This article presents key results of a ten-year study of media coverage of agricultural biotechnology in the Philippines, the only country in Asia to date to approve a biotech food/feed crop (Bt corn) for commercialization. The top three national English newspapers – Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, and Philippine Star were analyzed to determine patterns of media attention measured by coverage peaks, tone, source of news, keywords, and media frames used. Biotechnology news was generally positive but not high in the media agenda. News coverage was marked by occasional peaks brought
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Mariechel NavarroJenny PanopioDonna Bae MalayangNoel Amano, Jr.
This Broad Implementation media project (building upon prior NSF award 0639001) will address science literacy among Latinos via mass media, increasing the amount of Spanish-language science content available in the U.S., increasing the representation of Latino scientists in mainstream media, and expanding the knowledge base about Latino's interest and engagement in science. The STEM content will be based on the research conducted by the Hispanic scientists being interviewed and therefore includes a wide range of topics including astronomy, biology, physics, earth sciences, and engineering. The criteria for selecting the Hispanic researchers and the content is based on the importance of the research, how it is immediately relevant to a Latino audience, and how it draws on the indigenous knowledge system or ethnic pride for U.S. Latinos. Project deliverables include 150 audio-video interviews with Hispanic scientists distributed on both commercial Hispanic radio and TV stations, as well as public broadcasting and online. In addition to the broadcasts, social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter will be used to reach out and engage Hispanics. It is estimated that 300 Spanish-language radio stations will air the programs, resulting in 3 million radio impressions for each daily 60-second broadcast. Television broadcasts are estimated to result in another 2 million impressions per program. Project partners include the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS); V-Me, a national Hispanic educational channel; KLRN, the San Antonio, Texas public television station that will provide the national PBS distribution; and DaGama Web Studio that will develop and implement the social media marketing plan to attract and engage Latinos online. Comprehensive evaluations of project deliverables and impact will be conducted by Informal Learning Solutions (video-audio formative evaluations), and Knight-Williams Research (summative evaluation of project impact). The Summative Evaluation Plan will focus on the programs\' overall appeal, clarity, and effectiveness in meeting the two key audience objectives in the proposal: (1) increasing familiarity with and understanding of science concepts among U.S. Latinos, and (2) demonstrating engagement activities such as talking with friends/family about the presented topics, and/or seeking out additional information. It will furthermore assess the extent to which listeners and viewers find the Hispanic researchers featured in the programs to be effective communicators and the importance they assign to hearing from Hispanic researchers themselves. It will look at whether and how the programs are effective selecting topics with immediate relevance to listeners'/viewers' everyday lives. Finally, the evaluation will gather information about listeners'/viewers' demographic and background characteristics, including their country of origin, degree of fluency in Spanish, reasons for preferring Spanish media, number of generations in the U.S., reasons for tuning into the programming, efforts to recommend the programs to others, and the likelihood of continuing to listen to or view the programs in the future.
In this Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA) project, the University of Washington and the Pacific Science Center (PSC) are highlighting the results of Dr. Kelley's active research discoveries about deep-sea life located on active hydrothermal vents of the ocean floors (OCE-0426109). The STEM content of this project includes oceanography, marine biology, and ecology. The project team will develop a multimedia, interactive kiosk exhibit that builds on the existing Portal to the Public project at PSC. Kelley\'s graduate students are actively involved in the exhibit and outreach components. The target audience for "Life in Extreme Environments" is the approximately 800,000 U.S. and international visitors to PSC, including a significant number of urban, underserved minorities. This CRPA project will become a component of the existing Portal to the Public exhibit. This exhibit kiosk will subsequently be made available to other scientists to promote research and related topics in their respective disciplines. The exhibit will be fabricated and evaluated by PSC staff.
In this Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA) project, the University of Washington and the Pacific Science Center (PSC, Seattle) are highlighting the results of PI Kelley's active research discoveries about deep-sea life located on active hydrothermal vents of the ocean floors (NSF award OCE 0426109). The STEM content of this project includes oceanography, marine biology, and ecology. The project team will develop a multimedia, interactive kiosk exhibit that builds on the existing Portal to the Public project at the PSC. Kelley's graduate students are actively involved in the exhibit and outreach components of this CRPA. The target audience for 'Life in Extreme Environments' is the ~800,000 U.S. and international visitors to the PSC, which also includes a significant number of urban, underserved minorities. This CRPA project is a component of the existing Portal to the Public exhibit. After \'Life in Extreme Environments\' ends at the PSC, this exhibit kiosk will be made available to other scientists to promote research and related topics in their respective disciplines. The exhibit is being fabricated and evaluated by the staff at the Pacific Science Center.
This proposed Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA) project outlines a pathway for communicating how climate change can affect a watershed area that supplies water for a specific region. The educational platforms will address the geology of the Caldera along with meteorology, ecology and hydrology. The project will focus on the ongoing scientific research processes and the impact of climate change to the physical system as well as to the citizens who depend on this resource. Partners in this endeavor include New Mexico EPSCOR, the University of New Mexico, the Valles Caldera National Preserve, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Santa Fe Productions and Tim Aydelott Productions. The project team will create a PBS television documentary in English and Spanish, including a Native American Jemez Pueblo storyteller who will describe the natural environment of the Caldera. The team will also create a YouTube channel with updatable clips, a Facebook fan page, and a climate change exhibit. The evaluation will include front-end and summative components, and will be conducted by Minnick & Associates and Elsa Bailey Consulting. The intended impact of this CRPA is to educate the public about the importance of the Caldera in securing the region's water supply and how climate changes could impact their lives. Further, aspects of the multidisciplinary science used in this research will be described with the goal of encouraging more young people from the region to choose STEM careers.
Evaluation findings demonstrate that the Engaging New Americans program at the Harvard Art Museum provides experiences that are of great value to local immigrant populations. Interviewees highly valued opportunities to look at original works of art, learn about the works of art in a meaningful and relevant context, and discuss and share their thoughts and opinions with others. These three program elements—opportunities for authentic close-looking, relevance and meaning-making, and sharing—proved to be highly successful aspects of the program. Includes interview protocols in English and Spanish
This project is making enhancements to two existing websites, the Black Hole Encyclopedia and the Spanish version Enciclopedia de Agujeros Negros. The original websites were created by the PI under his NSF CAREER grant. The enhancements include 20 additional black holes in the Directory section, new listings in the Popular Culture section, profiles of six leading black hole researchers (including the PI), audio podcasts, a new section on the history of black hole research, and extensive graphics and animations. The evaluation of the website is expected to add to the informal science education community's knowledge of how the internet is being used to support science learning.
Queens Central Library contracted Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to conduct an evaluation of the newly completed Children's Library and Discovery Center (CLDC), partially funded by the National Science Foundation. In addition to traditional children's library resources, the CLDC includes interactive science exhibits, programming space, and an early childhood area. The evaluation sought to understand 1) how its family customers use the new CLDC (and its exhibits) and what they most value about it, and 2) experiences of CLDC staff who interact with the customers. How did we approach this
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Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Queens Central Library
Summary of Findings Summative Evaluation Cielo y Tierra Noticias del Mundo Robert L. Russell, Ph.D. Learning Experience Design October 2011 Learning Experience Design conducted summative evaluation of the project entitled: Cielo y Tierra Noticias del Mundo (Sky & Earth News of the World). A series of three evaluation sessions were conducted with radio listeners to look at the impacts of the programs on their interest in the topics presented, their understanding of the content presented, and their motivation to take further action. The first two studies used focus group sessions. The third and
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Robert RussellEarthSky Communications, Inc.Malu Jimenez
The NISE Network Forums were created to provide an in-depth learning experience that would (1) enhance participants' understanding of nano and its potential impacts; (2) increase participants' confidence in participating in public discourse about nanotechnologies; and (3) build informal science educators' knowledge and ability to conduct this type of programming at their institution (NISE Network Public Forums Manual, 2007). In an effort to reach out to a more diverse audience, the NISE Network Forums Team translated into Spanish the existing NISE Net forum "Nanomedicine in Healthcare" to
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Elizabeth KollmannJane MorganNanoscale Informal Science Education NetworkRoxana del Campo
WNET is producing "The Human Spark," a multimedia project that includes a four-part television series (4 x 60 min) for national primetime broadcast on PBS, innovative outreach partnerships with museums, an extensive Web site and outreach activities, including a Spanish-language version and companion book. Hosted by Alan Alda, "The Human Spark" will explore the intriguing questions: What makes us human? Can the human spark be found in the differences between us and our closest genetic relative -- the great apes? Is there some place or process unique to the human brain where the human spark resides? And if we can identify it, could we transfer it to machines? The programs will explore these questions through presenting cutting-edge research in a number of scientific disciplines including evolution, genetics, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral science, anthropology, linguistics, AI, robotics and computing. The series will highlight opposing views within each field, and the interdisciplinary nature of science, including its intersection with the humanities. The series will develop a new innovative format, the "muse concept", which involves pairing the host with a different scientific expert throughout each program. The outreach plan is being developed with a consortium of four leading science museums, American Museum of Natural History in New York, Museum of Science in Boston, The Exploratorium in San Francisco, and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, paired with their respective local public television stations. An additional six museums and local broadcasters will be chosen through an RFP process to develop local initiatives around the series. Multimedia Research and Leflein Associates will conduct formative as well as summative evaluations of the series and web.
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William GrantJared LipworthGraham CheddBarbara Flagg