This summative evaluation report details the Broad Implementation of the Living Laboratory model--an initiative to promote partnership between museums and cognitive science researchers in order to promote professional learning and involve the public in scientific research. The evaluation investigated the extent of the dissemination effort’s depth, spread, sustainability, and shift in ownership, based on Coburn’s criteria for scale-up (2003). Evaluators collected data from surveys, interviews, focus groups, document review, and observations. Findings about depth suggest that adopters fully
This project by California State University San Marcos and their collaborators will expand and continue to innovate on a pilot Mobile Making program with the goal of developing a sustainable, regional model for serving underserved, middle-school aged youth in twelve after-school programs in the San Diego region. Evaluation of the current Mobile Making program has documented positive impacts on participants' interest, self-efficacy, and perception of the relevance of Making/STEM in everyday life, and led to a model for engaging underserved youth in Making. The work will focus on implementing the program model sustainably at greater capacity by increasing the number of undergraduate activity leaders, after-school sites, and level of community engagement. The expanded Mobile Making program is expected to engage ~1800 middle school youth at 12 local school sites, with activities facilitated by ~1020 undergraduate CSU-SM STEM majors. The sites are in ethnically diverse and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, with as many as 90% of students at some sites qualifying for free or reduced price lunch. The undergraduate facilitators are drawn from CSU-SM's diverse student body, which includes 44% underrepresented minorities. Outcomes are expected to include increases in the youth participants' interest, self-efficacy, and perception of the relevance of Making/STEM in everyday life. Positive impacts on the undergraduate facilitators will include broadened technical skills, increased leadership and 21st century skills, and increased lifelong interest in STEM outreach/informal science education. The program is designed to achieve sustainability through innovative means such as involving undergraduate facilitators via Community Service Learning (rather than paid positions), and increased community engagement via development and support of a community of practice including local after-school providers, teachers, Makers, and University members. Evaluation of the program outcomes and lessons learned are expected to result in a comprehensive model for a sustainable, university-based after-school Making program with regional impact in underserved communities. Dissemination to other regions will be leveraged via CSU-SM's membership in the California State University (CSU) system, yielding a potential statewide impact. The support of the CSU Chancellor's Office and input from a CSU implementation group will ensure the applicability of the model to other regional university settings, identify common structural barriers and solutions, and increase the probability of secondary implementations. This work is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments.
The Fluid Earth Viewer (FEVer), an interactive and visually appealing web application that will allow users to visualize current and past conditions of our planet's atmosphere and oceans will be built via this award. This free web application, available to anyone with an internet connection, will directly impact approximately 2,000 individuals in-person through three field tests and is expected to reach many more online.
FEVer will be an extension of an existing open-source web application, and the PIs will add polar data sets, extended options in the user interface, and the ability to view historical climate/weather data to the existing "earth" app. It will be a vehicle of modern Earth science communication, making information most often used by the scientific community accessible and engaging to broader communities. In particular, it will provide hands-on visualization of the important climatic role of the polar-regions, their connections to lower latitudes, and the changes they are undergoing. A companion website, FEVer-Ed, will provide background, educational support, and opportunities for additional learning through a gallery of historically interesting atmospheric and oceanic events. FEVer will serve as a gateway to data sets that have otherwise been inaccessible to audiences outside of the research community. While a number of large data sets are included in this proposal (regional and global operational weather models/reanalyses), the platform is scalable to include other data such as ice sheet and glacier dynamics.
This project is partially funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.
The project will conduct a nation wide study to address three broad questions:
(1) How does the public view zoos and aquariums and how do these institutions affect STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) learning outside their walls?
(2) How do visitors experience zoos at different stages in their lives and how do zoo visits affect their knowledge and perspectives concerning environmental issues and conservation?
(3) What are the entry characteristics of visitors and how do those characteristics play out in behaviors during a visit?
The project is designed to advance understanding of how informal STEM learning emerges through the intersection of institutional pedagogy and learning goals and the characteristics of individuals and their social and cultural backgrounds. As the first institutional study that advances a field-wide research agenda, the project will map how to implement a national collaborative effort that can help refine program delivery and cooperation between zoos, aquariums and other STEM learning institutions.
