to make a space for visitor studies professionals to wrestle with the challenges they were facing in such an uncertain time. We feel there is a new need for this space as professionals are navigating new policies that affect funding, systems, and practice. As before, we will hold a regular time slot for VSA members to ask questions, share information, and connect with others. The discussions will be directed by participants. We will not be recording these conversations. We plan to hold the discussions every three weeks but can adapt the frequency as needed.
-
In February 2021, VSA ended its regular “support group” that had been active starting March 20, 2020, a week after many of us began a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal for the support group was to make a space for visitor studies professionals to wrestle with the challenges they were facing in such an uncertain time. We feel there is a new need for this space as professionals are navigating new policies that affect funding, systems, and practice. As before, we will hold a regular time slot for VSA members to ask questions, share information, and connect with others. The discussions will be directed by participants. We will not be recording these conversations. We plan to hold the discussions every three weeks but can adapt the frequency as needed.
-
As an independent consultant in the visitor studies field, navigating business decisions effectively is key to sustainability and growth. In this webinar, experienced independent evaluation consultant Rebecca Garrow (Garrow Consulting, Inc.) will share practical insights into structuring your business, setting competitive consulting rates, and responding to a changing consulting environment. The session will conclude with an open discussion where you can ask questions and connect with other consultants in VSA. Hope to see you there!
-
-
-
How are evaluators involved in a collection reinstallation? How do you get started? What does the timeline look like? Join the VSA Art Museum Focused Interest Group (FIG) to hear members share their experiences with exhibition and gallery reinstallations in art museums. There will also be discussion time to share your own experiences and ask questions. Though this web chat is hosted by the Art Museum FIG, the lessons learned can be applied to different types of institutions!
-
-
Want to incorporate equity into your evaluation practice but not sure where to start? Would it help you to discuss tensions and sticking points – as well as practical ideas for navigating them – with other evaluators? Want to continue conversations begun during the last conference? This discussion series is for you! The leaders of this discussion series are by no means experts in equitable evaluation but have all found the Equitable Evaluation Framework (EEF)™ useful as an entry-point to reflect on our own practices and explore how to start changing them. We therefore invite you to join us in reflection and discussion, and if you do have experience putting these principles into practice, we welcome you to share!
-
-
Are you interested in presenting at the VSA conference this year, but seeking inspiration, co-presenters, or the encouragement to submit that proposal? Then this informal networking webchat is for you!
-
Please join us for a book club-style discussion of this year’s Screven Award winning article, “A Review of Augmented Reality for Informal Science Learning Supporting Design of Intergenerational Group Learning.” Conversation will be directed by the interests and input of participants.
-
Becoming the Change we Want to See: An Informal Dialogue with the authors (with an Intro to the Organizational Level Dimensions of DEAI Framework from Dr. Cecilia Garibay)
-
VSA Conference Reflection Webchat
-
-
-
-
Whether you are preparing your VSA conference session or for a meeting with museum leadership, presentation is part of our lives. In this webchat, we will share some presentation tips to help you craft an on point presentation for many contexts. The PD Committee members leading this webchat are thinking about “presentation” at large, so we will be sharing tips for data visualization and reporting, oral communications, and more! Have some go-to presentation tips of your own? We encourage you to bring those tips to the session to build upon our collective knowledge.
-
The Pulse Forum is an opportunity for Zoo, Aquarium, and Garden professionals who are interested in evaluation to come together ahead of VSA's annual conference to get a finger on the pulse of current trends of our community in a more informal space. This Pulse Forum is open to evaluators, educators, exhibit developers, designers, marketing professionals, planners, academics, and directors who share a passion for improving the quality of visitor experiences in zoos, aquariums, and public gardens. Across cultural institutions and fields, all are welcome to attend and submit proposals; this year’s Pulse Forum will be free for VSA Members. There will be a $5 registration fee for Non-Members.
-
What do you do when traditional data collection tools just won't work for your project? This session will explore strategies for learning from visitors in tricky physical contexts, in hard-to-wrangle programmatic situations, and in leisure experiences you just don't want to interrupt. We invite you to join us for a 90-minute session to begin exploring these issues and begin working through them as they relate to your own context. Come for the practical tools to support your planning processes; stay for a sense of fun and a focus on making research and evaluation more friendly.
-
The Visitor Studies Journal and the Visitor Studies Association are releasing a call for submissions for a themed issue on the topic of “Redefining the Visitor Studies field for a Changing World”. The issue seeks to create a platform for reflecting on the state of the Visitor Studies field today, ways in which we need to evolve the field based on new learnings, understandings and contexts, as well as new directions in the field, both in North America and internationally.
-
We're starting the new year with some new tools to clarify our communication in 2024! A tool share is a chance to get energized with colleagues while talking about some fun tools to make visitor studies easier. This is an engaging, fast-moving web chat where we aim to cover as many tools and strategies as we can in one hour. Our hosts will kick us off with some of their own tips and resources, and then we’ll turn it over to you. Each participant is strongly encouraged to bring one thing to share related to communication: this includes tools for data collection, maintaining relationships with colleagues, presenting findings, and beyond. We want to hear about it!
-
December 14, 3:00-4:30pm ET / 12-1:30pm PT Join the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Visitor Studies Association (VSA) for an artificial intelligence-focused watch party. During the watch party, we will view the recording from this year’s Alan J. Friedman Science Center Dialogues, a plenary session that took place live at the ASTC 2023 Conference in October.
-
Please join us for a book club-style discussion of this year’s Screven Award winning article, “Looking to Read: How Visitors Use Exhibit Labels in the Art Museum.” Conversation will be directed by the interests and input of participants. We encourage you to come ready to share your thoughts and raise questions!
-
Please join Visitor Studies Association (VSA) as we host a Tea with the Visitor Studies Group (VSG), a United Kingdom-based membership organization for individuals whose role involves, uses or benefits from visitor studies. Bring your tea, coffee, beverage of choice, and join us for light facilitated conversations and merriment!
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Please join us for a book club-style discussion of this year’s Screven Award-winning article, "Awe & Memories of Learning in Science and Art.” The conversation will be directed by the interests and input of participants. In the first 30 minutes, we will have an open discussion about individual questions and curiosities. Two of the authors, C. Aaron Price and Lauren Applebaum, will join us for the second 30 minutes of the discussion. We encourage you to come ready to share your thoughts and raise questions! This webchat is available to VSA Members only.
-
Evaluation 101: Evaluation for Grant Seekers
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-