"Dolphin Shows and Interaction Programs: Benefits for Conservation Education?" Evaluation

Summary:
     Dolphins and other marine organisms are being threatened due to anthropogenic factors. Dolphins are effected by overfishing, pollution, and boating. Educational programs in aquariums are set up through shows and interactive programs to teach people about the marine environment and conservation. This study's goal is to see if these programs are effective in helping educate the public.
      This study was conducted to see if attending dolphin shows and going to interactive dolphin programs would change a persons behavior, attitude, and/or conservation knowledge. A survey was given to individuals over the age of 18 who either attended a dolphin show or interactive program, or did not. Surveys were given to participants before their experience, directly after their experience, and three months after. The surveys asked questions about the participants general knowledge, conservation behaviors, attitude toward conservation and overall experience.
     The results showed that the experience was entertaining and for the interactive program it was an experience of a lifetime. After both shows, the audience had an increase in conservation interest both long term and short term. Participants had increased interest in dolphins and marine animals. The number of dolphin shows the participant attended seemed to be a factor in their interests. Overall, both interactive and non interactive dolphin shows were successful in educating the public on conservation efforts regarding the oceans.

Evaluation:
     This report seemed to be very accurate. The authors went into great detail about the experiment that took place. They did not leave out any details and the experiment made sense. The report had all the parts that were necessary to be an accurate report. The report was clear. The headings clarify each step of the process. The authors explain why they did the experiment, how they did it, and what they found as results. The experiment is ethical because all participants knew what they were participating in and why. The experiment itself was ethical because the goal was to determine how to educate people on marine conservation. The report was very easy to read. The reading level was at a low level that I could easily understand. There weren't too many big words and the sentence structure is not complex. I think that the report was overall satisfying to the reader.
     The purpose of this report was to explain what the experiment was, how it was conducted, and what the results were. The audience was directed to a lay audience. The vocab was not complicated and it was easy to follow. The study was not hard to follow. The organization of the document was easy to follow. The headings made it clear as to what they did in the experiment.

Reference:
Miller, L.J., Zeigler-Hill, V., Mellen, J., Koeppel, J., Greer, T., & Kuczaj, S. (2012). Dolphin Shows
     and Interaction Programs: Benefits for Conservation Education?. Zoo Biology, 32. 45-53.