Botanical gardens (BGs) are institutions that collect living plants for research, conservation, education, and of course public display. A 2006 estimate indicated that over 200 million people visit these gardens worldwide each year, and therefore, BGs present an opportunity to educate the public about plant conservation. Yet visitors often prioritize experiences of natural beauty over knowledge about plants, and few formal evaluations exist of what visitors learn from BG educational programs. To contribute to the literature on evidence-based assessments of BG teaching methods, this article evaluated the effectiveness of a technique to supplement free-choice learning through an experiment at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden in Yunnan, China.
Free-choice learning emphasizes visitors' ability to select from a variety of settings and topics according to their own interests. For this reason, it is the predominant educational strategy of BGs, where visitors may move freely between plant collections and may interact with different informational materials. Previous studies suggest that free-choice learning can improve knowledge retention and encourage pro-environmental behaviors. The researchers chose to evaluate one educational strategy, a gardens map, designed to augment free-choice learning.
Prior to the study, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden already had an extensive system of interpretive signs. To augment these signs, researchers developed a paper “Discovery Map” that highlighted ten remarkable plant species, and that encouraged visitors to locate, observe, and answer questions about each. This map supported free-choice learning by providing extra information to pique visitors' curiosity, and to allow them to select which plant collections to visit and which topics to read about in greater depth.
During normal garden operations, researchers provided the Discovery Maps to visitors at the main entrance. As visitors left the garden, researchers asked them to complete a questionnaire that gathered information about their demographics, their visit satisfaction, and their use of the Discovery Map. The questionnaire also tested how much visitors had learned from the interpretive signs around the garden, asking questions about topics to which the map pointed. Separately, researchers discretely observed visitors' behavior, including duration of their visit and level of engagement with interpretive signs. The study gathered a total of 969 surveys and 106 visitor observations, divided roughly equally between map-users and non-map users.
On average, Discovery Map users scored higher on knowledge-testing questions than visitors who did not use the map, suggesting the map helped them learn more from interpretive signs around the garden. Map users were also more likely to say that they would be willing to return to visit the garden again. Observations indicated that users of Discovery Maps tended to explore a greater area of the garden, spend more time observing plants and reading interpretive signs, and discuss the plants more with friends and family than did visitors who did not use the map.
The authors caution that more research is needed to determine whether the Discovery Map is effective for long-term knowledge retention, since the present study only measured visitor knowledge directly after the BG experience. Additionally, readers should consider the potential cultural and educational differences between Chinese and North American BG visitors, as they may influence the effectiveness of different educational methods.
Botanical gardens seeking to improve visitor knowledge retention and engagement with plant conservation should explore free-choice learning methods. Specifically, the Discovery Map is a tool that could be replicated in a variety of garden contexts. The authors point out that maps and similar materials can be adapted to different topics of interest to appeal to different types of guests, as well as different seasons to keep repeat visitors engaged.
The Bottom Line
Botanical gardens are excellent places to educate the public about plant conservation. However, improving visitor learning and engagement can present a challenge, especially with limited data from educational evaluations. This study concludes that free-choice learning methods such as a “Discovery Map” can significantly increase the amount of attention visitors pay to the plants and interpretive signs in the garden, as well as their knowledge and satisfaction with the experience. More research into free-choice learning methods would likely yield valuable insights on how to improve the public's conservation knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors through botanical gardens.