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Interpretation-Making a Difference on Purpose by Ham, Sam H. (June 4, 2013) Paperback
In the long-awaited new edition of the bestseller Environmental Interpretation, Sam H. Ham captures what has changed in our understanding of interpretation during the past two decades. Ham draws upon recent advances in communication research to unveil a fresh perspective that will lead interpreters to new and insightful pathways for making a difference through their work.Sam H. Ham, PhD, is director of the Center for International Training and Outreach and professor of communication psychology in the University of Idaho's Department of Conservation Social Sciences. Ham is the author of nearly four hundred publications and has won several awards.
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Unknown Binding
First published July 17, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 30, 2024
Good for professional development for anyone doing interpretation. Made me realize interpretation is like a persuasive 5 paragraph essay. The fault with a lot of interpretation is that it just has a topic, not a theme (more like an informative essay). But there needs to be a message/theme. Needs rhetorical devices to make message, anecdotes, examples, personalization. The theme in interp is like a thesis. But there needs to be universal concepts/intangibles to make it thematic. Also liked the 2-3-1 method. Start with theme, then write body, then conclusion, then intro. Make sure there is a connection between intro and conclusion so that there is a sense of completion/coming full circle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2025
new drinking game unlocked: drink everytime TORG is mentioned.
September 20, 2022
A lot of good stuff here, although the “zone of tolerance” falls a bit outside of my zone of tolerance.
April 26, 2015
Sam H. Ham’s influential and well-grounded book Interpretation: Making a Difference on Purpose could easily be considered the practical, how-to guide for creating and improving interpretive programs through thematic interpretation. C Ham’s writing style is upbeat and he repeats with great frequency his main points. Clearly, it fills a gap in the literature of interpreter training and education but it also provides a depth of information valuable to seasoned historical interpreters and educational outreach staff. Ham argues that successful interpretation must be more than simple luck or trial and error to achieve some impact on visitors. Likewise, it needs to go beyond simple infotainment that makes visitors and audiences happy but fail to make a difference. Making a difference refers to enhancing the experience of visitors, affecting their attitudes, and influencing behavior (p. 256). Making a difference consistently requires an effort, up front, to identify what outcome is desired and what successfully achieving that outcome will look like. Purposefully making a difference requires interpretation done well and the best methods of doing interpretation exceedingly well will all include provoking your audience to think (p. 65) and to create a personal connection with the subject or place.
Ham states that the almost inescapable conclusion when discussing interpretation and the training of future interpreters (and with respect to Stephen Covey) is to begin with the end in mind. The ultimate endgame of interpretation is to provoke thought and that takes some strategic thought in development. One tool to help is the TORE model. Ham has been writing and speaking on cognitive aspects of interpretation since the late 1970s. developed the TORE communication model in 2007, and explains in Chapter 2 that the framework that it provides is necessary to purposefully making a difference. The four interpretation qualities represented by TORE stand for Thematic, Organized, Relevant, and Enjoyable. Interpretation done well will meet TORE-quality by having a strong theme, organized for easy processing, relevant to the audience, and being enjoyable. Chapter 4 provides a review and brief respite for the reader to absorb the TORE model before the central discussion of making a difference on purpose in chapter 5. He spends the last half of the book, chapters 6, 7, 9, 10, exploring theme including its organization and development of provocation as the primary outcome.
In chapter 8, Ham provides a tool for practicing interpreters to determine if they are being successful by making a difference by raising awareness, creating understanding, advancing appreciation of heritage, or creating a sense of hope towards protection, conservation, or preservation (p. 70). For those that do make a difference, Ham explains why interpretation works. He based his theory on behavioral science and cognitive theories developed for education. These provide measurable and repeatable reasons good interpretation works. Ham follows constructivist-learning theory that holds knowledge is created by each person as new information is integrated into previous learning and experiences. An outside force cannot instill that knowledge. The thought that creates knowledge can be provoked.