The study will describe zoo and aquarium visitors based on a broad understanding of demographics, group, and individual perspectives to expand understanding of how these factors influence visitor learning and how they view the relevance of educational messages presented by zoos and aquariums. The project will result in reports, workshops and a handbook presenting findings of practical value for educators, a research platform and research tools, online discussion forums, and directions for future research. The project, led by New Knowledge Organization (NKO), will be carried out through the collaboration of NKO with other informal research organizations and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) with its 230 informal science learning institutional members. This project is supported by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funds research and innovative resources for use in a variety of settings, as a part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments.
Researchers at Georgia Tech and staff at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta will address the following problem: The growth of computing calls for increased teaching of basic hardware skills, but engaging students beyond those who are already interested in STEM fields is difficult. Emphasizing cultural context through personal expression has shown to attract new audiences such as women and minorities; however, balancing accessibility and educational effectiveness remains problematic. Current educational tools often use "black boxing" to simplify access, to protect the underlying functionality, and/or to stay commercially competitive. Innovations are needed where the basic skills of design and making, along with new educational models, can support students' exploration of everyday electronics and critical thinking. The team will test an after-school model that could be applied in cultural institutions and other venues that would provide students in 4 - 8 grades with multiple computer/electronics-driven puppet design and building workshops. These workshops will provide opportunities for basic hardware and electronics prototyping, personal cultural expression, and performance.
The exploratory research and development method involves three steps: the students develop a story-line (narrative) that will incorporate puppets; they learn and apply basic electronics and mechanical crafts to design, build and test their puppets; and they perform their shows to other participants and their families. Over the course of the project, there will be five workshops: two pilot tests (to test feasibility and design), one mid-project evaluation workshop (to evaluate and re-iterate), and two final workshops conducted by educators, where the research team only observes (to test for transferability). Data collection throughout this development cycle will include video and sound recording, still photography, field notes, pre- and post-questionnaires, and the production of puppet "artifacts" during the workshops. In addition to the data collected in the workshops, the project will produce design documents and educational guidelines, as well as other media (such as instructional video clips), which will be disseminated to educators and researchers.
The project has been successfully concluded. It included additional pilot workshops with puppetry experts and educators in addition to the scheduled development and final evaluation workshops. Overall, the project has led to publications in both educational as well as performance/ game- and interface-related events.
The project also published material on the puppet designs and their possible adaptation to educational settings on the project web site, which also include video documentation. More information is available at: http://dwig.lmc.gatech.edu/projects/prototypingpuppets/
This project will capitalize on the power of story to teach foundational computational thinking (CT) concepts through the creation of animated and live-action videos, paired with joint media engagement activities, for preschool children and their parents. Exposure at a young age to CT is critical for preparing all students to engage with the technologies that have become central to nearly every occupation. But despite this recognized need, there are few, if any, resources that (1) introduce CT to young children; (2) define the scope of what should be taught; and (3) provide evidence-based research on effective strategies for bringing CT to a preschool audience. To meet these needs, WGBH and Education Development Center/Center for Children and Technology (EDC/CCT) will utilize an iterative research and design process to create animated and live-action videos paired with joint media engagement activities for parents and preschool children, titled "Monkeying Around". Animated videos will model for children how to direct their curiosity into a focused exploration of the problem-solving process. Live-action videos will feature real kids and their parents and will further illustrate how helpful CT can be for problem solving. With their distinctive visual humor and captivating storytelling, the videos will be designed to entice parents to watch alongside their children. This is important since parents will play an important role in guiding them in explorations that support their CT learning. To further promote joint media engagement, hands-on activities will accompany the videos. Following the creation of these resources, an experimental impact study will be conducted to capture evidence as to if and how these resources encourage the development of young children's computational thinking, and to assess parents' comfort and interest in the subject. Concurrent with this design-based research process, the project will build on the infrastructure of state systems of early education and care (which have been awarded Race to the Top grants) and local public television stations to design and develop an outreach initiative to reach parents. Additional partners--National Center for Women & Information Technology, Code in Schools, and code.org (all of whom are all dedicated to promoting CT)--will further help bring this work to a national audience.
Can parent/child engagement with digital media and hands-on activities improve children's early learning of computational thinking? To answer this question, WGBH and EDC/CCT are collaborating on a design-based research process with children and their parents to create Monkeying Around successive interactions. The overarching goal of this mixed-methods research effort is to generate evidence that supports the development of recommendations around the curricular, instructional, and contextual factors that support or impede children's acquisition of CT as a result of digital media viewing and hands-on engagement. Moving through cycles of implementation, observation, analysis, and revision over the course of three years, EDC/CCT researchers will work closely with families and WGBH's development team to determine how children learn the fundamentals of CT, how certain learning tasks can demonstrate what children understand, how to stimulate interest in hands-on activities, and the necessary scaffolds to support parental involvement in the development of children's CT. Each phase of the research will provide rich feedback to inform the next cycle of content development and will include: Phase 1: the formulation of three learning blueprints (for algorithmic thinking, sequencing, and patterns); Phase 2: the development of a cohesive set of learning tasks to provide evidence of student learning, as well as the production of a prototype of the digital media and parent/child engagement resources (algorithmic thinking); Phase 3-Part A: pilot research on the prototype, revisions, production of two additional prototypes (sequencing and patterns); Phase 3-Part B: pilot research on the three prototypes and revisions; and Phase 4: production of 27 animated and live-action videos and 18 parent/child engagement activities and a study of their impact. Through this process, the project team will build broader knowledge about how to design developmentally appropriate resources promoting CT for preschool children and will generate data on how to stimulate interest in hands-on activities and the necessary scaffolds to support parental involvement in the development of children's CT. The entire project represents an enormous opportunity for WGBH and for the informal STEM media field to learn more about how media can facilitate informal CT learning in the preschool years and ways to broaden participation by building parents' capacity to support STEM learning. This project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.
Informal Science, Techology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) institutions seek to contribute to a scientifically literate culture, which includes new and innovative learning opportunities, a diverse community of scientists and science educators, equitable treatment for all, and the development of a well-trained workforce. In order to achieve these goals, informal STEM institutions must provide learning experiences that are welcoming and productive for all learners. The iPAGE model is a comprehensive program that prepares teams within informal STEM institutions to work with their colleagues to make their institutions more inclusive learning environments in which to learn, engage in, and identify with STEM. The project incorporates learning modules, workshops, site visits, and institution-specific activities all geared to build knowledge, awareness, and capacity related to creating inclusive environments at informal STEM institutions. The core iPAGE model is based on the US Department of Agriculture's agricultural extension service. It includes a Knowledge-to-Action approach, in which individuals adapt what they learn to local contexts by assessing barriers to knowledge use, selecting and implementing interventions, evaluating outcomes, and sustaining ongoing efforts. Through cycles of design-based iteration, the project will improve its practice, learning modules, and theory of action. Through surveys, interviews, and case studies, the research team will document learning, barriers to implementation, and culture change as teams and institutions seek to become more welcoming, diverse, and inclusive institutions. This project is being funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments.
This project, a collaboration of teams at Georgia Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and the Museum of Design Atlanta and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, will investigate how to foster engagement and broadening participation in computing by audiences in museums and other informal learning environments that can transfer to at-home and in-school engagement (and vice versa). The project seeks to address the national need to make major strides in developing computing literacy as a core 21st century STEM skill. The project will adapt and expand to new venues their current work on their EarSketch system which connects computer programming concepts to music remixing, i.e. the manipulation of musical samples, beats and effects. The initiative involves a four-year process of iteratively designing and developing a tangible programming environment based on the EarSketch learning environment. The team will develop three new applications: TuneTable, a multi-user tabletop exhibit for museums; TunePad, a smaller version for use at home and in schools; and an online connection between the earlier EarSketch program and the two new devices.
The goal is to: a) engage museum learners in collaborative, playful programming experiences that create music; b) direct museum learners to further learning and computational music experiences online with the EarSketch learning environment; c) attract EarSketch learners from local area schools to visit the museum and interact with novice TuneTable users, either as mentors in museum workshops or museum guests; and d) inform the development of a smaller scale, affordable tangible-based experience that could be used at homes or in smaller educational settings, such as classrooms and community centers. In addition to the development of new learning experiences, the project will test the hypothesis that creative, playful, and social engagement in the arts with computer programming across multiple settings (e.g. museums, homes, and classrooms) can encourage: a) deeper learner involvement in computer programming, b) social connections to other learners, c) positive attitudes towards computing, and d) the use and recognition of computational concepts for personal expression in music. The project's knowledge-building efforts include research on four major questions related to the goals and evaluation processes conducted by SageFox on the fidelity of implementation, impact, success of the exhibits, and success of bridging contexts. Methods will draw on the Active Prolonged Engagement approach (unobtrusive observation, interviews, tracking-and-timing, data summaries and team debriefs) as well as Participatory Action Research methods.
This work is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments.
DATE:
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Michael HornBrian MagerkoJason Freeman
The overall goal of this project is to develop and evaluate a community model of informal genomic education that is culturally and educationally appropriate for low-literacy Latino adults born in Mexico and Central America (MCA). The community engagement strategy and materials created will be designed to lead to three learning outcomes: increased interest and engagement with genomics, change in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) attitudes and self-identity, and increased understanding about gene function and the human genome. The model created in this project will have the potential to inform other educational efforts, nationally. Semi-structured in-depth interviews will be conducted in Spanish with 60 MCA Latinos to delineate beliefs and knowledge about genetic and genomic concepts and transmission of traits. Interview transcripts will be systematically analyzed to identify explanations about trait transmission, and familiarity with genetic and genomic concepts. Variation in responses across geographic and cultural regions will be noted. Knowledge from this analysis will be used to develop a meaningful community-based learning program about genomics. Lay community educators will facilitate informal learning with MCA adults about genetics and genomics, including gene-environment interactions. This project will use information about environmental exposures (e.g., residential pesticides) as a vehicle to pique participants' interest and illustrate genetic and genomic content. It will compare outcomes for 100 participants who receive practical strategies only to reduce negative and increase positive environmental exposures, respectively, to 100 participants who also receive genetic and genomic content. The strategy and materials will be disseminated through journal articles and presentations at meetings that focus on informal STEM education. The process and content will be rigorously evaluated throughout the project. This project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.
Informal learning, and by extension, museums, are inherently emotional experiences, evoking feelings of awe, excitement, and curiosity. Oftentimes, museum professionals have prioritized traditionally positive emotions such as excitement and interest as being the most desirable and useful in supporting museum learning. However, prior research into naturally occurring emotions at museums found that some visitors who experienced negative emotions, such as confusion or frustration, at exhibits also reported deeper engagement and overall feelings of satisfaction (Rappolt-Schlichtmann et al., 2017). Based on these findings and similar results from formal education (D’Mello et al., 2014), this project team has worked to develop and refine a framework of strategies for creating exhibits that invoke and support visitors through the complex emotional state called productive struggle (PS) which is defined as a three-part emotional arc characterized by: 1) disequilibrium (experienced emotionally as emotions like confusion, frustration, surprise, or unease) that arises from encountering a challenging task, phenomenon, or idea, 2) persistence through the task which is supported by exhibit design scaffolds, and 3) an emotionally productive resolution tied to the source of disequilibrium or an overall sense of effortful achievement. In deliberately attending to and supporting a range of negative and positive emotions in museums, visitors can gain access to a wider variety of complex emotional experiences, including those critical to STEM learning, and have potential to broaden participation in STEM by supporting learners' diverse emotional needs and preferences.
This multidisciplinary project team consisting of researchers and exhibit professionals utilized a design-based research (DBR) process to develop, test, and refine a definition of museum-based productive struggle, and create a framework of design strategies that support PS. Three physical exhibits and a virtual exhibit were created during this multi-year project. Additionally, a summative research study was conducted with 105 youth ages 10-17 to explore: 1) whether visitors experienced the expected emotional arc of PS; 2) how exhibit design strategies supported PS; and 3) the extent of visitors’ learning and engagement at these PS exhibits.
Born from individual basement tinkerers and garage-mechanic hobbyists, the Maker Movement has evolved to support a strong community among makers. Makers increasingly gather together in makerspaces, hackerspaces, tech shops, and fab labs, where groups composed of diverse ages, genders and backgrounds are motivated to learn with and from one another how to use and combine materials, tools, processes, and disciplinary practices in novel ways. The growth of the international Maker Faires’ annual showcases of makers’ inventions and investigations have become celebrated meccas of maker culture
This infographic presents a visual summary of a user study of the InformalScience.org website, which was conducted in 2016. The study used online surveys, task-based interviews, and web analytics to explore the following questions: (1) Who are the site's users and what content do they value? (2) Does the site clearly convey its purpose to visitors? and (3) Are users able to navigate the site and use search tools effectively?