Foundations of Interpretatio1/28 The course chapters include
What Is Interpretation? Why Do We Do Interpretation? What Skills Do Interpreters Need? How Do You Do Interpretation? Objectives: At the end of the course you should have an understanding of the following: 1 Describe the history and philosophy of interpretation 2. Recognize the importance of providing interpretive services 3. Identify the skills needed to be an interpreter 4. Describe the interpretive process You must take and pass the quiz with a score of 80% or greater to receive a completion certificate. 3/28
What Is Interpretation? Interpretation is a purposeful approach to communication that facilitates meaningful, relevant, and inclusive experiences that deepen understanding, broaden perspectives, and inspire engagement with the world around us. - National Association for Interpretation When most people hear the word interpreter, they think of someone who translates the meaning of one language into another. In a museum, zoo, park, or other setting, interpreters "translate" the meanings of artifacts, collections, events, and physical resources into a language that helps visitors and guests understand these resources. Another term for interpreters could be "experience specialists." They provide information, orientation, and inspiration in the right amounts and at the right times, so that guests will have more enjoyable, meaningful experiences. Interpretation, at its core, is a bridge between the meanings of the resources and interests of the visitors. It connects the tangible artifacts, collections, events, or natural resources of a site to the intangible concepts they can represent. It is the interpreter's role to ensure that those connections are built around the interests of the visitor. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm and the avalanche. I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can. John Muir, 1896 4/28
The History of InterpretationAs a profession, interpretation has changed over time. Its evolution spans more than 100 years and includes hundreds of individuals and dozens of organizations around the world. Scroll through this slideshow to learn more about some of the contributing people and organizations: John Muir: April 21, 1838-December 24, 1914 John Muir was one of the earliest modern preservationists. His letters, essays, and books describing his personal experiences in nature, mostly in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism was influential in the fight to save the Yosemite Valley and other wilderness areas. As founder of the Sierra Club, he helped to create one of the foremost conservation organizations in the United States. His vision of nature's value for its own sake and for its spiritual, not just practical, benefits to humankind helped change the way Americans view the natural world. Enos Mills: 1870-1922 Enos Mills founded the first nature guide school after serving as a guide for his various hotel guests. He became the prime motivator for creating Rocky Mountain National Park. His enthusiasm for preservation flourished during a serendipitous friendship. While walking on the beach near San Francisco, he asked an elderly passerby about a piece of kelp he found. The passerby just happened to be John Muir, and his response about the kelp started an enduring friendship. Muir encouraged Mills to join the conservation movement and write about his adventures in nature. Enos Mills wrote 20 books including Adventures of a Nature Guide, a work that is still relevant to interpreters. Freeman Tilden: 1883-1980 Freeman Tilden, a newspaper columnist and author, at age 58 decided he needed a change in his life. When his friend, National Park Service Director Newton Drury, invited him to work with the National Park Service, he entered the field of interpretation and forever changed the profession. While traveling to various parks to write books about the National Park System, he became concerned about the quality of interpretive programs in parks. This concern eventually led him to write his foundational book, Interpreting Our Heritage, published in 1957. It is in Interpreting Our Heritage that Tilden outlines his enduring principles of interpretation:
1983 - 2006 Building from Freeman Tilden's concept of meanings-based interpretation, the National Park Service has provided an ideal venue for collegial debate and discussion in defining the elements of successful interpretation. Putting theory into practice added to the evolution of the profession though the watershed events listed below: 1983-1992 - The Interpretive Skills Teams trained hundreds of interpreters in the importance of professional delivery skills and the effective use of themes, goals and objectives. 1993 - An Interpretive (R)evolution was launched, paving the way for a complete rethinking of interpretive training and philosophy, beginning the NPS Interpretive Development Program (IDP). 1994 - The "Compelling Stories" training booklet encouraged interpreters to move beyond the presentation of straight facts and information, to explore and interpret the intangible meanings of tangible resources. 1996 - A group of 40 interpreters met at the Stephen T. Mather Training Center in West Virginia to begin developing a rigorous peer review program and defining professional standards. This initial watershed conversation grew to include feedback from over 400 field interpreters and laid the groundwork for establishing national standards for each of the essential interpretive products and services NPS interpreters provide. From those efforts, IDP theory established the idea that successful interpretation provides visitors with opportunities to form their own intellectual and emotional connections to the relevance and significance of the resource. Additionally, three tenets of interpretation were defined:
2006 - The IDP embarked on a new project to continue the Interpretive (R)evolution—revising the entire NPS training curriculum and developing new training tools and resources. National Association for Interpretation (NAI): 1988 - Present NAI(opens in a new tab) was formed in 1988 from two existing organizations—the Association of Interpretive Naturalists (AIN) and the Western Interpreters' Association (WIA). AIN was created in 1954 and WIA in 1965 to provide training and networking opportunities for interpreters of natural and cultural history in non-formal settings (parks, zoos, nature centers, museums, and aquaria). NAI has served members in a variety of ways to encourage networking, training and collaboration. Volunteers, docents, interpreters, naturalists, historians, rangers, park guards, guides, tour operators, program directors, consultants, academicians, suppliers and institutions are all part of this growing network of more than 5,000 members. NAI's mission, "Inspiring leadership and excellence to advance heritage interpretation as a profession," is pursued through a wide variety of services—national and regional workshops, interpretive skills and management training, Legacy magazine, The Interpreter magazine, the Journal of Interpretation Research, professional certifications, and newsletters of diverse kinds. Members working as volunteers in regions, sections and chapters create the real assets of the profession—colleagues helping colleagues to grow in their knowledge, competencies and enthusiasm. 5/28
Making Connections Truly meaningful interpretation answers the question, "Why should I care?" Interpretation facilitates connections between the interests of the visitors and guests and the meanings of the artifacts, collections, or natural resources of a site. Visitors will remember meanings long after their visit, more so than the tactics involved in a battle or the specific names of plants and animals. Types of Connections There are two ways your guests can connect to the resource being interpreted: intellectually and emotionally. It is important to provide opportunities to connect in both ways. An interpretive product that contains only opportunities for intellectual connections would not be very effective for someone who discovers relevance and significance in an emotional way. Intellectual connections might lead to.. Insight Discovery Enlightenment Revelation Inspiration Understanding Wisdom Vision Emotional connections might lead to... Wonder Amazement Compassion Empathy Cheer Frustration Sympathy Appreciation Anger Despair Connections involve moments of intellectual and emotional revelation, insight, or understanding. Opportunities for visitors to meaningfully connect to a site occur when an interpreter successfully links a site's tangible resources to the intangible meanings those resources represent. Interpretation can be delivered in two ways: through personal services (think programs and tours) and through media products (think brochures and exhibits). Personal Services: Personal services provide opportunities for visitors to interact with an interpreter. Although personal services reach fewer visitors, they provide a more customized experience and a unique opportunity for visitors and staff to talk about the resources being interpreted. Media: Media products connect the interests of the visitor with the importance of the site through print, video, and the internet, including social media and websites. Media products can be more enduring and reach broader audiences through multiple languages and a multitude of formats. 6/28
Tangibles, Intangibles, & Universal Concepts Tangibles: Interpreters use the word tangibles when talking about the physical elements of a site. A tangible has qualities that you can see, touch, taste, hear, or smell. Intangibles: Interpretation involves connecting these tangible resources to the concepts and ideas they represent, or their intangible meanings. Intangible meanings are abstract and include ideas, feelings, relationships, values, and beliefs. Universal Concepts: Some intangible meanings are universal concepts—concepts to which everyone can relate, but that no two people will see exactly the same way. Some of the intangibles in an interpretive product or service should be universal concepts, because they provide the maximum amount of relevance to the widest audience. Family and friendship are two examples of universal concepts. Tangibles: Intangibles: Universal Concepts: Connecting a site's tangible resources to their intangible meanings makes the resources more personally relevant and valuable to your guests. For example, when the home of former United States president Harry Truman is linked with the concepts of social equality and democracy, the site becomes more meaningful to visitors. The importance of preserving the home for others to visit is easier to see and support. Tangibles, intangibles, and universal concepts form the basic building blocks for providing visitors with opportunities to connect to artifacts, events, and resources. Click on each photo below for examples of tangibles, intangibles, and universal concepts: 7/28