For example, Ham notes that if the endgame is to create knowledge then it is important to determine which of the three interpretation archetypes should be used to achieve the desired end. The types are the provoker, the teacher, and the entertainer. The provoker attempts to provoke people into discovering their own meaning and connections to the material being interpreted. Ham argues that the provoker is the most indispensable to the possibility of making a difference with visitors (pp. 64-65). It is also possible that the provoker can miss the mark and either undershoot or overshoot the audience failing to achieve their goal. Ham uses his Zone of Tolerance to help define the line between interpretation and education. There are three zones: Unrestricted, wide, and narrow. Determining which zone to target is largely a matter of finding out which themes the interpreter or organization is happy for people in the audience to take away from the experience (152). In the most common, the outermost or unrestricted zone, staff would be happy with visitors being provoked into thought regardless of meaning. As the zones narrow, the diversity of the take-away message narrows. Interpreters grow increasingly focused on provoking certain ideas and knowledge. These programs are built with specific learning outcomes and educational objectives to provoke the “right” message (160).
Ham’s zones of tolerance are completely subjective to both the interpreter and the visitor. He hints at the underlying problem when describing that an interpreter’s own bias limits the understanding across the full range of possible visitor understandings. He explains that some very good interpreters may not even “entertain the notion that people might misconstrue, reject, or morally object to their themes (159).” Despite the engaging discussion on ethics, the philosophy of tolerance is limited by its simplicity. An interpreter may be asked to lead a tour on a subject that falls outside their ‘happy-zone’ of tolerance just as easily as a visitor may be forced outside their tolerance zone by the subject matter.
Being happy with their experience is not a reliable or objective measure of how well interpretation was conducted in relationship to the organization’s strategic plan. While this work, from all indications, builds on the author’s earlier work and it is well regarded in the field of museum interpretation, the conversation that is missing is how an institution or organization gets to the message it wants to transfer and how to make a lasting difference that benefits the continuation of the organization’s work. Interpretation by teaching attempts to inform and make a lasting memory of the event or thing being interpreted. The author lists this as the most common form of interpretation and gives alternate models. Some, like the sandwich model that sandwiches explicitly telling visitors the theme in the introduction and conclusion effectively sandwiching the body of the theme, attempt to reinforce the theme’s key points for memory. This uses all four of Ham’s interpretation qualities of Thematic, Organized, Relevant, and Enjoyable. However, it lacks an overall mechanism to enable long-term knowledge creation and retention well after the visit.
This may be fine. Entertainer-style interpretation attempts to create enjoyment in the act of interpretation and a fond memory of the time spent. As with the other types and styles of interpretation, It may be enough that they help create an understanding of the place they are visiting and connect it with a personal experience. Then again, this foray into scientific application of behavioral theory may indicate that more research is needed in the juxtaposition between museums and educational theory. The value of this book is in the process of purposefully developing interpretation. Follow the process and give consideration to the visitor and it will succeed. Ham states that “Interpretation is a make-a-difference kind of profession (p. 70).” However, you have to know why you are making a difference and be able to measure it against what you had intended to achieve. Without being able to make a difference on purpose, any effort can be considered futile.
Ham states that the almost inescapable conclusion when discussing interpretation and the training of future interpreters (and with respect to Stephen Covey) is to begin with the end in mind. The ultimate endgame of interpretation is to provoke thought and that takes some strategic thought in development. One tool to help is the TORE model. Ham has been writing and speaking on cognitive aspects of interpretation since the late 1970s. developed the TORE communication model in 2007, and explains in Chapter 2 that the framework that it provides is necessary to purposefully making a difference. The four interpretation qualities represented by TORE stand for Thematic, Organized, Relevant, and Enjoyable. Interpretation done well will meet TORE-quality by having a strong theme, organized for easy processing, relevant to the audience, and being enjoyable. Chapter 4 provides a review and brief respite for the reader to absorb the TORE model before the central discussion of making a difference on purpose in chapter 5. He spends the last half of the book, chapters 6, 7, 9, 10, exploring theme including its organization and development of provocation as the primary outcome.
In chapter 8, Ham provides a tool for practicing interpreters to determine if they are being successful by making a difference by raising awareness, creating understanding, advancing appreciation of heritage, or creating a sense of hope towards protection, conservation, or preservation (p. 70). For those that do make a difference, Ham explains why interpretation works. He based his theory on behavioral science and cognitive theories developed for education. These provide measurable and repeatable reasons good interpretation works. Ham follows constructivist-learning theory that holds knowledge is created by each person as new information is integrated into previous learning and experiences. An outside force cannot instill that knowledge. The thought that creates knowledge can be provoked.
