This Informal Learning Review article briefly recounts the activities of Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education's (CAISE) over three award periods, from 2007 through 2022. It includes links to key CAISE resources and event documentation. CAISE sunsetted its activities in early 2022 and passed the baton of leadership of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program resource center to REVISE- the Reimagining Equity and Values in Informal STEM Education center.
This resource presents a catalog of 25 unique projects, with short descriptions and details about how each project integrates imagination. To support practitioner use, the projects are indexed by title, contributor, project context and format, project audiences, and imaginative ways of thinking. Projects in this resource were selected from works shared by Unpacking the STEM Imagination Convening participants, and works reviewed as part of a comprehensive literature review on imagination in STEM.
This resource presents a one-page summary of the methods, results, and conclusions from a comprehensive literature review of 137 pieces of literature addressing the intersections of imagination and STEM. The research questions guiding this comprehensive literature review were: (a) What types of literature address imagination in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education and practice? (b) How does the literature define imagination? (c) How does the literature position the role of imagination in STEM? Details of the literature review results can be found summarized in other
This report presents results of a survey of 101 professionals' perspectives on imagination in STEM, describing the survey’s methods and results. The goal of the survey was to describe the landscape of beliefs about and understandings of imagination in the context of STEM practice and STEM education. Findings suggest that professionals (representing various sectors within or adjacent to STEM education and practice) believe in the power of imagination in STEM; there is an appetite - and need - for more imagination-infused work; and definitions of imagination varied, offering an expansive range
This resource briefly summarizes the work of the Unpacking the STEM Imagination Convening and associated project research activities, and posits several "imagination problems" emergent from this work: 1) Defining Imagination; 2) Intentionally Addressing Imagination; 3) Fostering Imagination; 4) Addressing The Myth that STEM is Not Imaginative; 5) Buying-in to Imagination in STEM; 6) Un-Privileging Certain Imaginative Ways of Thinking; and 7) Inclusion and Imagination. This resource suggests areas for future research and development in the context of imagination in informal STEM learning
This special issue of the Lusophone Journal of Cultural Studies (LJCS) highlights the consolidation of the “citizen science” movement, which stems from different forms of direct participation of citizens in scientific projects. This issue also features contributions to the debate on the “open science” movement.
This guidebook will help you plan your action project. The initial brainstorm pages will help you consider where to start, and the Action Project Framework will navigate you through steps to get to your destination: the completion of your project!
Overview
In 2021, we worked with the Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative (AWHI) to design and implement a baseline study that would measure the long-term impacts of the Because of Her Story (BOHS) internship program on participants. The program is a cross-Smithsonian initiative that matches interns with museum projects meant to amplify women's stories to tell a more complete American history, reach a diverse audience, and empower and inspire people from all walks of life.
Together, we articulated clear and measurable mid- and long-term outcomes for internship
Overview
In 2020, RK&A (now Kera Collective) partnered with the National Museum of Natural History to conduct a summative evaluation of the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils: Deep Time, a 31,000 square foot exhibition that explores how Earth’s distant past shapes our future.
Our evaluation explored how visitors process complex scientific topics, such as climate change, mass extinctions, the evolution of life on Earth, and humans’ role in positively impacting Earth’s future.
Approach
We designed a large-scale evaluation study with four distinct but interrelated parts:
A
The poster shares work conducted as part of the Modeling Zoos and Aquariums as Inclusive Communities of Science for Autistic Individuals (MoZAICS) project and specifically sharing details of the MoZAICS access and inclusion framework (e.g., definitions, structure/levels of the framework).
The Making Spaces project aims to contribute to a longer-term vision of a future where all UK makerspaces can be vehicles for social justice, offering spaces and resources for a wide range of communities to enhance and improve their lives, wellbeing and agency through STEM-rich making in ways that feel authentic, respectful and value the wisdom, cultures, needs, values and identities of communities. This vision includes a future where the STEM workforce is diverse and representative, where STEM is used to address key societal challenges and where people can use STEM knowledge, skills and
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Louise ArcherJen DeWittEsme FreedmanKylo Thomas
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
This qualitative study explores perspectives of U.S.A.-based science communication researchers and practitioners who attended a symposium focused on advancing inclusive science communication (ISC). ISC is a growing global movement that aims to center equity, inclusion, and marginalized perspectives in science communication. Findings underscore the complexity of systemic barriers to ISC, the critical need for resource sharing and network building, and the importance of evaluation frameworks. The authors also highlight critical dialogue as a strategic tool that might help support intentional
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Sunshine MenezesKayon Murray-JohnsonHollie SmithHannah TrautmannMehri Azizi