Kids test Scitech experiences with the Scitech Test Pilots

At Scitech, we want to make sure all our experiences are engaging and informative for visitors of all ages. And what better way to do that than test them out on kids! 

The Scitech Test Pilots are our children’s reference group with all participants aged 7 – 17, who participate in online and in-person sessions to test out and provide feedback and ideas on everything from new exhibits and concepts for science shows to podcasts and video content.

Senior Customer Insights Analyst Shanii Phillips said previously the only consistent way to get feedback from children was to ask their parents, guardians and teachers on their behalf. 

“While the feedback we get through surveys both in the Discovery Centre and our teacher and student programs are really insightful, we realised we needed a more structured approach to gain meaningful insights from children,” she said.

This led to the creation of the Scitech Test Pilots last year, a unique and innovative way for Scitech to gain insights into what children think about our experiences. Scitech Test Pilots participants are recruited every six months, and each month alternate between online and in-person feedback sessions. The most recent session at the Scitech Discovery Centre saw them testing BenMaker woodworking tools, which not only looked at their interest and enjoyment and asked for suggestions of how the tools could be incorporated into the Discovery Centre experiences, but also how their parents and guardians engaged with them in the activity.

“The feedback we have received so far from participants has been incredibly useful, as while we were always able to predict how children engage with Scitech experiences, it’s great to have these assumptions confirmed through our Test Pilot sessions,” Shanii said.

One session saw the Scitech Test Pilots listen to our Wonderkids podcast, a science podcast aimed specifically at primary school aged children. From the feedback we were able to determine that children are more interested in video content compared to an audio-only medium. 

“For our Test Pilots, the program offers them a great leadership opportunity with their feedback and ideas helping to improve Scitech for other kids now and into the future,” Shanii said. “At Scitech we are always focused on adjusting and improving our visitors’ experience, and we know that to help us do this children’s opinions are just as important and valuable as adults.”