From January - August 2010, the Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center's (KAYSC) Podcast Crew worked to develop five video podcasts to supplement the Disease Detectives exhibition. Four of these podcasts focused broadly on infectious diseases and one podcast was an overview of the KAYSC. Funded through a SEPA grant from the National Institute of Health, the podcasts were meant to enhance the Disease Detective exhibition experience and make it accessible to youth ages 12-18 by adding a teen voice Evaluation activities associated with the Podcast Crew began January 2010 and were completed September
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Amy Grack NelsonGayra OstgaardScience Museum of Minnesota
The Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico collaborated with RK&A to study the impact of its Citizen Science program, a NSF-funded project designed to involve local Spanish-speaking citizens in scientific research that contributes to growing knowledge about the Trust's biodiversity and land management efforts. The Citizen Science program underwent formative evaluation in 2009 and summative evaluation in 2010. Summative evaluation is discussed here. Summative evaluation was guided by four impacts developed using NSF's Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Informal Science Education Projects. These
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico
This study was conducted to document how members of the Design Challenges team currently assist visitors as they engage in engineering design activities as a way of informing the practices of informal technology education at the Museum of Science about the types of scaffolds and supports visitors need when engaging in future engineering design labs in exhibitions. To collect data for this study, educators from the Design Challenges team were observed as they helped visitors complete the Solar Cars activity in Investigate! The Solar Cars activity was not designed as an engineering design lab
During the summer of 2007, the Science Museum of Minnesota carried out a summative evaluation of the Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center's Park Crew program. The purpose of the evaluation was to understand how the youth staff implemented activities in the museum's Big Back Yard and what they learned about earth-surface processes, teaching others, and STEM careers. A mixed-methods design was used to gather evaluative data. Data collection methods included observations of youth presenting activities to visitors and pre- and post-interviews with the youth. A total of 11 youth (sophomore through
Cracking the Maya Code is a one-hour PBS/NOVA adaptation of the two-hour feature documentary Breaking the Maya Code, based on the book of the same title by Michael D. Coe. Major funding for the project - which included website, eduational and outreach components - was provided by the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Knight Williams Research conducted a summative evaluation of Cracking the Maya Code. The evaluation examined the appeal, clarity, and educational impact of the program, focusing on educating Viewers about: The basic principles that underlie
Overarching evaluation questions focus on continuous improvement, the degree to which the Salmon Camp project achieves its objectives with regards to students' skills and attitudes, as well as implementation and outcome questions. Evaluation activities are designed to probe five major areas: 1. Student Knowledge and Skills. To what extent do students gain experience with digital tools, field research, and workplace skills? 2. Student Attitudes. How are students' attitudes and self-efficacy as science students changing with involvement in Salmon Camp? How are career interests changing or
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Phyllis AultOregon Museum of Science and Industry
Overarching evaluation questions focus on continuous improvement, the degree to which the Salmon Camp project achieves it's objectives with regards to students' skills and attitudes, as well as implementation and outcome questions. Evaluation activities are designed to probe five major areas: 1. Student Knowledge and Skills. To what extent do students gain experience with digital tools, field research, and workplace skills? 2. Student Attitudes. How are students' attitudes and self-efficacy as science students changing with involvement in Salmon Camp? How are career interests changing or
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Phyllis AultOregon Museum of Science and Industry
Although there is a significant literature documenting the strength of informal science experiences in controlled or specialized settings, such as museums and science-focused youth programs it is not yet clear how best to regularly provide such opportunities in typical after-school programs--ones not established or specifically supported to test or implement grant-funded curricula or STEM approaches under specialized conditions. What's more, the majority of the 6.5 million children enrolled in after-school programs participate in typical programs. This study addressed this gap in the
Goodman Research Group completed the summative evaluation report of the Black Holes Experiment Gallery (BHEG), a traveling exhibit by the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, which aimed at engaging museum visitors in the topic of black holes. One of the innovations of the project included the inclusion of significant input from youth collaborators in the exhibit's design and development phase in order to achieve improved audience impact and the other innovation was a Black Holes Explorer's Card which visitors used to collect digital artifacts at the museum and could access the
In late spring 2010, Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG) was contracted by the Museum of Science, Boston, to conduct an outcomes evaluation of their educational live performance, The Amazing Nano Brothers Juggling Show (ANB). The show presents scientific concepts about atoms and nano science in a highly entertaining and engaging performance. The evaluation focused on the learning outcomes of children, adults, and middle school students. The goal of this evaluation was to examine the effectiveness of the show in increasing audiences' knowledge of and interest in nano science and nanotechnology
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Rachel SchechterMuseum of ScienceMolly PriedemanIrene GoodmanCarol Lynn Alpert
Listening to the River (LTTR) is a watershed science education project funded by the National Science Foundation. Its aims are to deliver education experiences in the local area, Traverse City, Michigan, and also to develop a model that could be replicated in other locations. Inverness Research was contracted by the Listening to the River project to conduct both formative and summative evaluations. Our work began in 2005 when the project received a planning grant, and continued through the life of the project. Primarily through interviews and product reviews, along with some direct program
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Mark St. JohnHeather MitchellDawn RoblesElizabeth HorschLaura StokesLand Information Access Assocation
For more than 20 years, the Science Career Ladder Program at the New York Hall of Science has provided unique opportunities for middle school, high school, and college students to be trained and mentored as Explainers at the museum. The program is designed to encourage and support personal and professional development of these students, increasing their academic achievement, personal growth, and participation in science and teaching careers. Previous evaluations have documented the impact on participants and opportunities for program growth. This report documents the findings and conclusions
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Jessica SicklerNew York Hall of ScienceErin Johnson