For example, Ham notes that if the endgame is to create knowledge then it is important to determine which of the three interpretation archetypes should be used to achieve the desired end. The types are the provoker, the teacher, and the entertainer. The provoker attempts to provoke people into discovering their own meaning and connections to the material being interpreted. Ham argues that the provoker is the most indispensable to the possibility of making a difference with visitors (pp. 64-65). It is also possible that the provoker can miss the mark and either undershoot or overshoot the audience failing to achieve their goal. Ham uses his Zone of Tolerance to help define the line between interpretation and education. There are three zones: Unrestricted, wide, and narrow. Determining which zone to target is largely a matter of finding out which themes the interpreter or organization is happy for people in the audience to take away from the experience (152). In the most common, the outermost or unrestricted zone, staff would be happy with visitors being provoked into thought regardless of meaning. As the zones narrow, the diversity of the take-away message narrows. Interpreters grow increasingly focused on provoking certain ideas and knowledge. These programs are built with specific learning outcomes and educational objectives to provoke the “right” message (160).
Ham’s zones of tolerance are completely subjective to both the interpreter and the visitor. He hints at the underlying problem when describing that an interpreter’s own bias limits the understanding across the full range of possible visitor understandings. He explains that some very good interpreters may not even “entertain the notion that people might misconstrue, reject, or morally object to their themes (159).” Despite the engaging discussion on ethics, the philosophy of tolerance is limited by its simplicity. An interpreter may be asked to lead a tour on a subject that falls outside their ‘happy-zone’ of tolerance just as easily as a visitor may be forced outside their tolerance zone by the subject matter.
Being happy with their experience is not a reliable or objective measure of how well interpretation was conducted in relationship to the organization’s strategic plan. While this work, from all indications, builds on the author’s earlier work and it is well regarded in the field of museum interpretation, the conversation that is missing is how an institution or organization gets to the message it wants to transfer and how to make a lasting difference that benefits the continuation of the organization’s work. Interpretation by teaching attempts to inform and make a lasting memory of the event or thing being interpreted. The author lists this as the most common form of interpretation and gives alternate models. Some, like the sandwich model that sandwiches explicitly telling visitors the theme in the introduction and conclusion effectively sandwiching the body of the theme, attempt to reinforce the theme’s key points for memory. This uses all four of Ham’s interpretation qualities of Thematic, Organized, Relevant, and Enjoyable. However, it lacks an overall mechanism to enable long-term knowledge creation and retention well after the visit.
This may be fine. Entertainer-style interpretation attempts to create enjoyment in the act of interpretation and a fond memory of the time spent. As with the other types and styles of interpretation, It may be enough that they help create an understanding of the place they are visiting and connect it with a personal experience. Then again, this foray into scientific application of behavioral theory may indicate that more research is needed in the juxtaposition between museums and educational theory. The value of this book is in the process of purposefully developing interpretation. Follow the process and give consideration to the visitor and it will succeed. Ham states that “Interpretation is a make-a-difference kind of profession (p. 70).” However, you have to know why you are making a difference and be able to measure it against what you had intended to achieve. Without being able to make a difference on purpose, any effort can be considered futile.
April 20, 2025
I recently started as a volunteer for National Parks and other locations. I am providing educational and informative (interpretation) on a regular basis, and after a career as an educator, I wanted to make the shift to this context and audience.
There's a lot of good info in this textbook, but there's also a lot of deeper examination of theory that satisfies the academic need for spelling out all the details. However, as instruction for practitioners, what is missing is a LOT more side-by-side comparison of effective and ineffective interpretation. This could also be done with links to video examples. The author does this on rare occasion through the book. It is the difference between talking "about" a topic vs addressing the topic.
There's a lot of good info in this textbook, but there's also a lot of deeper examination of theory that satisfies the academic need for spelling out all the details. However, as instruction for practitioners, what is missing is a LOT more side-by-side comparison of effective and ineffective interpretation. This could also be done with links to video examples. The author does this on rare occasion through the book. It is the difference between talking "about" a topic vs addressing the topic.
April 29, 2020
A great tribute to interpretation.
October 7, 2022
Super helpful in understanding what I have been doing intuitively my whole career
May 3, 2023
As a tour guide in a national park and historic sites I found it very interesting, how did not I come across this book when I was at school. This is a must read for all tourism students .
October 4, 2023
Amazing book. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in interpretation.
January 20, 2025
I 3 chapters of this for an interpretation workshop. There was some pretty good stuff in here that made me approach things differently.
November 26, 2014
An important book to read if one is an interpreter of information. Also, as Ham instructs his readers to be easy to understand, the book is very readable. Sometimes it seems there is a bit of repetition, but this can be helpful if one begins to zone out, as can happen when reading a text book, which this book, essentially, is.