Interpretive Themes "An interpretive theme articulates a reason or reasons for caring about and caring for the resource. Using a theme, an interpreter hopes to provoke the audience to know the resource is meaningful and feel that its preservation matters." - David Larsen, 2001 The building blocks of interpretation are the tangible and intangible links that provide opportunities for visitors to form their own emotional and intellectual connections to the personal relevance and significance of the resource. If these links are not organized in a logical and meaningful way, it will be difficult for your audience to form connections. Cohesively developing an idea relevant to your guests helps provide a focus for them to form meaningful connections. The theme statement is the tool interpreters use to ensure that a product contains a fully developed idea. An interpretive theme statement summarizes, articulates, and distills the idea the interpreter wants to develop within the whole interpretive product. Writing an interpretive theme as a single sentence compels you to think clearly about what you are trying to say in your interpretive product or service. 8/28
QUIZ: What Is Interpretation? 1) A tangible has qualities that you can see, touch, taste, hear, and/or smell. V. True False 2) Interpreters make visitors connect to the meanings and significance of a site. True V False 3) Media products are better than personal interpretive services at offering opportunities for visitors to form their own emotional and intellectual connections to the meanings of resources. True V False 4) Intangibles are the ideas and concepts your resources can represent. V True False 5) Meaningful interpretation contains only specific facts the visitor will remember. True V False 9/28
Why Do We Do Interpretation? The reason we do interpretation is to help visitors explore the meanings of our sites. The power of parks, museums, forests, and heritage sites lives in their ability to convey many different things to many different people. We preserve these sites because they mean something to us. Meanings: Can be defined at a personal or national level Answer the question, "Why is this place important?" Determine the preservation of a site The reason we do interpretation is to help visitors explore the meanings of our sites. Interpreters help visitors to understand why the site has been set aside—its national, or social, significance. They also help visitors discover what the site means to them as individuals—the personal relevance of the site. For those visitors who already relate to the site, interpretation offers opportunities to discover a broader understanding or to see the site with new eyes. "It is true that each preserved monument 'speaks for itself.' But unfortunately it speaks in a language that the average visitor cannot comprehend. Beauty and the majesty of natural forces need no interlocutor. They constitute a personal spiritual experience. But when the question is 'why?' or 'what?' or 'how did this come to be?' [interpreters] must have the answers. And this requires both patient research and the development of a program fitted to a great variety of needs." - Tilden, circa 1958 There are three basic reasons to do interpretation: to fulfill a mission, to highlight the significance of the resources and to facilitate the development of the personal relevance of the resource. 10/28
Mission "In the end, we conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught." - Baba Dioum, Senegalese poet Most sites offering interpretive services seek to preserve the resources being interpreted. Heritage sites seek to preserve cultural heritage. Nature parks seek to preserve the natural environment. Museums seek to preserve collections and artifacts. For the National Park Service, the Organic Act of 1916 set the agency’s mission "...to conserve the scenery, and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Interpretation aids organizations in preserving resources by helping visitors find meaning in the sites. Visitors who discover social significance and personal relevance in a site will be more inclined to participate in preserving the site's resources so that future generations can enjoy them. Leaving resources untouched or untaken, picking up trash, putting money in a donation box, joining a cooperating association or friends group, volunteering—these are likely outcomes of deeper connections to park resources. 11/28
Significance "Each resource, private or public, subtle or obvious, has enough relevance (spoken powerfully to enough people or powerfully enough to a few people) to have achieved protected status." - David Larsen, 2003 What would it mean to you if the Acropolis was turned into condominiums, or if the Louvre became a shopping mall, or the Everglades were drained and paved? Whether you have visited these sites or care personally or not, you likely can recognize their social significance. All protected sites hold some significance to our society, which is why we seek to preserve them. In the National Park Service, park significance describes "why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and system-wide context" (NPS General Management Plan Sourcebook). Providing visitors with opportunities to form their own intellectual and emotional connections with the significance of a site should help them care about the site. Caring about a site is the first step toward caring for it. Interpretation, as the voice for the site, can be a critical tool in the preservation of the resources at the site. The significance of a site drives its preservation and inspires visitors. Interpretation highlights those meanings, so that they are not lost or forgotten. 12/28
Relevance "Man's search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life." - Victor Frankl, 1959 People visit parks, museums, cultural, and historical sites for a variety of reasons: relaxation, recreation, socialization, solitude. The list of reasons can be as varied as the visitors. The one thing that all visitors share is that they are looking for something of value. The resources at a site have relevance that can enrich visitors' lives. Interpretation helps visitors explore the relevance of site resources and understand the larger significance of these resources. Through interpretation, resources can change from being a pleasant background to being something full of wonder. When curiosity is sparked, it is as though the resources "hold out a hand. There are few who do not grasp it. There are secrets. There are few who do not want to penetrate some of them" (Tilden, 1957). Interpreters are the professionals who reveal those secrets by translating them into a language the visitor can understand. Just as there are many motivations for visiting a site, there are countless ways guests may find meaning and value at a site. As interpreters, we must respect the variety of experiences your guests are seeking. To create opportunities for meaningful connections for visitors to your site, you must develop your skills as an interpreter. 13/28
PRACTICE: Why Do We Do Interpretation? Write a personal statement on why you do interpretation. Then click the tab below to see what other interpreters have said. Statements from other interpreters: – I want to instill that interior value about the environment. I want to touch visitors' lives with meaningful and relevant feelings about nature. And I want to somehow help the environment through education and awareness. I believe that [interpretation] is patriotic work – preserving the essence of America. Ideas, places, rivers, stories are essential to our well being as a free and good people. It is good public service work. It can no longer be about me delivering a talk. If a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one to hear it, does it make a sound? No; eardrums are required. If an interpreter gives a program and it doesn't impact the hearts of the audience, it hasn't made a sound. Like the empty spaces in an atom's outer ring, I want to provide intellectual, emotional, and potentially spiritual nodes to which the audience can connect. 14/28
What Skills Do Interpreters Need? As a skillful interpreter, you can reveal resource meanings which lead to visitor enjoyment and site preservation. So what skills do you need? Interpretation involves combining knowledge of your resource and knowledge of your audience with the ability to select appropriate techniques. There are many ways to visualize the relationship among knowledge of the resource, knowledge of the audience, and appropriate interpretive techniques. The interpretive equation describes the relationship as a mathematical formula where the proper combination of the elements results in an interpretive opportunity. The interpretive triangle shows how elements must be in balance to have the desired effect. The last model describes interpretation as an ART, comprised of teachable elements. Interpretive equation: – According to the interpretive equation, to provide interpretive opportunities, you combine your knowledge of the resource and your knowledge of the audience and multiply them by at least one appropriate technique. Interpretive opportunities start with knowledge of the resource and its many intangible meanings. You must also know what it is about your resource that might be interesting or relevant to your audience and then apply an appropriate interpretive technique. If any elements of the equation are missing, no interpretive opportunity would be offered. (KR+KA)AT=IO Interpretive triangle: – Firefighters know that three ingredients are needed for a fire: fuel, oxygen, and heat. Without all three elements, there can be no chemical reaction leading to combustion. Fire educators have often used a fire triangle to illustrate this. Adapting this visual aid for interpretation, the sides of the triangle are knowledge of the resource, knowledge of the audience, and appropriate techniques. Without a proper balance and application of all three elements, an interpretive opportunity cannot be sparked. For example, an interpreter may have a solid knowledge of the resource but little knowledge of the audience, so he may select interpretive techniques that are inappropriate or ineffective for that audience. ART: – Another way to think about the fusion of elements in effective interpretation is to visualize combining knowledge and techniques through artistic expression. In this case, interpretation is ART, and any art form is in some degree teachable. A = Knowledge of Audience R = Knowledge of Resource 15/28
Knowledge of the Resource To be a translator, you need to be fluent in two languages. If you can only speak one, then you can't properly convey the information in a second language. Knowledge of the resource and knowledge of the audience are the languages interpreters must speak. Because resources cannot speak clearly for themselves, knowledge of the resource is crucial to interpretive success. By developing a solid knowledge of the resources at your site, you can tell a more complete story. Interpreters must understand many different perspectives about the resources at a site in order to offer opportunities for visitors to find the personal relevance. A battle isn't simply a glorious victory. It is also a stunning defeat. Telling only one side of the story robs the visitor of valuable opportunities to understand the significance of your site. The more perspectives visitors have to choose from, the more likely they are to form connections to the resource that are relevant to themselves. Gaining Knowledge There are many different ways to build a solid knowledge of the resource. However, some basic steps will get you started. To build knowledge of your resource you will need to: Immerse yourself in the resource: You need to explore your own connections to the resource meanings before you can interpret them for their audiences. Read a wide variety of written information: Real depth of knowledge comes through a thorough literature search, including primary and secondary sources. Be aware of recent and on-going research about your resources: This provides an understanding of changing theories, ideas, and attitudes. Talk to experts: Ask senior staff, park researchers, curators, and historians, "What is the most important message we should be trying to share with the public?" and "How does this current issue affect the park?" Know the local news: Understanding the local news can help prepare you for visitor questions and provide visitors with historical comparisons. For example, how does segregation in the Omaha Public Schools today compare to segregation in public schools during the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954 in Topeka, Kansas? Consider the following when using your knowledge of the resource:
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Knowledge of the Audience Interpreters strive to bridge the gap that exists between the meanings of resources and the interests of the audience. Understanding what your audience wants to gain from your site can help you interpret its artifacts, events, and resources. Without a solid knowledge of the audience you cannot build this bridge. Knowledge of the audience is essential if you want to: Meet the needs of your visitors Facilitate enjoyable, meaningful experiences for visitors Recognize when to let visitors interact with the resources on their own and not force interpretation on them Know how to use interpretation to help visitors discover the relevance and significance of the resources or rediscover these meanings It is important to understand and respect the reasons why people visit your site. Honoring the visitors' belief of the resource's value is the first step in facilitating meaningful experiences for visitors. People visit zoos, parks, museums, and heritage and cultural sites for various reasons. There are countless ways that motivations and values can combine, and the images below capture just a few: Click the buttons in the top image to see some examples of what motivates visitors. Click the buttons in the bottom image to see some examples of why visitors value the resource. To learn more about audiences and how to identify them, please visit https://provalenslearning.com/knowing-and-connecting-to-your-audience(opens in a new tab). 17/28
Appropriate Techniques To help visitors develop an understanding of the relevance and significance of resources, interpretation involves linking a tangible resource at your site to the intangible meanings it represents. Appropriate interpretive techniques create those links. Simply declaring that a resource is relevant doesn't provide an opportunity for visitors to form their own connection to what the resource means or why it is significant. Using techniques like storytelling or comparisons can provide opportunities for connections to the resource. This may motivate visitors to care about, and perhaps even care for, the resource. LEARN MORE: To learn more about techniques, download this PDF(opens in a new tab) from the National Park Service. An interpretive technique is a skill (like telling a story, asking a question, or using an analogy) that helps connect the physical resources of a site to the ideas and concepts they represent. Techniques must be appropriate for:
THE RESOURCE / THE AUDIENCE / THE INTERPRETER The Resource: When considering the appropriateness of a technique for the resource, remember:
The Audience: There are various factors about the audience to consider when selecting techniques, some of which are more obvious than others. Age, native language, accessibility issues, and the social composition of the group (family, friends, strangers) are some of the factors to consider. Other factors include:
The Interpreter:
There are various ways to learn more about interpretive techniques. Some helpful resources include:
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Selecting Techniques Interpretive services and products can be relevant to many visitors by including multiple points-of-view. Similarly, by using multiple interpretive techniques, interpreters offer multiple opportunities for guests to form their own connections to the relevance and significance of the resource. There are many interpretive techniques, none of which is inherently better than any other. The interpreter should never choose a technique without first identifying the theme, goals, and objectives and the prospective audience to determine if it is an appropriate "fit." Choosing techniques at random or because the interpreter personally enjoys them may mean that programs only reach a small portion of the audience. Interpreters need to stay current on communications and delivery techniques and new media possibilities and use them appropriately. However, beware of adopting new techniques simply because they are new. The key is to thoroughly examine the appropriateness of the technique before beginning to practice with it. 19/28
Making it Engaging No matter which techniques are selected, an interpretive service should be actively engaging. It is possible for all interpretive services, including media, to be participatory. Asking thought-provoking questions can be just as interactive as having visitors participate in a hands-on activity. Effective interpretive techniques facilitate some level of audience involvement or engagement. Try to be creative in engaging the audience. Some ideas for engaging your audience include:
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QUIZ: Appropriate Techniques Try this practice activity to see how well you understand appropriate techniques: 1) It is not necessary to consider the themes, goals, and objectives when selecting techniques. True V. False 2) Telling visitors a resource is relevant will make the resource relevant to them. True V False 3) Selecting techniques for resources considered sacred does not require special consideration. True V False 4) When you find a technique that works there is no need to examine its effectiveness again. True V False 5) Meaningful interpretation contains only specific facts the visitor will remember. True V False 21/28
How Do You Do Interpretation? While the task of learning a resource, understanding its visitors, and gaining skill in interpretive techniques may seem large enough, you still need to know how to put the pieces together. The steps necessary for constructing interpretive products and services vary by person and product. This means each individual will have his or her own preference and style for putting together any given product or service. But some basic elements are constant, no matter the product. These elements include:
Select a tangible place, object, person, or event that you want the audience to care about. Interpretive products usually include many tangible resources, but there should be one that stands out. This icon provides a starting point and reference for an exploration of related tangible resources and multiple resource meanings and relevance. Select a tangible resource that you think can be used to address in some way the larger interpretive themes and goals of your site. Step 2 - Intangible: Identify intangible meanings. When a tangible resource is linked to broader intangible meanings its value becomes relevant to more people so that its importance becomes more apparent and accessible. The Liberty Bell is merely a cracked piece of metal until it's linked to the intangible meanings of freedom and democracy. Similarly, without the meanings of beauty, life, and the fragile forest ecosystem, a tree might only be measured in board-feet. Step 3 - Universal Concept: Identify universal concepts. Some intangible meanings are universal concepts - a concept to which everyone can relate but no two people will see exactly the same way. These are powerful vehicles for reaching many people in significant ways. One or more of the intangibles in an interpretive product or service should be universal concepts because they provide the maximum amount of relevance to the widest audience. An interpreter must provide the universal concept in connection with a tangible resource. Links that include a universal concept tend to work best when presented with other tangible-intangible links. For example, a program that proclaims the power of water without explaining the process of erosion might not reach a large segment of the audience. But if the program describes and uses the concept of erosion as evidence of the power of water to effect change, both the intangible meaning of erosion and the universal concept of power might become more compelling for the audience. Similarly, standing in The Bloody Lane at Antietam National Battlefield and only speaking of death and bravery could seem unfitting to those visitors unfamiliar with the Civil War. However, describing the historical events that occurred there-- the ways in which officers and soldiers maneuvered, stumbled, and fought; the significance of the soldiers' equipment and technology; or the results of the encounter-- would make more powerful and lasting impressions of the tactics, triumphs and horrors of war. Step 4 - Audience: Identify the audience. All audiences who visit or read about a site are seeking something of value for themselves and all expect something special. Each has a personal sense of what the place means. For interpretive programming to be most relevant, audience composition (family, friends, strangers), age, culture, learning styles, and motivations for visiting should be taken into consideration. An interpreter should understand and respect the reasons visitors come to our sites. Visitors find value in resources for a variety of reasons. By identifying and understanding the audience, interpreters may ensure that each visitor, regardless of his or her reason for coming to the site, has a positive experience and takes interest in the care of the resource. Step 5 - Theme Statement: Write a theme statement that includes a universal concept. An effective interpretive service or product has a clear focus that explores an idea or ideas about the resource. Even so, truly successful interpretation occurs when audiences make their own connections to the ideas presented in the service or product. This may seem contradictory - an interpretive program conveys an idea, but the audience should take away their own meanings. As a tool that further develops an idea to inspire audiences to make connections, an interpretive theme solves this seeming contradiction. A well-presented program based on a solid interpretive theme will likely provoke connections the interpreter did not anticipate, such is the purpose of using interpretive themes. For example, in a brochure containing river regulations the theme "The river witnesses many changes" can be a vehicle for presenting information about the geology of the river, indigenous peoples' history and rafting regulations. Audience members should not be expected to repeat the interpreter's theme verbatim, but they should be able to verbalize the focus of the program by relating the focus to their own ideas. The theme enables the interpreter to communicate and allows the audience to engage in the ideas presented by that communication. Based on the goal for the interpretive product, the identified tangible-intangible links, and the knowledge of the audience, a written theme statement includes a tangible resource linked to one or more intangible meanings. The most compelling interpretive products have themes that tie a tangible resource to a universal concept. Step 6 - Techniques: Use interpretive techniques to link tangibles to their intangible meanings, providing audiences with opportunities to make personal connections to those meanings. Links between tangible items and their intangible meanings are developed by using appropriate techniques. A visitor may know that freedom is an intangible meaning associated with Ellis Island, but exploring that link through an interpretive service or product would give the visitor an opportunity to connect with and draw meaning from his or her experience. The interpreter must choose the most appropriate technique for providing such exploration. Simply telling the audience that Ellis Island means freedom does not offer a fully developed interpretive opportunity. Using techniques such as reading a letter from a recent immigrant, showing a photo of people arriving at the island, or telling a story of one family's experience with freedom at Ellis Island would provide the link necessary for visitors to make a personal connection with the resource. To be broadly relevant, an interpretive product must provide opportunities for both emotional and intellectual connections to the meanings of the resource. Techniques that involve multiple senses, such as props and activities, often combine emotional and intellectual opportunities to form a lasting memory for visitors. Deciding which technique to use to provoke each type of connection is the task of the interpreter. When choosing techniques, an interpreter needs to plan to provide opportunities for both emotional connections-awe, wonder, sympathy, curiosity, amazement, regret, grief, and concern-as well intellectual connections- insight, awareness, discovery, associations and recognition. 22/28
Delivery Skills Good delivery skills are essential to providing opportunities for visitors to form their own intellectual and emotional connections to the relevance and significance of your site. Interpreters and the services they provide are the communication link between visitors and the site. An interpreter may have a wonderful program planned, but if he or she cannot skillfully deliver the program, it will fail to be effective. Similarly, a poorly written wayside or a crowded, confusing graphic display can hinder visitor connections rather than facilitating them. Good delivery skills in personal services include:
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Conclusion Congratulations! You have just completed Foundations of Interpretation! "At best, interpreters promote enriched recreational experiences that turn to magic, where everything comes together, where there is unencumbered delight in knowledge and experience - a greater joy in living, a better understanding of one's place in the overall scheme, a positive hope for the future." - Larry Beck and Ted Cable, 1998 Although you may now know the basic what, why, and how of interpretation, this course only gives you the foundation. It is up to you to build upon that foundation to offer meaningful experiences for your visitors. To finish this course and earn a certificate of completion, take the course assessment on the following page. Additionally, please be sure to help improve this course by completing the course evaluation. 24/28
Course Completion: Now that you have finished the content portion of the course, you are ready to take the assessment. Please review the information below before beginning the assessment. Continuing Education Units (CEUs): If you signed up for the Continuing Education Units, they will be provided to you after you receive an 80% or higher on the assessment. CEUs can be used for various professional development certifications but not college credit. If you have any questions about CEUs, please visit our Help Center(opens in a new tab). Course Completion Certificate: To verify your completion of the course, you can print a certificate of completion once you receive an 80% or higher on the assessment. Select the Certificate option found on this course's home page at provalenslearning.com to print your certificate. Assessment: To complete the course, you must take and pass the assessment with a score of 80% or greater. The assessment is required, and your score will be recorded. You can access your course assessment from this course's home page. 25/28
Related Courses
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Resources 27/28
Bibliography 28/28
Acknowledgements FINAL QUIZ - Foundations of Interpretation
Question at position 1 True or false: There is only one way to create an interpretive product. False Question at position 2 Interpretation involves connecting a _________ resource with the _________ concepts it represents. Tangible, intangible Question at position 3 People visit interpretive sites for many reasons. The one motivation they have in common is that they are looking for XXX Something of value Relaxation Solitude Recreation Question at position 4 Truly meaningful interpretation answers the question: Where is the bathroom? What are the specific details about this resource? XX Why should I care? None of the above Question at position 5 The National Park Service has defined ______ as why a resource is important within a global, national, regional, and system-wide context. Relevance Interpretation XX Significance None of the above Question at position 6 Visitors who care ________ a resource are more likely to help care _______ it. In, with XX About, for Near, beyond None of the above Question at position 7 A ______________ is something everyone can relate to but no two people see exactly the same way. Resource XX Universal concept Tangible Technique Question at position 8 One of the earliest modern preservationists was: XX John Muir Freeman Tilden Sam Ham Stephen Mather Question at position 9 To build knowledge of the resource you should To build knowledge of the resource you should Immerse yourself in the resource Talk to experts Read of variety of written material a & c XX all of the above Question at position 10 Using a ________ to record answers to questions you have asked before, during and after your programs helps you notice trends and thoughtfully build your knowledge of the audience. Text book Supervisor XX Personal observation log None of the above Question at position 11 Techniques must be appropriate for the Audience Resource Interpreter b & c XX all of the above Question at position 12 Interpreters need which of the following skills: Knowledge of the Resource Knowledge of the Audience Appropriate Techniques Delivery skills a & b XX all of the above Question at position 13 The types of connections interpreters help facilitate for visitors are: Intellectual Emotional XX All of the above None of the above Question at position 14 The process model does not include which of the following steps: Select a tangible Identify an audience Select appropriate techniques XX Write objectives Question at position 15 ____ percent of visitors receive interpretation through personal services while _____ percent receive interpretation through media products. 62, 22 XX 22, 62 90, 10 10, 90 Question at position 16 True or False: Interpreters should tell only one side of a story to avoid confusing the audience. True XX False Question at position 17 Interpreting Our Heritage, a foundational book on interpretation, was written by: John Muir XX Freeman Tilden Sam Ham Enos Mills Question at position 18 The purpose of interpretation is to Help visitors discover and understand the personal relevance of the resources at a site Help visitors discover and understand the national significance of the resources at a site Help preserve our resources XX All of the above Question at position 19 The definitions of interpretation presented in the course share a common theme. It is that interpretation: Delivers a take home message to the audience Should be delivered to every visitor XX Is about the meanings of the resource Question at position 20 A/an _________ has qualities you can see, touch, taste, hear or smell. Resource meaning Intangible Universal concept XX Tangible |