Sobering to think--all the effort that goes into preparing exhibits and most visitors are 3 to 5 second streakers!
Having just read The Republic of Imagination which talks about the removal of fiction from the public school curriculum as the Common Core takes over, this book makes clear the essential problem of Common Core.
Author Sam Ham explains that there are “captive” and “non-captive” audiences. Both types of audiences can be anyplace—even in the same classroom. A captive audience has to pay attention, for example, students who wish to pass a test are captive when listening to a teacher provide info for the test. In contrast, a student in the same classroom—who does not care about the test—is non-captive. Therefore, he is free to day dream and to not pay attention.
In order to hold the attention of the non-captive audience, Ham explains one’s offering must have TORE. That is, it must:
1. Have a Theme;
2. Be Organized;
3. Be Relevant to the audience; and
4. Be enjoyable.
The Common Core curriculum ignores TORE. From what I’ve heard, its focus is on drilling facts via repetition. This could be in part because it is a learning system designed to come up with a way to fire teachers (“If we set up a curriculum focused on testing, then we can fire the teachers whose students do poorly on the tests!”) rather than on how people learn.
If classroom lessons, therefore, do not follow TORE—any student who doesn’t care about his/her grade (and there are MANY), will not pay attention.
And then there is the whole issue of “endgame.” If the desired end result is people knowing facts, Ham writes, then rote learning—as long as you have a captive audience—may be the way to go. However, if the desire is to encourage thinking—what the objective of education used to be and what is necessary for students to fully actualize as thoughtful humans—TORE would need to be followed with the objective of stimulating thinking and personal meaning within one’s audience
Sobering to think--all the effort that goes into preparing exhibits and most visitors are 3 to 5 second streakers!
Having just read The Republic of Imagination which talks about the removal of fiction from the public school curriculum as the Common Core takes over, this book makes clear the essential problem of Common Core.
Author Sam Ham explains that there are “captive” and “non-captive” audiences. Both types of audiences can be anyplace—even in the same classroom. A captive audience has to pay attention, for example, students who wish to pass a test are captive when listening to a teacher provide info for the test. In contrast, a student in the same classroom—who does not care about the test—is non-captive. Therefore, he is free to day dream and to not pay attention.
In order to hold the attention of the non-captive audience, Ham explains one’s offering must have TORE. That is, it must:
1. Have a Theme;
2. Be Organized;
3. Be Relevant to the audience; and
4. Be enjoyable.
The Common Core curriculum ignores TORE. From what I’ve heard, its focus is on drilling facts via repetition. This could be in part because it is a learning system designed to come up with a way to fire teachers (“If we set up a curriculum focused on testing, then we can fire the teachers whose students do poorly on the tests!”) rather than on how people learn.
If classroom lessons, therefore, do not follow TORE—any student who doesn’t care about his/her grade (and there are MANY), will not pay attention.
And then there is the whole issue of “endgame.” If the desired end result is people knowing facts, Ham writes, then rote learning—as long as you have a captive audience—may be the way to go. However, if the desire is to encourage thinking—what the objective of education used to be and what is necessary for students to fully actualize as thoughtful humans—TORE would need to be followed with the objective of stimulating thinking and personal meaning within one’s audience
May 5, 2014
This is a fabulous read for anyone in the interpretive field, from front-line live interp to planning and exhibit design/development. I have not read Ham's original work, but I'm very glad I jumped in here. He has a way of articulating truths that are instinctively understood, but difficult to describe. I especially love the discussion of the "zone of tolerance" for messages (possibly one of the most defining differences between interpretation and education). The only reason this is not a 5 star rating is that I was very disappointed that after a very lengthy chapter about theme development in live interpretation, he essentially reduces theme development in exhibits to a hierarchy of fonts on a graphic panel, which misses so many opportunities to explore what a theme driven, holistic exhibit experience can be. I'd recommend this to anyone in any area of informal education or free-choice learning environments.
February 27, 2016
Even though I had to read many of these books in quick succession, Sam Ham's writing was still engaging enough to entertain me even when I had already listened to the same lectures earlier in the day. (Disclaimer: My instructor's enthusiasm probably influenced me here.)
January 5, 2015
Such a great look at Interpretation for parks, museums, etc. Very digestible! I HIGHLY recommend this for teachers, docents, guides and rangers.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews